Cain Picks Up Establishment Support

Barbour doesn't endorse him himself, but comes close to doing so, and in any event stamps him with his Seal of Approval (even if not his Seal of Endorsement).

It had been thought that Barbour would endorse Perry, so this something Team Perry doesn't want to hear.

The 9-9-9 plan picks up some support from policy experts.

Ryan, again, doesn't expressly bless 9-9-9, but is positive about it:

House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan says he “loves” presidential candidate Herman Cain’s signature “9-9-9″ tax plan.

Ryan told The Daily Caller in an exclusive interview that Cain’s plan is a good starting point for debate, and shows the GOP presidential campaign season has entered into a more advanced stage where ideas — not just personalities — have come to the forefront.

“We need more bold ideas like this because it is specific and credible,” Ryan said. “I’m more of a flat-tax kind of a guy.”

The budget chairman went on to say that ideas like Cain’s plan could help shape the debate over tax reform moving into 2013.

“It’s great to see such bold ideas,” Ryan told TheDC.

Also speaking favorably about the plan is Art Laffer of the Curve that bears his name.

"Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan would be a vast improvement over the current tax system and a boon to the U.S. economy," Laffer told HUMAN EVENTS in a statement. "The goal of supply-side tax reform is always a broadening of the tax base and lowering of marginal tax rates."

Added Laffer: "Mr. Cain’s plan is simple, transparent, neutral with respect to capital and labor, and savings and consumption, and also greatly decreases the hidden costs of tax compliance. There is no doubt that economic growth would surge upon implementation of 9-9-9."

Laffer also said that "such a system provides the least avenues to avoid paying taxes, yet also maintains the strongest incentives for work effort, production, and investment."

A lot of momentum for Cain today. But then, we've seen rushes of momentum to Perry, Bachmann, and, before this latest round, to Cain earlier.

I have to caution that he hasn't been vetted yet. No one's really gone after him. No one's taken him all that seriously yet.

So, eyes open.

Thanks to DrewM.

posted by Ace at 04:12 PM

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