Forbes Magazine publisher, flat tax advocate and failed ’96 presidential candidate Steve Forbes has endorsed Rick Perry, in part because Perry has released a half-cooked economic plan that includes a 20 percent flat tax. In an interview with political gossipist Lloyd Grove titled, “Forbes: ‘Perry Will Be the Nominee,'” Forbes said, “Whatever part of the Republican establishment has gone to Romney is almost by default — not because they really like him or because they’re writing big checks or bundling large amounts of money. So if Perry or somebody else comes along and catches fire, which I think Perry will, Romney is going to be stuck at his 23 percent or maybe even less.” - Ron Brownstein reminds us how Forbes’ flat-tax proposal flattened his campaign in 1996, paving the way for then Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole to win their party’s nomination that year. In the general campaign, Pres. Bill Clinton’s tean cleverly paired (by then retired) Senate leader Dole with his uber-unpopular counterpart in the House, Speaker Newt Gingrich, and easily won reelection.
- Steve Benen notes that Perry is promising to add 2.5 million jobs if elected president — which, says Benen, means “Rick Perry believes he’ll be able to create the same number of jobs in four years that Barack Obama has created in a year and a half.”
- Even though Parah Salin (remember her?) is officially out of the running, David Corn reminds us that there is still an “openly mean” candidate vying for the GOP nomination. Here’s Corn’s collection of ugly things Speaker Gingrich has said over the past 33 years.
Call him “Miss Ross.” Apparently Herman Cain has taken a cue from Diva Diana. Ex-staffers say they were instructed by memo, “Do not speak to him unless you are spoken to.”
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