American Morning
Can GOP candidate Herman Cain's "9-9-9" work?
The talk of political circles these days is GOP candidate Herman Cain's "9-9-9" plan. But what exactly is the plan and will it work? Is it likely that Congress would ever go for something like this?
This morning on American Morning, Carol Costello talks to Wall Street Journal Economics Writer Stephen Moore about the "9-9-9" plan, which was inspired in a book he co-authored called "Return to Prosperity."
Is Herman Cain calling out critics in the black community, or a political puppet? Two experts on race discuss
2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has come under fire from the black community after he remarked that he doesn't "believe racism in this country today holds anybody back in a big way."Â But Cain says his critics just can't stand to see a black Republican run for the GOP nomination – and challenge an African-American president.
Carol Costello spoke to Ron Christie, Republican strategist and fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, and Boyce Watkins, a professor at Syracuse University, about whether they agreed with Cain's provocative statement -and whether they feel blacks can embrace the GOP.
Cain under fire at GOP debate – CNN contributors on who came out on top
With his poll numbers rising, Herman Cain come under fire from fellow Republicans at the GOP debate last night.Â
GOP rivals relentlessly attacked his so-called "9-9-9" tax reform plan, which calls for a 9-percent flat tax on income, a 9-percent corporate tax, and a 9-percent national sales tax. They called the plan inadequate and politically unrealistic.Â
But Cain fired back – particularly at Mitt Romney, criticizing the former Massachusetts Governor's 59-point plan as simple and nontransparent.
Christine Romans talks with CNN contributors Hilary Rosen, John Avlon and Will Cain on their take on Herman Cain's moment in the spotlight.
Tony Perkins on Romney's Faith and Paul's Straw Poll Win
The "Values Voter" summit was held in Washington this past weekend. The event was sponsored by The Family Research Council, a social conservative group. The weekend got off to a rousing start Friday night when Robert Jeffress, a prominent Texas pastor, criticized Mitt Romney and his faith, calling Mormonism a "cult."
And in the Values Voter straw poll, Rep. Ron Paul came out on top with 37% of the vote.
This morning on American Morning, CNN's Carol Costello talks with Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, about Jeffress' controversial remarks and why he believes Ron Paul's straw poll win is insignificant.
With Christie officially out, which candidate could benefit the most?
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie came out in Trenton yesterday to finally announce (again) that he will not be running for president.
"I've explored the options and listened to so many people and considered whether this was something that I needed to take on," Christie said in a statement. "But in the end, what I've always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today. Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon."
Now that Christie is out - for certain - what does the GOP field look like and will anyone else join the race? Many are saying this is going to be great news for Mitt Romney who is leading the polls by almost ten points. Will we finally see the weight of the republican party put behind one of the current candidates?
Politico's Maggie Haberman and Jeff Zeleny from The New York Times talk to American Morning about the GOP field.
Does a candidate's spouse hold all the power in political decisions?
The Chris Christie watch continues this morning. The New Jersey governor has called a 1pm ET press conference today to announce whether he intends to run for president in 2012. Some reports say the most important voice in making the decision was his wife, Pat.
This also comes on the heels of reports that Ann Romney is heading to Iowa today for three days to support her husband, and Gov. Rick Perry's wife Anita has reportedly set up an office in Iowa to help out.
Michelle Obama has long been dubbed Obama's "secret weapon" on the campaign trail.
So how important is a candidate's spouse to a campaign?
This morning, Christine Romans talks with Ann Gerhart author of the book "The Perfect Wife" who recently wrote a front page article for The Washington Post about the importance of the spouse to a presidential candidate. Gerhart explains why the guidance of a spouse could make or break a campaign.
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