Grover Norquist: Herman Cain's '999' Plan Is 'Very Dangerous'

Grover Norquist, president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform, said on ABC's "Top Line" on Monday that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's "999" plan is "very dangerous." Cain proposes replacing the current federal tax code with a 9 percent income tax, a 9 percent corporate tax and a 9 percent national sales tax.

"I'm very concerned about three different taxes -- every one of them can grow," said Norquist.

"To put tapeworms in your tummy to try and maintain your weight -- they may have their own idea about their growth patterns and what they want to do. Creating new taxes is a very dangerous project," he added.

Norquist is the author of a no-tax pledge that many Republican politicians sign vowing to oppose any federal tax increases. Cain has signed the pledge, along with all the other Republican presidential candidates except for former Utah governor Jon Huntsman.

Norquist said that he did not think the "999" plan violated his pledge since it was set up to be "revenue-neutral." He added, however, that the plan hasn't been "clearly written down" or "scored by CBO [Congressional Budget Office]."

Norquist also said the "999" plan would not grow the economy, as Cain claims. "It doesn't create new possibilities for growth," he said.

"Look, I applaud Herman Cain's statement that the present system is too high, it's too redistributionist, it moves money from one side to another. Let's take rates radically down, let's end this double- and triple-taxation of savings. But the way he does it creates these new taxes like a VAT [value-added tax] and a retail sales tax that have a dangerous history of growing."

When asked recently by Fox News' Chris Wallace what will prevent "999" from becoming 12-12-12, Cain said he would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate to raise taxes -- a move that could be unconstitutional.

"If this bill was before Congress, I would say, vote 'no,'" said Norquist about the "999" plan to "The Daily Caller," but added that he did not think the plan had a chance of becoming law anyway.

Comments

[JimNast]

12:46 PM on 10/22/2011

There are times when taxes are appropriate. Norquist is, in a very clever way, holding representatives hostage to his no tax increase agenda. If they don't sign they can look forward to decreased campaign contributions. If they sign, they are then told that this is a pledge to their constituents as Norquist tries to distance himself from that loop. Norquist's agenda has never been put to a vote by the American people.... and he know that if it was, it would go down in defeat. Norquist has never been elected to any office and, if he ever ran, he would find the same result, yet this clown who couldn't be elected as dogcatcher, wields far too much power over Washington. How are additional cuts going to replace the decaying infrastructure that supports this country? Norquist's agenda is from the Reagan era, it didn't work then, it won't work now.

[B Wood]

10:10 AM on 10/23/2011

Norquist is like the Mafia good fella who goes around to different businesses and says that unless they pay him something bad might happen.

[liberalcynic]

10:10 AM on 10/21/2011

As a General Rule all Republicans are dangerous.
However this one a little bit more dangerous than normal.
Just looking at the impacts of the 9-9-9 plan, why is the Occupy Wall Street movement not saying anything?
http://infrequentrant.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-protesters-meet.html

[liberalcynic]

09:42 AM on 10/21/2011

Am I the only person who feels sick when they see charts like this? http://infrequentrant.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-protesters-meet.html

[Wmof2011]

05:28 AM on 10/20/2011

-The jobless job market is caused by the global recession.
-The global recession was caused by the derivatives and mortgage bubbles.
-Derivative/mortgage bubbles are caused by de-regulations.
-De-regulations are caused by the Republicans (&TP).
-Big banks and corporations control the Republicans/TP.
-The 1% control big banks/corporations, and Republicans/TP. If corporations are people, they may be the 1%. Some Republicans are the 1% (but none of TP).

The Occupiers protest the 1%.

[modrnknght]

02:06 PM on 10/19/2011

The way he says the pledge isn't to him but to the people who voted reminded me a lot of this scary quote of the character J.J. Hunsecker in "Sweet Smell of Success". Hunsecker is a powerful New York columnist, and a musician who is dating his sister has dared to tell Hunsecker how dangerous he is. One thing you don't do with Hunsecker is talk to him. Hunsecker tells Sidney Falco the get ahold of a crooked cop to fix the musician. Falco protests but Hunsecker is filled with anger:

"Do you think this is a personal thing with me? Are you telling me I think of this in terms of personal pique? Don't you see that today, that boy wiped his feet on the choice, on the predilections of sixty million men and women in the greatest country in the world? If you had any morals yourself, you'd understand the immorality of that boy's stand today. It wasn't me he criticized. It was my readers."

[KC WRIGHT]

11:12 AM on 10/19/2011

One Dangerous Man calling another Dangerous. Very Funny.

Satan Norquist is right about one thing, once the VAT Tax is
law it can grow. Europe's is nearly 20%. The Income Tax was
originally 1%.

[adrianrobinsonm]

11:09 AM on 10/19/2011

WHEN YOU TURN THE NUMBERS 999 UPSIDE DOWN DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GET? MMM WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

[kathy smelser]

09:01 AM on 10/19/2011

it will be in phases first 999 then 151515 then 303030 where it will stop no one knows

[l78lancer]

08:51 PM on 10/18/2011

That makes too much sense. Okay Grover, we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[l78lancer]

08:47 PM on 10/18/2011

Norquist has spoken. Cain's five minutes of fame are over. He had one plank in his platform and it has been splintered. The Godfather of the Rightwing has torpedoed him, and there's nothing that the Koch Brothers can do to keep him afloat.

Now it will be interesting to see just how fast Cain's supporters back away from him to get back in line behind Grover.

[ladyrosedeky]

07:16 PM on 10/18/2011

I can't believe that I actually agree with Grover on something. We both think the 9-9-9 plan is a bad idea. Who'd of thunk it.

[phal4875]

07:24 PM on 10/18/2011

Don't feel bad; Grover is right on several things. Many people agree with Grover that cannibalism is impolite.

[kathy smelser]

09:03 AM on 10/19/2011

cannibalism would that be exempt because it is used food ?

[George Broadway]

07:14 PM on 10/18/2011

So wtf is your plan again Grover? Or, is simply preventing anything from occurring your plan?

[ver1tas]

07:09 PM on 10/18/2011

"he did not think the plan had a chance of becoming law anyway."

Well you're certainly right about that. Herman Cain will never even get the chance to present it to Congress.

[phal4875]

07:25 PM on 10/18/2011

Herman will not be invited by Congress to deliver pizza.

[phillyangel74]

06:37 PM on 10/18/2011

I guess Herman forgot to sign Norquist' pledge. He's the only republican running that didnt. He definetly wont be annointed by Grover.

[tenzenz]

06:54 PM on 10/18/2011

HE did sign the Pledge. The story mentions that.

[Bernie M]

06:30 PM on 10/18/2011

More news from Grover Norquist, America's "Shadow" puppet master. Fuc& him and the horse he rode in on!

[KC WRIGHT]

11:14 AM on 10/19/2011

I could support this position, as long as the Horse Tramples him on the way out.
Cyldesdale i'm hoping.