Pete Spiliakos

It hasn’t shown up in the polls yet, but Cain is melting right in front of us.  For those keeping score, the simple and transparent 9-9-9 plan is now a 9-9-9 plan except when it is a 9-0-9 plan except when it is a 9-0-9 plan with a special empowerment zone discount.  Oh, and it is . . . . Continue Reading »

I was gonna do longish post about Ron Paul and Herman Cain, but I don’t have the energy today, so a few thoughts about Romney on Tuesday, Romney really prepares for debates.  He and his staff try to anticipate questions and his answers are sharp and hard.  Just listen to him talk . . . . Continue Reading »

 More on Thursday, 1. Romney beat down Perry every time they clashed. But Romney’s evident dislike of, and contempt for, Perry was unattractive (I think.) Romney came out on top despite fierce criticism - though he got some dings. He isn’t my guy. My guys aren’t running, but . . . . Continue Reading »

 So Stephen Moore is suggesting that Cain should (will?) drop the 9% sales tax in his plan and replace it with a 9% payroll tax. So we are having a discussion about enormous changes to our tax system during an era of slow growth and enormous budgets. The discussion seems to have a acquired an . . . . Continue Reading »

The Cain boom is in its final weeks.  National Review has found the frame for attacking the 9-9-9 plan.  It is a 9% VAT + a 9% sales tax + a 9% income tax.  Now I don’t think that National Review editorials move a decisive number of votes, but the argument that Cain is going to . . . . Continue Reading »

So Cain has said he would balance the budget in his first year as President.  He has also promised not to cut Medicare or Social Security in the first year.  He also suggested that he would prefer to keep more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than President Obama would prefer.  So . . . . Continue Reading »

Unlike the current tax code, the 9-9-9 plan doesn’t allow businesses to deduct employee wages from their tax liabilities.  Doesn’t this amount to a hidden 9% payroll tax (though without some of the payroll taxes’ distorting effects?)  If I’m wrong I’ll . . . . Continue Reading »

1. It looks like the 9-9-9 plan is getting some real scrutiny.   Cain is going to have trouble sustaining the argument that “Sure the math makes it look like my plan is a tax increase for the working poor and much of the middle class, but my advisors assure me that you should not believe . . . . Continue Reading »

1.  Avik Roy nails it on why Romney is getting away with murder on Romneycare.  There is a lot there, but one take away is that Romney is a very smart guy who works very hard on his evasions.  His opponents are lazy and short sighted when it comes to health care policy.  They . . . . Continue Reading »

1.  I thought Romney killed it.  He actually took some heat in this debate, but fended off the questions great.  God love him for giving a shout out to Milton Friedman. 2.  Perry was awful.  His perseverating on energy production made him sound like he only knew about . . . . Continue Reading »