Herman Cain promises he wouldn't sign any bill over three pages long
Herman Cain has discovered a way to stand out from all the other Republicans running for president.
The former president and chief executive of Godfather’s Pizza wants to make an offer to Congress that it can't refuse. Unfortunately, it may be an offer so idealistic that it could have Cain swimming with the proverbial fishes -- politically speaking.
Cain wants to stop lawmakers from passing bills that are over three pages long. Talk about small government.
"Don’t try to pass a 2,700-page bill," Cain said to a responsive audience in Pella, Iowa, on Monday.
"You and I didn’t have time to read it. We’re too busy trying to live — send our kids to school. That’s why I am only going to allow small bills — three pages. You’ll have time to read that one over the dinner table," Cain said.
But as Marie Diamond of Think Progress wrote, "Cain wouldn’t have signed such landmark pieces of legislation as the Civil Rights Act, the Social Security Act or the Patriot Act. In fact, he wouldn’t have even been able to sign the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, which ran 114 and 18 pages, respectively."
Cain pulls in respectable numbers in early polls, often in the middle of the pack if not higher. Tom Jensen of the Public Policy Polling blog wrote today that of the GOP hopefuls, only Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota and Cain have "any real momentum."
"The big question is going to be whether Cain or Bachmann can actually translate their increasing popularity into support for the White House -- liking someone is one thing while thinking they should be President is quite another," Jensen wrote.
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Photo: 2012 Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain gets ready to speak at a "tea party'"rally at the statehouse April 15, 2011, in Concord, N.H. Credit: AP Photo/Jim Cole
No Civil Rights act, social security act, or Patriot Act? Awesome!
Posted by: JD Lynch | June 07, 2011 at 03:35 PM
Oh yeah? Well, elect me, and I won't sign any bills over TWO pages long!
Posted by: Paul B. | June 07, 2011 at 03:36 PM
I work in a prison, and I deal with many African Americans that openly admit they love Obama because he is black. When I talk about Cain they are interested, but assume he is just another rich white CEO. When I show them his picture, they are shocked because he is black. Many of these prisoners are now huge Cain fans. They see him as a "real" black man, whatever that means. They are convinced that the "man" will keep him down, and Republicans will never vote for a black man. Race is not an issue with rational people, but many irrational people vote. I am an independent and I usually vote 3rd party, but Herman Cain intrigues me because he would allow us to have a real debate. The race card would be off the table. Obama would actually have to come up with some ideas to address difficult problems. I would no longer be racist for disagreeing with the president. He would have to address the economy, jobs, and our national debt. Everything else is secondary. All he does not is watch the Republicans present ideas on difficult issues and let them take the heat. In a race with Cain, he would actually have to prove he is a LEADER. It’s easy to let others make tuff decision and then criticize them for it. I have a problem with Cain’s lack of experience, but I believe his business experience will enable him to make logical decisions on difficult issues. Most politicians don’t care about us. They just do what is politically expedient. I would take an inexperienced patriot over an opportunistic coward (most politicians) any day.
Posted by: Mike | June 07, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Herman Cain has my vote.
Posted by: Christine | June 07, 2011 at 03:57 PM
Kid of said that the media only talks about his being the CEO of Godfather's Pizza, he has done many more impressive things.
He is so far ahead and above most people in the DC region it's said. We used to send the best and the brightest to run our government. Herman Caine is one of our best and brightest. And this is from a white conservative who took the time to read his bio and his positions.
Posted by: ew-3 | June 07, 2011 at 05:41 PM
One thing about Cain is that he knows how to tell people what they want to hear. Now that Tea partiers and Republicans love Blacks (except Obama) maybe Clarence Thomas should resign from the supreme court and join the ticket.
Posted by: James | June 07, 2011 at 06:47 PM
The beauty of the 3 page limit is that it effectively gives a president a line item veto. So your 3000 page bill would be 1000 separate bills. He could veto much of the waste out of any series of bills.
He could veto all the extra pork that gets added to every bill to pass it.
The point is did we need a 2000 page bill. Here is a single payer health care plan in 14 pages (http://www.johnconyers.com/hr676text ). I could make a national health care plan in 3.
Posted by: Scott Wickham | June 07, 2011 at 06:52 PM
He knows that baggers don't have critical thinking skills or the attention of a 1 year old.
Posted by: Rusty | June 07, 2011 at 07:30 PM
Well that is exactly what we need someone with a short attention span and will reinforce the Idea that everything can fit in to the sitcom time frame.
Posted by: cathy | June 07, 2011 at 07:37 PM
How could anyone in their right mind vote for a jive talkin' ignorant bigoted closet case clown like Herman Cain? He is a disgrace to the Civil Rights movement and America in general.
Posted by: Frederick Ferguson | June 07, 2011 at 08:10 PM
Don’t underestimate the Cain Train, friends. With his rising poll numbers, his fundraising will take off too. America is desperate for a change of course, before Obama ruins us.
Check out this humorous little bit of Hollywood trickery that pits a stuttering, stammering Barack Obama against Herman Cain as they debate the merits of health care reform. Barack Obama’s worst nightmare, indeed!
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hollywood4Cain#p/a/u/1/WoXwM-suu4s
Posted by: Hollywood4Cain | June 07, 2011 at 08:24 PM
Fantastic idea. Research Thomas Jefferson, during the early stages of the founding he and other passed something like 97 bills that totalled 100+ pages. That's the way to small government, lower taxes, less spending.
Posted by: jim | June 07, 2011 at 09:52 PM
Mr, Cain has a great record and is rising quickly. He is a good man who has worked hard all his life.It amazes me those who make ad-hominem attacks do not realize that they negate their whole argument. To use the race issue as it has been used the last three years is shameful. There was a time when the Black community faced awful atrocities. That was based on real racism. To throw that word around like a political football just because one group does not agree with the current president is disgraceful and disrespectful to those who have and still face real racism.
If you have not heard this man speak, please do. Even if you do not agree with his political views, I believe you will be pleasantly refreshed.
Posted by: Scott Osborn | June 08, 2011 at 12:35 AM
Herman Cain is what is right about our country. He is a wonderful example to all races of what a person can become if hard work and strong AMERICAN values are utilized. He is the hero of our struggling country. I will vote for him! Support him! Work for him! HE IS FANTASTIC!
Posted by: MARY BULLOCK | June 08, 2011 at 04:53 AM
It seems like those who are against Cain can only call him names. His is a "bigot, a 1 year old, clown, ect." How about we talk about issues. I am independent, but the only solutions I see being presented on tuff issues are coming from the right. How will Obama solve the national debt, high unemployment, and the problems with Medicare, Social Security, and other entitlement programs. I have voted for Democrates before, but they are silent on the most important issues. I suggest liberals stop calling people names and come up with some solutions. The name calling only makes them look like "bigots, clowns, and 1 year olds."
Posted by: Mike | June 08, 2011 at 09:11 AM
Yes, I believe he would have been able to sign those landmark bills because he would have forced the legislators to say what needs to be said and nothing more. Talk about great pork control! My vote is for Herman Cain! By the way, everyone out there who is not sure about what he stands for should read everything, but verify with video of him actually explaining the policies.
Posted by: Jana | June 08, 2011 at 12:10 PM
I fully understand that a government official is too busy to read a whole big bad bill that effects 250 million people. Why would they feel responsible for actually knowing anything about the laws they are asked to understand? No, I think we should give these rogue, spunky Republicans their bills in the form of comics. Maybe then they could do their jobs and stop running our country into the ground.
Posted by: Marcuscassius | June 09, 2011 at 06:26 PM
Wow brilliant... by limiting all bills to 3 pages long he can rein in spending by having a defacto line item veto ... We really need someone like this as president FAST!
Posted by: John355 | June 10, 2011 at 11:39 AM
3 pages? That's an improvement. Most Republican politicians seem unable to grasp any policy that can't fit on a bumper sticker.
Posted by: Rob | June 13, 2011 at 10:53 AM