A Republican presidential candidate who’s been in Iowa for the past few days has given a few clues about what he may say at Tuesday’s nationally-televised debate in Las Vegas. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum hinted he’ll try to attack a variety of “flip-flops” from rival Herman Cain.
“It’s a target rich environment where really, it’s sort of a sad thing,” Santorum said during an interview with Radio Iowa. “We’re seeing it in a lot of candidates who are saying one thing and sort of backing away from what they’ve said in the past.”
National polls suggest Cain’s popularity has risen to front-runner status after he unveiled his 9-9-9 tax plan. Santorum suggests Cain’s plan won’t stand up to scrutiny, partly because it would raise taxes on some Americans.
“It’s not as clean as he would like to make it out to be,” Santorum said. “I give him credit for bringing some innovative ideas, but just because it’s innovative and bold doesn’t mean it’s good.”
Santorum suggests it’s also a flip flop for Cain.
“I don’t know how you can be for the Fair Tax and then abandon the Fair Tax and say that you’d do something that the Fair Tax people are against, which is keeping an income and a sales tax,” Santorum said.
Cain has been a spokesman for the “FairTax” movement, calling for getting rid of entire federal income taxes and having just one federal tax, a sales tax.
Santorum announced today that Cain’s former state director in Iowa has joined the Santorum campaign. “I have worked for several presidential campaigns, but none have the organization, passion, and focus of the Santorum campaign,” Tina Goff said in a written statement. “This is a refreshing reminder of what voters require of candidates for the highest office in the land, and I am honored to join the Santorum team!”
Tuesday’s debate will be broadcast on CNN at 7 p.m. Iowa time. Santorum is participating, because the debate is nationally-televised. However, Santorum has refused to campaign elsewhere in Nevada to support efforts to get Nevada to move back the date of its Caucuses. That would give New Hampshire’s Primary a more open spot on January’s calendar.