Vice President Joe Biden joined attacks on Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain and his “9-9-9” tax reform plan Wednesday morning.
Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Biden acknowledged that he’s “not totally familiar with” Cain’s plan, but described it as “more of the same,” saying it’s “consistent” with the GOP desire to cut taxes for the rich.
“How many times do we have to go back to that horror movie? Deregulate everything, don’t do anything about taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and continue the tax burden on small- and middle-class people, small-income people. I think it’s more of the same,” Biden said.
Cain’s plan throws out the current tax system by establishing a 9 percent corporate tax, a 9 percent income tax and a new 9 percent national sales tax.
Elaborating, Biden said, “As I understand it, it means that a billionaire would pay 9 percent of their income and somebody who is making $40,000 a year [would] pay 9 percent of their income. That’s standing on its head what Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, had in mind when he proposed a national income tax to be progressive.”
With Cain’s rise in the polls, he has seen more criticism from both his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination and Democrats.
Prior to Tuesday’s GOP debate, former Obama aide Bill Burton’s organization, Priorities USA Action, blasted out a memo to reporters titled, “Debate Night: Who is Herman Cain?”
“Herman’s Cain’s rise from obscure pizza executive to the latest second-place contender for the Republican nomination is impressive,” Burton wrote, going on to criticize Cain for past statements, including opposition to the minimum wage and worries that some would like to see Shariah Islamic law enter the U.S. courts.