By Byron York Chief Political Correspondent
If the issue of Texas Gov. Rick Perrys characterization of Social Security as a Ponzi scheme comes up at the Fox News Republican presidential debate in Orlando Thursday look for Herman Cain to express disgust with the whole thing. Its hurting the discourse Cain said in an interview in Washington Sunday. Who cares what they call it?
Cain has his own answer to the question -- hes become famous for citing the Chilean model -- and says hell keep talking about it if the issue comes up in Florida. But hes not happy with the discussion so far. Ive been disappointed how the media have spent so much time promoting what you call it rather than a solution he says. The fact that they spent so much time going over what you call it is really a disservice to the American people.
Cain isnt much happier with the other issue that consumed much of the last debate: Perrys decision to mandate the HPV vaccine for young girls in Texas. Lets make sure we focus on the right problem he says. The right problem is what role does government have to mandate to parents a vaccine that their children should take? Cain then approvingly discussed the polio vaccine from the 1950s and did not see a problem with a mandate for that. The issue for him is not the legitimacy of a mandate itself but whether the health issue involved is sufficiently serious to warrant one.
One new issue Cain would like to see discussed at the debate is the Obama administrations handling of $535 million in federal loan guarantees to the failed solar energy company Solyndra. This was dis-hon-est Cain says. Pure and simple it was dishonest and it was disgraceful. And even more disgraceful was when they saw according to some of the reports and memos that Solyndra was going down the tubes they kept pumping money into it until eventually they couldnt prop it up any more. So I think that is an absolute travesty in terms of the use of taxpayer dollars.
The debate is a big deal for Cain whose first real splash in the GOP race was made at the initial debate in Greenville South Carolina last May. I realize now that the debates really represent the defining moment for a lot of people because they dont have time to follow all this stuff they dont watch the news all day Cain says. So the debates turn out to be a very critical component and I prepare conscientiously and very hard for all of these debates to make sure I have a solid performance.
Meanwhile Cain is out on the road -- he did five events in South Carolina on Friday and Saturday and plans a bunch in Florida around the debate -- trying to touch as many voters as he can. As we make those appearances our polling numbers go up gradually he says rather than spend millions of dollars to get on TV to try to make it do a big pop. Thats our plan because I dont have millions of dollars to go on TV.
