Herman Cain and 9-9-9 Come to Daniel Island

Bobbing his head in a stroller in the back of the room at Herman Cain's town hall Saturday, a little boy had something on his mind: "9,9,9."

The former Godfather's Pizza CEO and GOP 2012 Primary candidate had long-since moved on to other topics: immigration, Israel, the Federal Reserve.

But the little boy just kept on repeating Cain's pitch for tax reform. He'd sing it in repetition and then he'd pause and just say it: "9,9,9."

More than 300 came out to the town hall event hosted by Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The congressman referenced 9-9-9 in his introduction and Cain was quick to bring the topic around to his economic plan.

"It's starting to get legs, as they say," Cain told the crowd, noting that he'd be on Fox News Sunday morning, explaining the plan to a skeptical Chris Wallace. "Here's why: It's simple to understand."

Cain's plan would trash the current tax code, including the payroll tax, the capital gains tax and "the dreaded" inheritence tax, or death tax, as Republicans have been successful in getting it called.

"Throw it out," Cain said. "It can't be tweaked. It can't be fixed. It can't be simplified."

In its place, he'd create a 9 percent business tax, a 9 percent personal tax, and a 9 percent national sales tax.

"It is fairer," Cain said. "It levels the playing field and it treats all businesses the same. And then there are those debates about who gets loopholes. It gets the government out of the business of picking winners and losers."

Cain pulled from his experience as a businessman, but he also stressed one difference between himself and the other candidates sharing the primary stage: he has never been on the political stage before.

"I am the only person who has never held high public office," he said. "I have no favors to return."

Through several answers to audience questioned, Cain shaped himself as the man who was saying what the other candidates were too scared to say. On a question on raising the debt ceiling, Cain said it was time to make tough cuts. The first, he said, should come from the federal workforce.

"A lot of companies are laying people off because they have to," he said. "You didn't hear anything about that [in debt ceiling talks]. That's where I would start."

Scott Wrapping Up Town Halls

Scott has hosted four of these town halls, previously sharing the stage with former Gov. Jon Huntsman, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. Rick Perry.

"This is the opportunity for our citizens to engage the candidates for a long period of time," Scott said. "People get to hear their questions and they get deeper than a 30-second soundbite."

The congressman told Patch that he's nailing down a date for former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.). He's also in talks with Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

But these candidates are going to have a tough time squeezing into the calendar. Scott plans to have this presidential town hall series wrapped up soon so that he can move on to town halls on the economy and other issues.

Likely more importantly, Scott will be hitting the campaign trail — he plans to endorse a GOP presidential primary candidate by the end of October.