Cain and Abel? Why not Cain and Koch?

If you're like me, the first thing you thought of when you heard the name of one of the Republican contenders, Herman Cain, those fabulous Old Testament fellas, Cain and Abel, came to mind.

This is not to suggest that Cain, the older brother of two sons born to Adam, one who is portrayed as not only sinful but a murderer of his younger brother is anything like the pizza magnate, or that Mr. Cain bears any resemblance to his biblical counterpart. After all, what's in a name? What, indeed!

As the Associated Press now reports, several members of Cain's staff and even his campaign manager have also been employed by Americans for Prosperity, a Washington, D.C. group that advocates for less regulation, and in favor of business, and one that was founded with backing from the Koch brothers. http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-10-16-Cain's%20Rise-Koch%20Brothers/id-4c33736825114294b92238e95c99ef7d

But, there can be no accusations of fratricide with Charles and David Koch who are alive and well, and reportedly helping ghostwrite Herman Kain's 9-9-9 plan. As the AP also suggests, the Koch brothers's advocacy group, AFP, handpicked Mr. Cain to travel the country several years ago delivering what is now standard tea party pablum, and Cain's former spokeswoman, was an AFP coordinator.

While Cain doesn't publicize his affiliation with Americans for Prosperity, according to the AP, he's still a proverbial card-carrying member of the group.

Whatever momentary movement there has been for Mitt Romney in the polls is mainly attributable to the stand-up job the press has been doing in getting the word out about who most benefits, and who's most hurt, by candidate Cain's 9-9-9 plan. One can only hope that the latest ludicrous, and allegedly humorous attempts by Cain to show he's tough on immigration will backfire as effectively as his economic jests, (read "plan.")

After his brief tour of the Sunday morning talk show circuit, the current leading Republican candidate, Herman Cain, conceded that "some people" will pay more under his tax plan, but while he doesn't say it, there is no way he can camouflage his intention. That he chooses to hide under Ronald Reagan's proverbial skirt while he does it is quite another matter. Reagan would have balked at taxing corporations, and millionaires at a rate of 9%.

What Cain also doesn't say, of course, is that big business which is a core interest of Americans for Prosperity, will actually be the greatest beneficiary of his plan. His plan would lower corporate tax to 9% and, at the same time, create a new federal sales tax of 9% which will hurt working, middle class, and poor families. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44921197/ns/politics-decision_2012/

Even Ronald Reagan would abjure Cain's tax plan. What no Republican running for president will tell you is that Ronald Reagan actually raised taxes on corporations, and insisted that they pay what he called "their fair share." http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/18/159301/ronald-reagan-corporate-tax/

And, those other brothers, Charles and David Koch, may think they've done a magnificent job of attempting political fratricide by setting up Herman Cain to run against Barack Obama when all they've essentially exposed is how incompetent they really are.

Despite their best efforts, this is one nomination even Koch money can't buy. Notice that I didn't say "one election." The Koch brothers' relationship to the Republican Party may someday be seen in much the same way we view organized crime's relationship to Vegas.

One can only hope that Herman Cain prevails in his bid for the Republican Party presidential nomination which he's rendered all but impossible now that he's effectively alienated one-third of the U.S. population with his so-called immigration joke. If by some miracle he should prevail, the president will quickly show him who that able fellow is.