Trump Joining Bachmann For Townhall, Withholds Endorsement

Although Michele Bachmann is hosting a teletownhall with Donald Trump Monday evening, a senior aide for the real estate mogul told TRNS that the move should not be considered as an endorsement.

“This tele-town hall conference is a forum for Mr. Trump to speak, along with Michele Bachmann, to concerned Americans,” Michael Cohen, Trump’s Special Counsel, said. “It does not constitute an endorsement of her candidacy for President.”

In a statement sent to supporters Sunday evening, Bachmann said that the call was a chance to “hear from a businessman who knows firsthand that Barack Obama’s failed policies are crippling our nation’s job creators.”

“Together, Donald Trump and I will discuss the state of the race, along with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” the release states.

Trump publicly flirted with a White House bid earlier this year, but ultimately declined to throw his hat into the ring. However, he has remained active in the 2012 election cycle by holding one-on-one meetings with Republican hopefuls.

Cain: 999 Plan Will Raise Taxes For Some

Herman Cain acknowledged Sunday that while  he expects the majority of Americans to pay less in taxes under his trademark 999 plan, some will pay more.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO attempted to counter criticism that the sales tax and a 9 percent income tax portion of his plan will require more from Americans who currently don’t pay income taxes, explaining that the slate of taxes removed from the modern system will ultimately bring down costs.

“We replace capital gains tax.  We replace the payroll tax.  We replace corporate income tax, replace personal income tax, and replace the death tax,” Cain said. “It is a replacement tax structure.”

In particular, Cain noted, the price of goods will fall since removing taxes currently levied on businesses will allow products to be made for cheaper.

Cain added that the sales tax will hit those who purchase new good and will not apply to used products.

Although he has spent the majority of the 2012 campaign as a second tier candidate, Cain has recently surged to the top of the polls after winning Florida’s Republican Straw Poll.

Perry Rolls Out Energy-Focused Jobs Plan

Texas Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry unveiled his energy-focused jobs plan Friday, calling for an increase in domestic energy production. 

“My plan is based on these simple premise; Make what Americans buy, buy what Americans make, and sell it to the world,” Perry said. 

In an effort to reinvigorate the buzz over his jobs record, Perry touted his plan as a way to create 1.2 million jobs by taking a drill-baby-drill approach to reducing the nations dependence on foreign oil.  

During his remarks in Pittsburgh, Perry honed in on a popular GOP sentiment; the Environmental Protection Agency is an over-reaching agency whose regulations stifle job growth. One step in his plan includes deregulating the EPA, making room for increased domestic drilling. 

“The quickest way to give our economy a shot in the arm is to deploy American ingenuity to tap American energy,” he said. “But we can only do that if environmental bureaucrats are told to stand down.”

According to Perry, his “Energizing American Jobs and Security” plan would not be subject to a long legislative process in Congress. Instead, the Texas governor said he would implement his plan within the first 100 days of his presidency through a series of executives orders. 

Under Perry’s plan, offshore drilling would be initiated off the Alaskan coast and the Gulf of Mexico would see an increased number of deep sea explorations. Perry also said he would support the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that would transfer oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries. States like Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado and Utah fall under the Western states Perry argued could produce more energy than America imports from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Venezuela and Russia combined. 

States, however, would be given more power under Perry’s plan. Although he is looking for more cooperation at the state level, Perry also said that each state would reserve the right to oppose these new “energy exploration” efforts.

Now sitting in third place in most national polls, behind former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and pizza mogul Herman GOP, the timing of Perry’s jobs plan couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for his campaign. Romney’s 160-page economic proposal has been out for weeks and Cain’s “9-9-9” tax plan is gaining momentum and attention from the media and other GOP candidates. 

Poll: Generic Republican Leads Obama

A new Gallup poll finds that voters continue to be more likely to back a nameless Republican candidate than President Barack Obama.

According to the survey, 46 percent would opt for the generic GOP candidate come election day as opposed to 38 percent who would pick the sitting President.

Gallup found the same 46-38 percent result in identical polls conducted in September. In August, the President led the generic Republican 45 percent to 39 percent.

When contributing the leanings of undecided voters, Obama continues to lag by 8 percent, 42 to 50.

Still, Gallup notes, despite the support for a generic Republican, Obama was seen running neck and neck with his closest GOP challengers in a Gallup matchup from mid-September.

“The fact that Obama remains competitive with the leading Republican contenders in head-to-head matchups is a positive sign for the Democratic Party,” Gallup’s Jeffrey M. Jones concluded. “And perhaps some evidence that the Republican field of candidates is not generating a lot of voter excitement.”

The poll was conducted among 876 registered voters between October 6^th and 9^th. It was released Friday.

Romney Raises Over $14 Million In Third Quarter

Mitt Romney has raised over $14 million in the third quarter of campaign fundraising, the former Massachusetts Governor’s Presidential campaign announced Friday.

The sum brings Romney’s total amount of contributions to $32 million, all of which will be used in the GOP primary.

“We are proud of the $32 million we have raised for the campaign so far,” Spencer Zwick, the campaign’s National Finance Chair, said in a statement. ”This is just the start of the effort to help fuel Mitt Romney’s message that will defeat President Obama next November.”

The sum is $4 million more than Romney raised in the third quarter of the previous election cycle.

To date, Romney leads the GOP in total funds raised. According to media reports, Texas Governor Rick Perry raised $17 million in the third quarter.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama announced that his campaign had secured $70 million this summer.