(CNN) - Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich Saturday at an event in West Palm Beach, Florida.
"I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States," Cain said during a meeting of the Palm Beach County Republican Party.
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Cain cited the former House speaker's "bold ideas" as the basis for his choice, saying Gingrich wasn't afraid to propose big ideas that would benefit the nation, even if they invited the ridicule of his rivals.
"There are many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that I know that Speaker Gingrich is a patriot," Cain said. "Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas and I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage grinder. I know what this sausage grinder is all about. I know that he is going through this sausage grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America."
Appearing on CNN "Newsroom" after making his endorsement, Cain said Gingrich's platforms closely matched his own, including the 9-9-9 tax plan.
"When you find a candidate that basically is running still on the ideas and the ideologies that I was running on, along with him embracing 9-9-9, then it was a no-brainer and I thought that the timing was right," Cain said.
Gingrich said at the West Palm Beach event Saturday Cain's 9-9-9 plan would become part of the national conversation, but the candidate has not offically adopted the tax proposal as part of his platform.
While Cain enjoyed a spike in polls last fall, the impact of his endorsement is unclear. When he dropped out of the race in December, polls showed him toward the back of the pack of candidates. Asked on CNN Saturday how his endorsement would effect the race, Cain said he was more focused on guiding his remaining supporters.
"I don't care about where he stands in the polls," Cain said of Gingrich. "And whether my endorsement helps him or not, that's not the point. It's to let my supporters know that he is the closest to what I represented when I was still a candidate."
In a statement, Gingrich applauded Cain as a fellow "big ideas" candidate,
“America’s challenges are too great for mere tinkering around the edges," Gingrich said. "Just like Herman, who ran his campaign based on big ideas, I am running on bold solutions that will boost job creation, cut bureaucratic red tape, and fundamentally transform Washington."
Cain also accepted Gingrich's invitation to co-chair the former speaker's Tax Reform and Economic Growth Advisory Council, according to the release.
Cain ended his bid for the 2012 GOP nomination in early December after battling allegations of past sexual harassment. Cain attracted attention and followers for aggressively promoting his "9-9-9" tax plan, as well as for his charismatic personality and appeal among tea party activists.
Gingrich also received the backing of former presidential candidate Rick Perry after the Texas governor dropped out of the race ahead of the South Carolina primary earlier this month.
Also see:
Romney: Gingrich debates complaints like 'Goldilocks'
From CNN Politics
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Yep, those that lie together stick together.
The cheat is endorsing the cheat. Go figure. I don't understand how evangelicals can support Gingrich, unless they are a bunch of hypocrites themselves. LOL
Nein,nein,nein.
The only one who can save Gingrich is Obama. Come on, Obama, endorse Gingrich. You probably don't want to run against Romney, because he has exactly the same health care plan as you, and it will confuse the heck out of the voters as Romney attacks the Obama plan that is a national version of Romney's Massachusetts plan. The Heritage Foundation developed the idea of the individual mandate in the early 1990s as the Republican alternative to the employer mandate in Hillary's plan. That is why Romney and Gingrich were longtime supporters of the individual mandate. It was a Republican idea. Alas, Obama adopted the idea in his health care plan. Now Republicans call the idea socialism. Voters will be confused as Romney attacks socialism at the national level but endorses socialism at the state level. When voters are confused, anything can happen.
I was a previous supporter of Mr. Cain and signed his original website as a supporter before he dropped out of the race, always assuming my email address would remain private to him. I am now a supporter of Mitt Romney and do volunteer work for him. Last week emails began coming to my account from Mr. Gingrich. I was astonished at this since I had never even visited his website nor volunteered my support to him. I did some checking and found out Mr. Cain has either sold of given my private email to Mr. Gingrich's campaign. I feel this is an invasion of my privacy as I had trusted my personal information with him and he has shared it without my permission.
Sadly, My trust in Mr. Cain's practices are shameful and I have lost all my respect for him.
So where are all THOSE women now, did they get the payoff the wanted from the DNC? David Axelrod at his finest accuse and destroy, just like he done in the Illinois senate races that Sen.Obama won.
That is too funny...the guy that quit because of an affair is telling us he supports the other guy that has had many affairs...Ha ha he he...oh my gut hurts from laughing too much..ha he ha..the affairs candidates have joined up to run for office...
Anything to sell more books and DVDs and make more in speaking fees. Kinda like Palin with a zipper.
Herman Cain, another person that can throw out his being a BA Christian when it's convient to do so just like Palin and Bachmann do. So the Rev Cain backs a man that cheated not only on one wife but two. That's the kind of stuff I didn't hear when I was going to the Baptist church.
Reeiping it real wrote:
Who cares? If you are interested in promises broken or lies, show me that you are sincere by listing the top ten lies from Obama. I'm betting that you are too blind to see them, or refuse to admit them.
-------------–
Apparently, you care enough to respond to my remark. Why don't you enlighten us on these lies?
I read somewhere that Sandusky is endorsing him as well.
Great! The " I don't have anything to back this next statement up" whack job now supports the Narcissistic Sociopath whack
job. The Circus is coming to your state soon!!!
The crazies do flock together, don't they?
Statehood for the moon!! And we'll call it "Uzbekibekistan-achusetts"
Easy to see why Herman backs Newt – shared values. Nwets -
Salamander, a tailed amphibian. Salamanders are cold-blooded animals (their temperature changes with that of their surroundings). They have soft skin that is usually moist and must have a humid if not wet environment. Most species are found on land; a few are strictly aquatic. Like other amphibians, salamanders are never found in seawater. Land salamanders are often found under stones and logs. Salamanders are found in North America, Asia, Europe, North Africa, and northern South America.
"Salamander" 22 April 2008. AnimalPlanet.com. 29 January 2012.
Cheaters of America unite!! What a ticket these two clowns would make.
The 45th President of United States = Gov Mitt Romney
I believe this is what is known as the kiss of death.
Dear Friends,
I want to offer my most profound apologies for the state of my party. Where once we could round up peole like Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Regean, James Baker and Howard Baker. We now appear only capable of brining to the fore serial philanderer's, crooks, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner.
Where once we had a vision of a vibrant private sector, we now believe everything must be controlled by private equity interests.
Regards.
RR
A night at the roxbury – starring Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich
He would-they're very similar at least with women. And now much did this 'endorsement' cost the Kochs?
Kind of like Mickey Mouse endorsing Goofy
Will the guy from "Sister Wives" endorse Romney? That would have as much importance as who Cain endorses.
great....one draft dodger supports another draft dodger...how cool is that?.....that goes right along with the last gop disaster of draft dodger cheney and bus.....draft dodgers got us into the iraq mess and i am sure draft dodger gingrich would have done the same thing had he prevailed in the gop race.....go obama
i think newt should be the nominee, so Obama can win easily again
Big news! Another loser jumping on the loser train!