WASHINGTON, D.C.—Former presidential candidate Herman Cain endorsed 2008 campaign mini-celebrity Joe the Plumber in his bid for Congress in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Cain said Joe the Plumber (née Wurzelbacher), is a leading proponent of his 9-9-9 tax plan — which largely fell flat with this crowd of conservative activists.
Cain, who was greeted to loud applause, appeared to lose the audience when he transitioned to a discussion of his signature legislative proposal — facing sporadic clapping or silence at what used to be enthusiastic applause lines from his stump speech.
Joe the Plumber rose to prominence in 2008 when he challenged then-Senator Barack Obama about his tax plan. He was then cited by Sen. John McCain in the final presidential debate of the cycle. He endorsed Cain's presidential bid early last year.
Cain used his remarks to attack the "stupid people and ignorant people are ruining America" — notably liberals.
"We must outsmart the liberals, we must outsmart the stupid people," Cain said. "We outnumber the stupid people. Trust me — I counted them."