Andrew Malcolm seems impatient with candidates who blame the media for their problems (Michele Bachmann) and quite umpressed by Herman Cain's 9-9-9 campaign centerpiece.

Yeh, sure it's just trying to create the next horserace story when Romney has almost already crossed the finish line. There will be more dark-horse surges suddenly appear in the Republican so-called contest, count on it. There are an awful lot of TV newscasts and newspaper editions to fill before Iowa and New Hampshire this winter. This new media fixation guy is clueless about politics and minor details like other countries. But he has a catchy tax plan he calls 9-9-9, which sounds simple. And Americans, as a simple people who trail the world in math skills, love their simple. Ever wonder why advertisements aimed at them always have prices that end with -99? New TVs for $399. Monthly car lease payments for only $299.99. Pizzas for $9.99. That -99 sounds good to the gullible. This non-Romney guy hasn't actually fleshed out his 9-9-9 plan because he and his CPA buddy never thought anybody would fall for it. Imagine a "tax reform" that draws millions more people currently not paying taxes into paying new taxes on every single thing they buy on top of existing state sales taxes while cutting taxes on the rich, which — oh, look! — is what the guy proposing 9-9-9 is. Sounds like a bogus plan that wise nominee Mitt Romney would discard in a minute.