Raising Cain: another Tea Party puppet places third in Iowa poll

Citizen Cain gave a rousing speech in Iowa (so what if Martin Luther King made it first?) and passed out free slices of pizza to his supporters recently.

Bolstered by support from his loyal radio talk-show audience and Tea Party backers, businessman Herman Cain has revved up mainstream conservatives, rising recently to third place in a poll of voters in Iowa, the leadoff caucus state.

Last month, Cain was quoted as saying that blacks "can't afford to" join him at tea party rallies and other conservative events. In campaign footage, he is seen with Tea Partyers across the country, warning, "To all of those who say that the tea party is a racist organization ... eat your words!" (Can you say tea party puppet?)

Recently, after referring to himself as "the dark horse candidate," (Look out! The race card can’t be far behind) Cain invoked the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. when he began his speech to the Republican Leadership Conference with the words, "I have a dream" of GOP victories in the House and Senate in 2012 and said he would be the next president of the United States.

Somehow, unless there are more pizza lovers voting in 2012 than anyone expected, I don’t see Herman raising his right hand and taking the oath of the President of the United States in this lifetime.