Rick Perry is trying to reboot his fading campaign. The Texas governor is adding experienced staff, releasing his first T.V. ads and – in perhaps the biggest shake-up of all – is rolling out a proposal for an optional 20% flat tax.
The tax proposal and ads are all part of a strategy that seeks to distinguish Perry from his competitor, Mitt Romney.
The new team of advisers includes former Bush campaign manager Joe Allbaugh and Bob Dole’s 1996 pollster Tony Fabrizio. Curt Anderson, Jim Innocenzi and Nelson Warfield are also joining the campaign as media consultants. All of them have extensive national campaign experience.
In a memo released by the Obama campaign, policy director James Kvaal rebutted the Texan’s tax plan.
“While the details of Perry’s plan will be announced today, flat tax proposals reduce the contributions of the most fortunate households, shifting the burden onto the middle class,” Kvaal writes.
Details on Perry’s plan will emerge throughout the day.