Fairtax.org Revs Up Iowa Bus Tour

I've so far been unimpressed by the seeming dozens of well-funded outside groups that are spending literally millions to influence the presidential election this cycle. Save two: The anti-poverty One Campaign has the ear of the top-tier candidates from both parties.

And Fairtax.org has built sizable crowds at major events in every early primary state and its activists have managed to pin the presidential candidates down on what had been a fairly obscure public policy proposal: a non-regressive national sales tax.

FairTax plans a 25-city "Dare to be Fair" bus tour through Iowa beginning July 26. It will end two weeks later at the Ames straw poll, where the group plans a major rally. The group claims to have 700,000 supporters and has drawn thousands to events in Orlando and Atlanta. The group has spent approx. $500K on radio and direct mail int he past three months. Radio host Sean Hannity supports it; libertarian radio jock Neil Boortz is the father of the movement.

The Democrats are paying the group no heed.

Republicans are always asked about it. Rudy Giuliani was booed two weeks ago when he said the tax was unworkable; Mike Huckabee endorses it. Fred Thompson says he's "looking very closely at the fair tax." It's not part of Mitt Romney's platform, but he recognizes its appeal.

BTW: Americans For Fair Taxation is a 501(c)4 founded in 1995 by rich Texas businessmen.