Cain: Obama's Green Jobs Rhetoric a "Deception"

Herman Cain speaks at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans June 17. (AP)

Herman Cain says Americans shouldn't believe President Obama's pitch that investments in clean energy will help save the American economy.

"This whole rhetoric about ‘grow green jobs' is a deception on the American people in my opinion," Cain said in an interview with Fox News' Gretchen Carlson. "It might happen 15 or 20 years from now but today, businesses need some certainty and businesses need some incentive to grow again."

The former businessman will detail his "economic vision" at a high-tech center in Greenville, South Carolina on Wednesday. He gave a "sneak preview" of his speech to Fox News on Monday.

"We've got to lower the top corporate tax rate and the top personal income tax rate to a maximum of 25 percent," Cain said. "We've got to take the capital gains tax rate to zero, not cut it, or trim it, take it to zero. We have to suspend taxes on repatriated profits. We have nearly $3 trillion that have been generated by multi-national companies that won't come home because it's gonna be taxed the second time. And one of the most important elements -- make them permanent. Uncertainty is what's been killing the economic engine that drives this economy."

The press release announcing Cain's Wednesday speech touted his business background as a "turnaround artist," which involves "leading the turnaround of 450 Burger King restaurants" as Vice President at Pillsbury Company and returning Godfather's Pizza from the "brink of bankruptcy" as the company CEO.

Mounting a campaign based on his business background. Cain said he agrees with President Obama that "we can't just cut our way to prosperity, we've got to grow jobs" but, comparing the nation's economy to an engine, said "everything that this administration has done has loaded up the caboose but it hasn't put anything in the engine ."

President Obama heads to Iowa Wednesday to tout the importance of manufacturing, a sector the administration suggests is turning around and adding jobs.

Cain also slammed the president for not taking a leadership role in the current debt talks, which he said was a problem that could be anticipated a year ago.

"A year ago, I would have had a plan that said, okay, we see this coming, folks, if the economy doesn't turn around," Cain said, ticking off the plan he would have put into place. "Number one, make sure that we pay all the interest on the debt so that we don't default or pay more interest. Number two, let's make sure we pay our military and their families. Number three, make sure people get their social security checks. Number four, make sure that people's Medicare bills get paid and Medicaid. Then, everything else is on the table and then you would be able to avoid this crisis."

A Des Moines Register poll, out Saturday night, put Herman Cain third place at 10 percent among likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa, behind frontrunners Mitt Romney at 23 percent and Michele Bachmann at 22 percent.

"This is a victory," Cain said of the poll results, adding, "They have nearly double the name id that I have...And then when you look at the Gallup's positive intensity poll -- that just says that everything is looking up for Herman Cain and his campaign."