Herman Cain Receives Praise from Clint Eastwood

Herman Cain got high praise from J. Edgar director Clint Eastwood, who told the Los Angeles Times Monday that the presidential hopeful has qualities that set him apart from everyone else who's vying to be commander-in-chief.

I love Cain's story, Eastwood said. He's a guy who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He's a doer and a straight-talker, which I don't see enough of from either party.

On the other hand, when journalist Patrick Goldstein implied that Texas Gov. Rick Perry's infatuation with firearms suggested he probably wouldn't mind standing next to the man who starred in Dirty Harry for a picture, Eastwood didn't seem so sure. If he wanted to meet me, he might be a little disappointed, Eastwood said about the presidential candidate.

Eastwood also stopped short of giving Mitt Romney's presidential campaign his blessing. Goldstein noted that Eastwood -- who encountered Romney while filming Mystic River when he was running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 -- gave him credit for having a presidential appearance, if only sarcastically. I mean, if you were casting a movie where you needed someone to play president, you'd definitely pick him, Eastwood said.

Despite being conservative, Eastwood has vocalized support for abortion rights, environmental regulation and same-sex marriage.

On the flipside, Eastwood said he hadn't approved of the way the government bailed out banks and car manufacturers. If a CEO can't figure out how to make his company profitable, then he shouldn't be the CEO, said Eastwood.

The last time Eastwood voted for president, he said, was when he voted for Sen. John McCain in 2008.

Cain, who promoted his 9-9-9 tax plan on the campaign trail, is making headlines over claims that he sexually harassed a number of women, which he insisted are false.