"Cain clarified his position on abortion [saying] he opposes abortion even in a case of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake."
Pretty harsh, Herman!
"Cain sees ‘witch hunt’ in harassment report; Website alleges settlements paid to two accusers" November 01, 2011|By Kasie Hunt, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has seemed to weather a series of stumbles. The former radio talk show host had to clarify recent statements on abortion, the treatment of terrorism suspects, and the placing of an electrified fence along the US-Mexico border. He’s also shrugged off questions that have started to surface about his management style, including criticisms about a lackluster approach to his own presidential campaign. He lags his top competitors in organization and fund-raising.
The new allegations could hurt Cain’s efforts to reassure the Republican establishment that someone with so little political experience - and who hasn’t been fully vetted on a national stage - is prepared to go up against President Obama next fall.
It then occurred to me that Cain's whole rise has been one massive diversion and distraction to give the pundits something to talk about and let the print media waste tons of space.
Think about it, readers. The SEX STUFF was OUT THERE and KNOWN before the media decided to "discover" this. They have been holding it back and waiting. All the political coverage is scripted crap, folks.
But there were signs that conservatives were rallying behind him, attacking the report as inaccurate and perhaps racially motivated....
I don't see it that way. I see Cain as a media-driven tempest in a teapot.
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"1 of 2 Cain accusers was reportedly paid $35,000" November 02, 2011|New York Times
WASHINGTON - Disclosure of the cases has rocked Cain’s campaign just as he was surging in polls....
HMMMMMMMMMM!
The nature of the encounters between Cain and the women remained murky....
Murky is a word the AmeriKan media uses when it is covering up something.
See: Britain's $unday Bloody $unday
The developments put new pressure on Cain’s campaign, as his own accounts evolved over a second day yesterday and new details raised questions over exactly what had taken place at the association.
Which have been known for years.
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"Cain accuses GOP rival of plotting smear campaign; Points to adviser in Perry camp as new charges arise" November 03, 2011|By Jeff Zeleny, Jim Rutenberg, and Michael D. Shear, New York Times
WASHINGTON - A defiant Herman Cain accused Governor Rick Perry of Texas, a Republican rival, of orchestrating a smear campaign to destroy his presidential candidacy, as additional accusations emerged yesterday that Cain made unwanted sexual overtures to women while he led the National Restaurant Association more than a decade ago.
As he sought to contain the fallout that consumed his campaign for a third day, Cain shifted his blame from the media to the Perry campaign....
The finger-pointing behavior of a guilty man.
Interviews with more than a dozen people during the past three days paint a picture of his 1996-99 tenure at the National Restaurant Association that is at odds with his insistence that he never harassed anyone. Several people who worked at the association said they knew of episodes that women said had made them uncomfortable dealing with Cain....
The AP reported yesterday that the third woman had considered filing a workplace complaint against Cain about incidents that included an invitation to his apartment.
While Cain sought to project an air of normalcy around his campaign, which continued to do well in fund-raising, he appeared far more agitated than he had been earlier in the week. At one point, he screamed, “Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me!’’ as a scrum of photographers surrounded him.
The intensifying questions were putting Cain’s tenure at the National Restaurant Association under a microscope, and interviews with several former employees painted a picture of a chief executive who was always game to socialize with his staff.
That's what AmeriKa's media puts undr it's microscope? A slide of shit?
Living away from his family while working at the association headquarters in Washington, he was as ready to go out after work, as were many of the younger single employees, several former staff members said.
The gatherings had a mix of restaurant industry bravado, innuendo, and joking, these people said, and Cain joined right in....
Cain’s decision not to respond to the allegations in detail, and the addition of new descriptions of allegations, seemed likely to keep pressure on him and the association to provide more information about the accusations.
Meaning the media is running with this salacious story.
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"Cain’s unorthodox strategy doesn’t focus on Iowa or N.H.; Before scandal, biggest challenge was breaking mold" November 03, 2011|By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff
Before his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination ran into a squall of stories about sexual harassment complaints when he ran the National Restaurant Association, Herman Cain was charting the most unconventional course of this, or perhaps any other, campaign season.
The former business executive, who has been soaring in polls, is now trying to fight off reports that suggest a pattern of improper behavior toward female employees of the trade group while he was its president in the late 1990s. On Sunday, Politico reported the organization settled two cases with cash payments and yesterday the Associated Press reported a third woman had come forward with a similar complaint.
The flurry of allegations, and Cain’s bungled response, have created a crisis for a candidacy that had all but rewritten the campaign handbook, ignoring the axiom that face time with voters in Iowa and New Hampshire is an essential step toward winning the party’s nomination.
Over the last three months, Cain has all but ignored Iowa and New Hampshire - which will hold the first nominating contests in January. He has spent more than half his days in electorally marginal states, often to promote his new book, “This is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House.’’
Meanwhile, in Iowa, the caucus state that kicks off the process, Cain is flouting the decades-old rule of thumb - organize, organize, organize and get hot at the end. The Georgian may be planning to get hot at the end but has spent little time with actual voters and has been slow to build the campaign infrastructure to pull committed supporters to precinct locations in the Hawkeye State on Jan. 3.
Making those MSM media polls smell like s***.
Other candidates are breaking from tradition by focusing on just one of the early primary states. Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania have spent nearly half their days, usually with multiple appearances, grinding through Iowa events trying to build their “hard count’’ of supporters who say they will turn out for them at the caucuses, their public schedules show.
In New Hampshire, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has burrowed in, spending more than two thirds of his days in the site of the first primary, as have long shots Buddy Roemer, a former governor of Louisiana, and Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico.
But none of the candidates who are focusing mostly on one of the first two states has much to show for the effort, judging from their low standing in polls....
Except the unmentioned Ron Paul, sigh.
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"Accuser’s lawyer says Cain lied; Describes pattern of harassment over two months" by Michael D. Shear and Jim Rutenberg | New York Times, November 05, 2011
WASHINGTON - The lawyer for one of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment said yesterday that Cain engaged in a “series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances’’ toward his client over two months in the 1990s, and he directly accused Cain, a Republican presidential candidate, of not telling the truth about his behavior....
He's qualified to be president!
Cain yesterday sought to move past the controversy. At a gathering of conservatives in Washington, he received thunderous applause for his forceful stump speech while his chief of staff declared on television that the campaign would no longer answer questions about the matter.
“We look forward to focusing our attention on the real issues impacting this country - like fixing this broken economy and putting Americans back to work through our 9-9-9 plan, as well as strengthening national security,’’ said J.D. Gordon, a spokesman for Cain.
The what plan?
The first scandal of the 2012 campaign has consumed the entire week and distracted the Republican Party from its ultimate goal of defeating President Obama. It has led to finger-pointing and fierce exchanges among the Republican rivals but could prove to be a clarifying moment in the still-unsettled race....
One early snapshot of public opinion would suggest that Cain’s candidacy has not been diminished in the eyes of voters. A Washington Post/ABC News poll yesterday found that 7 in 10 Republicans say the allegations do not matter when it comes to selecting a presidential candidate.
Unless his name is Bill Clinton, right?
The controversy around Cain, which intensified as the week wore on, is not likely to subside as long as differing accounts keep emerging....
Meaning the AmeriKan media has a hold of this one.
It remains an open question how long the spectacle will hang over the presidential race.
Until Cain drops out.
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"Cain accuser faced hostile workplace after alleged advances" November 04, 2011|By Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny, New York Times
WASHINGTON - One of the women who accused Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment while working for him at the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s said that the workplace turned hostile after she complained about advances he made toward her during a work-related outing, several people familiar with her account at the time said in interviews.
The advances were said to have taken place during a festive night in which Cain and several younger staff members imbibed until late in the evening, and his flirty banter with the woman crossed over into propositions that she leave with him, these people said, speaking in separate interviews and on the condition of anonymity.
One person with direct knowledge of her account at the time said that the woman - roughly two decades Cain’s junior and serving in a lower-level position - rebuffed him but he continued to make advances.
“She was uncomfortable, and it was inappropriate from the start,’’ this person said. “He was persistent.’’
Cain has repeatedly denied that he did anything inappropriate, although he has acknowledged that at least one severance payment was made to an accuser. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the new accounts of the incident yesterday.
Three people familiar with the details of the woman’s account said that after the incident she complained to higher-ups at the association. She came to feel that there was a “change of attitude,’’ from her bosses toward her afterward, they said, adding to her discomfort and leading her to finally decide it would be best to leave.
It was then that the deal to pay her a severance of $35,000 - roughly a year’s salary - was struck between a lawyer for her and the Restaurant Association’s general counsel, they said.
The severance agreement was unusual not only for its size, three people familiar with it said, but also for its confidentiality provision.
The woman is said by friends to be upset that an episode she had hoped to put behind her more than a decade ago is now resurfacing in such a public way, although she is also said to be displeased with the way that Cain has minimized the harassment allegations....
Cain has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct, alternately describing the accusations as “a witch hunt’’ by the media, a political vendetta from liberals, and a plot by operatives for a Republican rival, Governor Rick Perry of Texas. And in a radio interview with Sean Hannity yesterday, Cain he said he did not flirt with or proposition any women he worked with, calling such charges a “fabrication.’’
After a round of interviews earlier this week that followed the initial report about the accusations in Politico on Sunday night - in which Cain gave conflicting accounts of the alleged incidents but spoke about none of in great detail - the candidate has sought to move past them, refusing to answer questions during a visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
But yesterday brought new descriptions of the encounters with Cain, and details of the Restaurant Association’s handling of the matters....
The continuing stream of details about the harassment allegations have engulfed Cain’s campaign and have increased pressure on him to further explain his actions if he hopes to move beyond what has become a crisis confronting his presidential bid.
A handful of top supporters, contributors and friends of Cain were urging him Thursday to stop talking about the sexual harassment allegations and stop placing blame on his rivals, one adviser said.
Cain has found some pockets of support.
A “super PAC’’ backing the candidate released a video yesterday declaring that he was the victim of a “high-tech lynching’’ like that of Justice Clarence Thomas.
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"Latest Cain accuser first to go public; Describes encounter, tells him to ‘come clean’" by Shira Schoenberg | Globe Correspondent November 08, 2011
A fourth woman yesterday accused Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexually inappropriate behavior, this time putting a name and a face on the allegation and ratcheting up a problem that has dogged his campaign for the past week.
Sharon Bialek, of Chicago, became the first woman to publicly identify herself as an alleged victim of Cain. At a news conference in New York City, Bialek said he made unwanted advances as they sat in a car in July 1997 in Washington, D.C., after a dinner at which she asked for help finding a job. When Bialek objected to his advances, she said, Cain replied, “You want a job, right?’’
Yesterday Bialek called on Cain to “come clean — admit what you did and then move forward.’’
Pretty broad denial.
Thus far, Cain has managed to hold his own in political polls, despite the earlier allegations....
Bialek, described by her lawyer as a registered Republican, is a homemaker and single mother who previously worked for two radio stations and hosted a television cooking show....
Bialek is represented by attorney Gloria Allred, who previously represented celebrities such as the family of Nicole Brown Simpson during the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Allred said Bialek is not filing a lawsuit.
You might as well hand over your balls right now, Herm.
At yesterday’s news conference, Allred said she had sworn statements from Bialek’s boyfriend and a male friend of Bialek attesting that she had told them of Cain’s alleged misconduct at the time it occurred. Allred did not release the statements.
Bialek is the first alleged victim to say that Cain touched her; the other women alleged that his behavior was suggestive and made them uncomfortable, but they did not allege physical contact. Attorneys say the accusations of unwanted sexual touching, if true, would be a clear case of sexual assault....
Cain will not face criminal charges because the statute of limitations in the District of Columbia - as in most states — would not allow them 14 years after an event.
“There’s no chance of a case,’’ said Leonard Kesten, an employment attorney in Boston who handles sexual harassment cases.
Kesten said it is not unusual for an alleged victim not to come forward earlier in a case involving a prominent person. “The more powerful the person, the harder it is for a person to come out with this stuff,’’ Kesten said.
What the new allegations mean for Cain’s political future is unclear. The former Godfather’s Pizza executive has no political experience and was dismissed as a marginal candidate for much of the campaign, before skyrocketing in the polls during the last month. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll out yesterday found Cain statistically tied for the lead with Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Kim Schmett, an Iowa attorney and former chairman of the Polk County Republican Party, said he believes Iowa voters will give Cain the benefit of the doubt “until they have a reason not to.’’ But Schmett said Cain will have to talk about what happened and “convince people it’s not an ongoing problem.’’
Wayne Lesperance, professor of political science at New England College in New Hampshire, predicted that Cain’s support will begin to erode soon. Cain has run a nontraditional campaign, ignoring the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, and has had some staff shake-ups.
“The lack of organization in his campaign is really going to come out to bite him,’’ Lesperance said. “The ability to respond in New Hampshire and other places isn’t there.’’
If Cain’s candidacy does falter, several Republicans could benefit. “Most of the pundits have said how lucky Mitt Romney is,’’ said Dorothy James, a professor of government at Connecticut College who specializes in presidential politics. James said although Romney has had trouble broadening his base of Republican support, no other candidate has been a consistent challenger.
Except Ron Paul, but.... sigh.
Lesperance said if Cain’s support falters, other candidates looking to challenge Romney — Governor Rick Perry of Texas or Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker — may pick up support....
Or Ron Paul, but.... sigh.
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And who remembers 9-9-9 now?
"Cain’s plan may result in tax hikes" October 19, 2011|By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan would raise taxes on 84 percent of US households, according to an independent analysis released yesterday, contradicting assertions by the Republican presidential candidate that most Americans would see a tax cut.
I think everyone knew that when they heard it.
The Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank, said low- and middle-income families would be hit hardest, with households making between $10,000 and $20,000 seeing their taxes increase by nearly 950 percent....
While the top would get cuts.
Households with the highest incomes, however, would get big tax cuts. Those making more than $1 million a year would see their taxes cut nearly in half, on average, according to the analysis.
Among those in the middle, households making between $40,000 and $50,000 would see their taxes increase by an average of $4,400, the report said. Those making between $50,000 and $75,000 would see their annual tax bill go up by an average of $4,326....
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Related: Globe Raising Cain
Time for Cain to quit.
Next Day Update:
"Cain denies accusations, vows to stay in race" by Michael Levenson | Globe Staff, November 09, 2011
Herman Cain, seeking to salvage his candidacy and his reputation from allegations of sexual harassment, used a nationally televised news conference yesterday to assert that he has no recollection of meeting one of his accusers and has never harassed anyone.
By turns defiant and frustrated, Cain vowed to stay in the race and blamed “the Democrat machine’’ for orchestrating the accusations against him....
The named lady is a registered Republican!
And now it is not the media or Perry, it's the Democrats?
How come Cain isn't being called a "conspiracy theorist," 'eh?
Cain’s campaign, meanwhile, sought yesterday to undercut Bialek’s credibility.
In an e-mail titled, “Who is Sharon Bialek?’’ the campaign pointed to news reports that said Bialek has worked for nine employers over the last 17 years, and has filed for bankruptcy twice. The campaign also listed six lawsuits in which Bialek was named as the defendant.
“The fact is that Ms. Bialek has had a long and troubled history, from the courts to personal finances - which may help explain why she has come forward 14 years after an alleged incident with Mr. Cain, powered by celebrity attorney and long-term Democrat donor Gloria Allred,’’ the e-mail reads.
Problem is IT AIN'T JUST HER!!
But Cain’s Republican rivals were not so quick to dismiss Bialek’s accusations.
Can you read the writing on the bathroom wall, Herm?
After sidestepping questions about the controversy, many of the candidates began speaking out about them yesterday, the day before a CNBC-sponsored debate at 8 tonight in Michigan.
Mitt Romney, who is tied with Cain in national polls, was perhaps the most pointed. He called Bialek’s accusations “particularly disturbing’’ and said, “They’re going to have to be addressed seriously.’’ Rick Santorum called them “very troubling.’’ And Newt Gingrich said, “It’s not just some anonymous tip. Clearly, Herman Cain has to answer the charges. He has to explain what happened.’’
Meanwhile, there were indications that Iowa voters, who initially seemed willing to brush aside the allegations as anonymous attacks, may be increasingly concerned with them less than two months until the caucuses....
Can I call ''em or what, dear readers?
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