This is sort of a follow-up to Charley’s post about the tragic state of the Republican presidential field. The latest wrinkle, in case you hadn’t heard, is that Politico is claiming to have identified two women who alleged that Herman Cain sexually harassed them when Cain was the head of the National Restaurant Association back in the 1990s. Supposedly, the women were paid five-figure sums in exchange for leaving their jobs at the Association and agreeing not to talk about their departure.
The Politico story is pretty well devoid of specifics (for example, there are no names, and no details about the harassment that supposedly occurred, even though Politico claims to have seem the documents associated with one of the cases), to the point where Dan Kennedy is “leaning” toward declaring that the story should not have been reported at all. Whatever the journalistic proprieties, though, it seems to me that, given the lack of details, the story is not likely to harm Cain’s standing in the polls. If anything, in fact, it may give him a boost, since Cain can now claim that the librul media is terrified that he might win, and therefore is now out to get him in earnest (though Kennedy thinks, and I agree, that it’s actually more likely that anti-Cainers inside the GOP are the source).
Oh look, that’s exactly what Cain is doing.
Inside the Beltway media attacks Cain
Fearing the message of Herman Cain who is shaking up the political landscape in Washington, Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain.
Dredging up thinly sourced allegations stemming from Mr. Cain’s tenure as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, political trade press are now casting aspersions on his character and spreading rumors that never stood up to the facts.
Since Washington establishment critics haven’t had much luck in attacking Mr. Cain’s ideas to fix a bad economy and create jobs, they are trying to attack him in any way they can.
Sadly, we’ve seen this movie played out before – a prominent Conservative targeted by liberals simply because they disagree with his politics.
Mr. Cain — and all Americans, deserve better.
The good news is that Cain is scheduled to address the National Press Club tomorrow, after which he’ll take questions. We’ll see how he handles it. But for now, don’t assume that Mitt Romney has retaken the lead.
UPDATE (Monday morning): Cain has acknowledged that allegations of sexual harassment were leveled against him, but says that they were “totally baseless and totally false.”
FURTHER UPDATE (Monday afternoon): NBC News confirms that at least one woman received a cash settlement from the National Restaurant Association as a result of her allegations against Cain. It is not releasing any further details.
I saw Herman Cain’s response to a reporter and it was lame. He asked about the identity of the women, and it was not disclosed. But if he were innocent, all he would have to say is, “I never sexually harassed women.” I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other women out there, besides the two whose silence has been bought, who will come forward with more.
Last I checked he was ahead in four early states, and I still don’t know how Herman Cain got all the press to begin with. Why was some random businessman given more credence than any of the other no-namers on the NH primary ballot as I posted the other day? I mean BEFORE a few polls showed him gaining ground, only I’m convinced because the press covered his crazy comments. My money is still on Romney to be the nominee.
Happy days.
The most recent polling shows Cain slightly ahead in the national polls, as well as in Iowa and South Carolina. Romney of course leads in NH, but that is a home state for him, so a convincing win there for him is a necessity, not a bonus.
one amusing aside – Rove telling Cain he needs to disclose, not argue that it was a long time ago.
um, like bush “disclosing” that “when he was young and irresponsible, he was young and irresponsible.” to rove’s credit, somehow that obfuscation worked!
It took him too long, but Herman Cain said what he should have said. False accusations are made all the time. Until we hear otherwise, he is presumed innocent.
We HAVE heard otherwise.
Accusations were made by two different women, contemporaneously with the alleged incidents (unlike the accusations against Clarence Thomas). The organization that Mr. Cain heads chose to pay a settlement to each woman, and those settlements included a confidentiality clause.
If Mr. Cain wanted the presumption of innocence, he and his organization could have and should have taken a different approach when the settlements were negotiated.
Herman Cain simply LIED about this yesterday.
Multiple news sources, including CBS news, report that (emphasis mine):
By Monday evening, he told Fox News host Great Van Susteren (emphasis mine):
So he actually WAS aware of the incidents, and was aware of the settlement. I don’t believe for a moment that ANY organization pays five-figure settlements, including confidentially clauses, for accusations that are without substance. I don’t believe that any man who heads an organization like this forgets not one, but TWO such accusations — unless they are so frequent that he can’t keep them straight.
The man ACTS like he’s guilty. If this were as innocent as he now claims, and if he has even the tiniest competence for the position he seeks, then he would have IMMEDIATELY said what happened and moved on.
It appears that my comment is missing a close-bold-tag.
Every settlement has a confidentiality clause, or nearly every one.
There WERE additional accusations against Thomas and women willing to testify, but Biden would not call them. A confidentiality clause is pretty standard.
Yes, a confidentiality clause is pretty standard — when there is enough substance to the accusation to force a settlement.
I could perhaps see settling one random out-of-the-blue completely groundless and false accusation. Not two, and especially not when he is so obviously rattled by it years later.
This guy looks more and more like a pig and a liar.
I would always want them, every time, regardless of whether I’m the P or the D. Even if it is a nuisance value settlement (i.e., for less money than the legal cost of fighting and winning).
Rand Paul defended him today. Other GOPers will follow and close ranks. Sort of like McCain after the Vicki Eisman story, nothing rallies them like a chance to blame the press.
But ultimately it doesn’t matter (to his already doomed campaign), and probably moves Romney a step closer to the nomination.