Monday, October 31, 2011

Herman Cain: "I never sexually harrassed anyone!" Now where have I heard a similar denial before?

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I don't think Cain helped himself much there. I mean mopping your brow while answering questions about sexual harassment is not an image you want played over and over again people's television sets while running for the GOP nomination. Am I wrong?

NBC had this up after Cain's denial:

NBC News has confirmed that one woman received a settlement from the National Restaurant Association after complaining about inappropriate sexual conduct by Herman Cain. 

NBC News is not disclosing the name of the woman nor characterizing who she is.

Michael Smerconish, who I only occasionally agree with, made an excellent point this morning, saying that IF Herman Cain was the head of the National Restaurant Association at the time the hush money was paid out, he would have HAD to have known the payments were made.

Which means that Cain, who we know has difficulty with the truth, may have just lied himself into a corner.

And don't forget this, if the NRA and Cain had not had something to hide, they would NEVER have paid these women anything. Let's face it if the NRA was not somehow complicit, or were not pressured by Cain and his attorneys, they would have sent Cain packing and held a press conference afterward telling the whole world that their company does NOT tolerate this kind of behavior, even from the man at the top.

In other words, if Cain thinks this is about to blow over he is in for a rude awakening.

Did he learn nothing from seeing Bill Clinton get impeached? It is always the lies and coverup that ultimately does you in.

47 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:03 AM

    I think Rick Perry released this dirt on Herman Cain to take the spotlight off of his drunken speech.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:06 AM

    "It is always the lies and coverup that ultimately does you in."
    Chuck Kopp, Sarah Palin: Are you listening?

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  3. Sally in MI11:18 AM

    I'm afraid what he learned from the Clinton fiasco is that a DEMOCRAT is dragged through the mud by the Republican (Gingrich) doing far worse while calling for impeachment. And Gingrich is now running again. So what has Cain to fear? He has Coulter whining that this is just liberal bias; he has Fox saying Cain has been unfairly targeted, and meanwhile Weiner resigns for doing nothing illegal, while Vitter still shoots his mouth off in Congress. IOKIYAR...seriously. THAT is the lesson they know.

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  4. Anonymous11:19 AM

    The more he and his handlers talk, the deeper the hole he's gonna have to crawl out of. Just admit it Herb, tell your "flock" you had a come to Jesus moment, repented and now follow the scripture to a "T" and they will fall all over themselves forgiving you and making you a saint

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  5. Anonymous11:23 AM

    I agree, Gryphen. It is the way lapses in behavior are handled that are often the best indicators of character.

    I think Cain is not only lying in this particular instance, but is a habitual liar whenever he feels the need to evade responsibility.

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  6. Olivia11:23 AM

    Did he learn nothing from seeing Bill Clinton get impeached? It is always the lies and coverup that ultimately does you in.
    ***************
    But, but, but...it's ok if you are a Republican.

    These people don't have a clue that the rules apply to them too and it seems that, even after all these years, these idiots still don't get it that everything is on tape somewhere, along with normal paper trails.

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  7. Anonymous11:28 AM

    of course he's guilty. It's why he was fired! 5 digit settlements don't occur when there was no wrong-doing.

    gotta' love this picture -
    http://www.neontommy.com/news/2011/10/herman-cain-denies-harassing-two-female-coworkers

    he musta' seen Tawd....ROFL

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  8. WakeUpAmerica11:30 AM

    Don't you have to be found guilty by the Senate after the House finds you guilty to be considered impeached? The House found Clinton guilty; the Senate did not, so technically he was not impeached, right?

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  9. Excellent point that Cain absolutely would have known about the payout.

    Cain's tongue thrusting is a big tell. By my count, he stuck his tongue out 16 times in 2 minutes and I may have missed some.

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  10. grammy9711:31 AM

    I just read this over at theguardian, on Richard Adams's blog: "After hearing Cain twice today, I think we can conclude that a Herman Cain presidency would be like a Sarah Palin presidency but without the intellectual depth."

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  11. Anonymous11:34 AM

    Let the vetting begin!!

    In the spirit of Halloween

    you var velcome!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dis Gusted11:35 AM

    Politico has confirmed the identity of both women allegedly involved in the sexual harassment cases. One of them was a former association board member at the restaurant association who some sources say suffered an "unwanted sexual advance" from Cain at a hotel as well as being subjected to inappropriate language and behavior.

    "She was offered a financial package to leave the association and she did," said another former board member who remembered the incident. "What I took offense at was that it was clear that rather than deal with the issue, there was an effort to hush it up. She was offered a way out to keep quiet."



    It's very clear that he did harass women and he did it more than once. It's also very clear that he is going to imply that he is unjustly accused. He's already comparing himself to Clarence Thomas, another scumbag.

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  13. Anonymous11:36 AM

    Cain's not in the same position that Clinton was. Cain says "Yes there were allegations but they were found to be baseless." Translation -- the consent agreement has my butt covered.

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  14. Cain, meet "my wife, Morgan Fairchild!" Yeah, that's the ticket!

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  15. Anonymous11:38 AM

    The other Cain scandal of the day

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/the_other_cain_scandal_of_the033192.php

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous11:40 AM

    “The number of questionable and possibly illegal transactions conducted on behalf of Herman Cain is staggering”

    http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/state-firms-cash-to-herman-cain-may-breach-federal-campaign-tax-laws-132898423.html

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous11:52 AM

    Ah, to be a Republican.... can't keep it in your pants, but want the right to dictate to everyone else whose pants they are allowed in, and what they can put into said pants.

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  18. Anonymous11:53 AM

    Cain Calls Harassment Issue a ‘Witch Hunt’

    http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/cain-campaign-prepares-for-scrutiny-of-harassment-allegations/?nl=us&emc=politicsemailema1

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous12:01 PM

    Ol' Rush the racist himself is NOT a happy camper with the latest developments with Sleeze Cain, conveniently pulls the race card:

    Rush Limbaugh: Herman Cain Harassment Story 'Unconscionable, Racially Stereotypical Attack' (AUDIO)

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/rush-limbaugh-herman-cain-politico_n_1067676.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. cain is a light weight and was never a threat to anyone but......there are votes out there that perry could benefit from knocking cain back a rung.

    the mormon guy wont get many of the far right votes so he had no good reason to burst the cain balloon yet.

    but as i predicted the republican establishment has NEVER nor will the y EVER have any intention of seeing a black man gain any traction in the party.

    what you are seeing is the elite establishment knocking cain out of the race, this is just the beginning, to make it a 2 man race between perry and romney.

    quite frankly i really expected it a bit sooner..but perry has been such a disaster that they were forced to try to resurect him..but now the real voting is getting close at hand so th e black guy needs to go away.

    get it?

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  21. eclecticsandra12:05 PM

    This indicates that he either was not a competent leader for the NRA or he allowed them to pay a blackmailer. Not what we want in a president.

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  22. Anonymous12:06 PM

    Wow I call bullshit on the whole "I had no idea there was a settlement made..." that's just crazy.

    Someone accuses you of sexual harassment, order an investigation and then not bother to find out the results? Bullpucky.

    I don't care if he's innocent of the allegations - I just hate the bold-face lying that comes after.

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  23. Pat in MA12:24 PM

    SO not ready for prime time. 999, ubeki beki beki stan, electrified fence, ridiculous ad with his campaign manager smoking, and now this. The gloves are off now, Rove and company have had enough of him leading in the polls, and they'd like him to take his glorified book tour elsewhere.

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  24. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Gross.

    I can't imagine Black WalNUT trying to spit game at any woman. I'm sure she was quite creeped out and appalled. Black Walnut is rather...let's just say 'unprepossessing.'

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  25. Gasman12:29 PM

    Cain just performed what we all thought was humanly impossible and fucked himself.

    I say he withdraws from the race by the end of the weekend, maybe next weekend if he really thrives on humiliation and abuse.

    Now that he is shooting his mouth off about the nondisclosure agreements, I'd bet that he has already violated the clauses which bound HIM to silence. If that's so that means that the women can come forward with their salacious tales about horn dog Herbie. They could even sell their stories to the National Enquirer for a some greater than their settlement and get to keep both.

    So, Herb, was it good for you?

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  26. ThanksABunchJohn12:30 PM

    The lies and the cover-up, so true. Look at Ensign, paying out huge sums to hush his aide and cuckhold (BTW, why isn't Santorum being held accountable for his role in that mess?) Also Edwards and his hush money. Cain is swirling the drain for sure.

    Meanwhile, for shits and giggles, Rushbo is spitting mad over the "unconscionable, racially stereotypical attack" on Cain. Well, we should take Limpballs on his word about that, who else knows more about "unconscionable, racially stereotypical attacks"? I wonder if, while ranting about Cain, he was playing his favorite tune: "Barack the magic negro" ?

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  27. Hello everyone. Lesson of the day: Herb Cain was a lobbyist. One of those Washington denizens that he now wants to throw out of Washington. A lobbyist trying to curry favor for the restaurant industry that he represented. And the reports say that he worked hard to keep the minimum wage for tipped servers very low.

    Why is anyone surprised that he was involved in sexual harassment? He has been screwing the people over for years.

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  28. Anonymous12:32 PM

    I believe the GOP knows he would not be an asset to a national ticket, so they are bringing him down before this goes on too long.

    He's polling neck in neck with Romney, and they just can't have him continue that way if he can't help them make a try for the White House.

    The very same people who brought us Sarah Palin are behind these revelations.

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  29. Virginia Voter12:42 PM

    There's more to this story, just wait. It's never just the first strike, and Politico reporters have been on cable news all day sticking by their story.

    Flop sweat, dry mouth, refusal to let the NRA release any information are all key indicators Cain is lying.

    I maintain that a non profit association is not in the business of paying 5 figure settlements to bury baseless accusations, especially when they have their own in house counsel

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  30. padoreva12:51 PM

    Toast.

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  31. I hope someone asks the OTHER token black man in the Republican Party, Michael Steele, what he thinks of the Politico story. Will he tell what he thinks/the truth now that he doesn't hold a spokesman position?

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  32. Girl from NYC1:10 PM

    "WhatEVAH they say he did, he DIDDIT! And some mo' besides."

    The late, great Flip Wilson

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  33. Why did the audience/press applaud Cain's denial?

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  34. Anonymous1:39 PM

    Anonymous said...

    The other Cain scandal of the day

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_10/the_other_cain_scandal_of_the033192.php

    11:38 AM

    So what has happened to Wisconsin anyway? This is a state that once had stellar national recognition for its forward and progressive approach to life and to governing.

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  35. Anonymous1:57 PM

    It is too bad that Perry's speech in NH is going to get overlooked by the Cain nastiness. Wish the media had enough band width to report aggressively on both scandals.

    Interesting that Politico decided to let the Cain news fly Sun afternoon. Just coincidence or was it intended to provide a duck and cover for Perry?

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  36. Anonymous1:57 PM

    The bigger issue is that the National Restaurant Association has been against the entire concept of a minimum wage and overtime pay from the get-go (especially in low-income areas), and that Cain has been a huge part of the ongoing effort to eliminate both, first as head of the NRA, then in connection with his work at Americans For Prosperity (a Koch brothers-funded 'think tank'). In fact, the NRA actually fought to abolish wages altogether for waiters and waitresses, while the IRS subjected them to an income tax that presumed at least 8 1/2 percent in revenue (often much more) from tips. Describing his efforts with an almost satanic level of deception, Cain calls the abolition of the minimum wage “Cain’s Vision for Opportunity Zones: Renewing Cities Across the USA”, claiming that he will make America better by further impoverishing the already-impoverished.

    Perhaps the most important part of Cain's background is the part that is deliberately kept secret by his backers, the Koch brothers: his AFP ties. AFP, Americans for Prosperity, is basically the hand inside the sock puppet that became the Tea Party, the 'party' out of which sprang . . . Herman Cain. Yes, THAT Herman Cain, the one who somehow manages to stay at or near the top of the polls, with almost no feet-on-the-ground for campaign staffs anywhere. You've gotta hand it to the Kochs: first they produce an astro-turfed party, then an astro-turfed candidate.

    Maybe minimum wage should have been applied to Cain as well. When he took over as head of Godfather's Pizza, the chain had revenues of $272 million per year, which Cain managed to reduce to $242 per year by the time he left. During Cain's time at the helm, both as manager, and then later as CEO, the chain slipped from fourth place nationally to eighth. Way to go, Herb: tear down others' wages, while tearing down the companies you work for. Cain: the candidate who 'ain't able'.

    http://www.americablog.com/2011/10/herman-cains-performance-as-ceo-was.html

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  37. Anonymous2:09 PM

    Even though I believe this actually happened, the fact that the NRA settled with the two women does no definitively prove that Cain did what they accused him of doing. Sometimes settlement is much easier and more cost effective than fighting the issue.

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  38. Anonymous2:17 PM

    @ WakeUpAmerica: "Don't you have to be found guilty by the Senate after the House finds you guilty to be considered impeached? The House found Clinton guilty; the Senate did not, so technically he was not impeached, right?"

    ************************************

    No, the actual process is the impeachment. Had he been found guilty by both the house and senate, he would have been removed from office.

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  39. angela2:24 PM

    Ahhhh. . . .

    Old Herman will now be a republican hero.

    The GOP loves to tell people what their sex lives should be if they are women, gay, or liberal. Rich republican men can have at it with any and all and will be defended to the hilt by the likes of Coulter and LImbaugh. Pigs, both.

    Todays GOP is a huge disgusting room of hypocrites.

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  40. Anonymous2:47 PM

    Gryphen, can you believe this?

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/republican-group-under-fire-for-email-featuring-obama-shot-in-head/

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  41. Anonymous3:14 PM

    Personally I think all this will do is make Cain a martyr of the "librul media conspiracy" in the eyes of the wingnuts.

    As others have already said, the rules don't apply if you're a Repub. Otherwise Gingrich and Vitter would be hiding under a rock in shame.

    If Bachmann were smart, she'd start rumors that she'd had an affair. That seems to play well with righties when it's a woman in question. Nikki Haley's poll numbers went up when allegations came out about her affair.

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  42. Anonymous4:09 PM

    3:14 p.m. said: Personally I think all this will do is make Cain a martyr of the "librul media conspiracy" in the eyes of the wingnuts.


    Yes, this is happening already with my conservative relatives, who of course haven't seen all the prevarications and denials on the brief news segments they watch.

    I mentioned the Pew survey and they snorted. The media is liberal, therefore any organization that finds that the media is not liberal must itself be liberal.

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  43. Anonymous4:40 PM

    POST: And don't forget this, if the NRA and Cain had not had something to hide, they would NEVER have paid these women anything. L

    RESPONSE: Not true. Suits settle every day for lots of money that would likely fail if they went to trial - and for things that didn't happen. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Just means a settlement isn't good evidence that it did. Now, if you know the size of the settlement, that might be a clue.

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  44. Anonymous6:07 PM

    I love the "racist" "the bullseye target on my back has gotten bigger" cards. Why would a symbol from archery bring such shock? Didn't he hear Sarah was the victim of blood libel when SHE used rifle targets on her pretty little campaignin facebook map? And the racism card- Why?
    He stood idly by with the rock painting story and said nothing of hate speech/symbolism, so race apparently isn't an issue he thinks is relevant.

    Mind you, this man and his team had TEN DAYS to prepare this magificent fail of a response. Do we want someone like this as POTUS.



    Gryphen, your last line sums it up succinctly, the lie does much more damage than the act itself.

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  45. Anonymous7:25 PM

    I have to disagree with the statement that NRA paid the woman off because they had something to hide. Many times these lawsuits are settled out of court because of a) the sleazy nature of the cause and its impact on the association's reputation and b) the astronomical cost to go to court. A settlement of $25K to $30K without admitting fault is getting off easy.

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  46. Anonymous9:51 PM

    Clinton was subject to impeachment proceedings, but was acquitted and served out his term of office.

    Impeachment Articles 1 and 3 of four were approved by simple majority of the House of Representatives.
    Article 1: Perjury before Independent Counsel Ken Starr's grand jury.
    Article 3: Obstruction of Justice related to the Jones case.

    The proceeding moved to the Senate, where the Articles of Impeachment failed.

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  47. Anne In DC6:44 AM

    Herman Cain has contradicted himself over and over again, saying something different each time he speaks on the matter. I firmly believe that we haven't heard the last of this issue, especially since he keeps shooting himself in the foot. This is on top of all his obvious flaws as a candidate. He lacks empathy for the poor and the unemployed (they should blame themselves, not Wall Street). His willingness to politicize Jesus Christ in the service of partisanship was beyond sickening, calling Jesus a "perfect conservative" who was executed by "liberals." His proposal of an electrified fence to keep out Mexicans shows his inhumanity, which is equalled by that of the folks who laughed and cheered. Cain's readiness to insult blacks who don't vote his way in order to curry favor with the Tea Partiers marks him as a sellout, along with his stupid insults of the president as not being a "real black man" or having no part in the "black experience."
    In summary, he is a buffoon who has no business on the political stage because like Palin, he is his own worst enemy.

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