Herman Cain Getting Thrown Under the Bus

Drip..drip...drip
Cain Accuser Got a Year’s Salary in Severance Pay

Quote :

WASHINGTON — The National Restaurant Association gave $35,000 — a year’s salary — in severance pay to a female staff member in the late 1990s after an encounter with Herman Cain, its chief executive at the time, made her uncomfortable working there, three people with direct knowledge of the payment said on Tuesday.

Further challenging Mr. Cain, a lawyer for the second woman called on the restaurant association to release her from a confidentiality agreement signed as part of her settlement, raising the prospect that she could publicly dispute Mr. Cain’s account of what happened. The lawyer said the confidentiality agreement had left her unable to respond to Mr. Cain’s dismissal of the complaints against him as a “witch hunt” or to his denials of any inappropriate behavior toward the women.

“He’s basically saying: ‘I never harassed anyone. These claims have no merit,’ ” said the lawyer, Joel P. Bennett of Washington, who represented the woman in her initial agreement. “And I’m sure my client would have a comeback to that.”

The precise nature of the encounters between Mr. Cain and the two women remained murky. He has said over the past two days that he joked with one of the women about her height, but he has not addressed what happened with the first woman — the one who received the $35,000 payment, according to the people who knew of it — or even acknowledged there was an incident with her. Her friends and colleagues said she had told them at the time that she was upset about the situation.

Asked during an interview on the Fox News Channel on Tuesday night whether he would ask the association to comply with Mr. Bennett’s request, Mr. Cain said, “I can’t give you a definitive answer on that until we consult with our attorneys.”

He added that there could be “legal implications” if the women were released from confidentiality agreements, though he did not say what those implications might be.

Four people with contemporaneous knowledge of the incident said the encounter had taken place in the context of a work outing during which there was heavy drinking, a hallmark, they said, of outings with an organization that represents the hospitality industry. They spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid being publicly drawn into the dispute, and declined to provide details of the encounter, saying they did not want to violate the privacy of the woman.

Two of them said that other factors had been involved in her severance, and that other, less-loaded issues had been making her unhappy at the association. But they said the encounter with Mr. Cain had added an emotional charge, and contributed to the size of her payment. One former colleague familiar with the details said such a severance was not common, especially for an employee with the woman’s years at the association and her pay grade.

The situation with the other woman appeared to be more in keeping with a standard settlement related to harassment allegations, though she never filed suit in a case that, one person familiar with her accusations said, included “more than one” alleged incident that made her feel uncomfortable.

happy jack wrote:

10/31 @ 1:38 pm: Incidentally, how many days (or hours) do you think it will take for your cute little Cain story to utterly disappear from the news?

10/31 @ 5:22 pm: This is such a non-story that only you (or someone equally ridiculous, if there even is such a person) will continue to harp on it.

11/01 @ 2:00 pm But what I am saying is that the accusations are pointless, unsubstantiated, and petty, and I will go out on a limb and predict that they will disappear within a news cycle or two.

happy jack wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

Yeah. Well pandering isn't the same thing as "engaging in racism," is it?

No, but the infantilization of an entire race is quite clearly a manifestation of a racist attitude, isn't it?

I suppose that it could be, but I'm not aware of anyone doing that. Perhaps you could provide a concrete example instead of a generality?

This is turning into the best flameout ever!!!
Herman Cain warns China trying to get nukes they've had since 1960s

Quote :

JUDY WOODRUFF: Do you view China as a potential military threat to the United States?
HERMAN CAIN: I do view China as a potential military threat to the United States. [...] They've indicated that they're trying to develop nuclear capability and they want to develop more aircraft carriers like we have. So yes, we have to consider them a military threat.

Day 4 and counting.....
Sources reveal new details about Cain allegation

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Herman Cain flatly denies the most serious allegation facing him – that he made an unwanted sexual advance toward a female employee at a work event – but POLITICO has learned new details making clear there were urgent discussions of the woman’s accusations at top levels of the National Restaurant Association within hours of when the incident was alleged to have occurred.

The new details—which come from multiple sources independently familiar with the incident at a hotel during a restaurant association event in the late 1990s—put the woman’s account even more sharply at odds with Cain’s emphatic insistence in news media interviews this week that nothing inappropriate happened between the two.

In recent days sources—including associates of the woman and people familiar with operations of the restaurant association—have offered new details of the incident.

The woman in question, roughly 30 years old at the time and working in the National Restaurant Association’s government affairs division, told two people directly at the time that Cain made a sexual overture to her at one of the group’s events, according to the sources familiar with the incident. She was livid and lodged a verbal complaint with an NRA board member that same night, these sources said.

The woman told one of the sources Cain made a suggestion that she felt was overtly sexual in nature and that “she perceived that her job was at risk if she didn’t do it.”

“She is a pretty confident individual, and she was pretty upset,” the source, an acquaintance of the woman, said of her demeanor after the encounter with Cain. “Not crying, but angry.”

She described it as an “unwanted sexual advance” to the other source. The woman took the matter immediately and directly to the board member because “she wanted this fixed,” the source said.

POLITICO has learned the accusation was also later brought to the attention of another board member as well as the restaurant association’s general counsel Peter Kilgore, both of whom are said to have looked into the matter. The woman, who now works in New Jersey, left the NRA in May 1998, shortly after the incident — under an agreement that paid her one-year’s salary, in the mid-$30,000s, sources said. The amount of the settlement was first reported by the New York Times.

She said at the time that she left because “she was not getting along with her bosses,” said another source, a former NRA employee who knew her.

POLITICO has spoken to more than six sources familiar with aspects of the woman’s story. Cain’s campaign this week did not respond to repeated calls and emails seeking comment on the new details related to the woman’s claim. Kilgore also has declined to comment, saying he cannot discuss personnel matters.

Here's what "playing the race card" really looks like...



It's the height of hypocrisy for the Republicans to do stuff like this, in light of the fact that they bray on endlessly about others playing the race card.

Who the hell mentioned Cain's race in relation to the sexual harassment charges? Nobody except the Republicans, and does any one really think that the reason this is a story is because Cain is black?

Give me a frickin' break!

Cain Day 5....
Cain accuser breaks silence

Quote :

The attorney for one of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment said Friday that the then-National Restaurant Association CEO engaged in “inappropriate behavior” and “unwanted advances” that led to a cash payout in 1999.

The woman declined to reveal her identity or detail the nature of the claim.

“These complaints were resolved in an agreement with her acceptance of a monetary settlement,” said Joel Bennett, the attorney, at a news conference outside his Washington, D.C. law office.

Reading a statement he said he wrote jointly with his client, Bennett declined to say how much money his client received. POLITICO has reported it was approximately $45,000.

Bennett indicated that the woman, now a federal employee, is happy in her current job and doesn’t want to publicly recount her experience with Cain.

“[I]t would be extremely painful to do so,” said the attorney, reading the statement.

Asked directly about the nature of the harassment against the woman, Bennett said: “Beyond what’s in the statement, she has decided not to relive the specifics of the incidents so I cannot give any further detail.”

He did, however, say his client endured multiple encounters with Cain.

Questioned about Cain’s denials this week that he harassed the woman, Bennett said: “Those statements are inaccurate factually.”

He added: “Mr. Cain knows the specific incidents that were alleged. My client filed a written complaint in 1999 against him specifically and it had very specific incidents in it and if he chose to not remember or not acknowledge those, that’s his issue.”

The attorney said they had not asked the restaurant trade group to strike the non-disclosure language from her settlement, only to let him make the approved-upon statement.

In their own statement, the restaurant association confirmed that the woman “filed a formal internal complaint” and that Cain disputed the charges.

“The Association and Mr. Bennett’s client subsequently entered into an agreement to resolve the matter, without any admission of liability,” said Dawn Sweeney, the group’s current CEO. “Mr. Cain was not a party to that agreement. The agreement contains mutual confidentiality obligations. Notwithstanding the Association’s ongoing policy of maintaining the privacy of all personnel matters, we have advised Mr. Bennett that we are willing to waive the confidentiality of this matter and permit Mr. Bennett’s client to comment.”

Day 6.....
Jon Huntsman On Herman Cain Sexual Harassment Allegations: Information Must Come Out

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WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said fellow contender Herman Cain should release more information about his settlements for allegedly sexually harassing staff in the 1990s, saying the matter distracts from more important issues on the campaign trail.

"We're not able to talk about jobs, we're not able to talk about our position in the world, and that hurts -- that hurts the American peoplem," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "It's got to come out in total. Legitimate questions have been raised, and that information has to come forward."

Artie60438 wrote:

Paging Gloria Allred!!!!

Week 2 Day 8....Miss Allred,please pick up the "Black Walnut" courtesy phone Thank You!
Allred says new woman to accuse Cain of sexual harassment, the fourth so far

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WASHINGTON — High-profile discrimination attorney Gloria Allred says another woman has come forward accusing Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain of sexual harassment.

Allred and the woman, whom she did not identify, are planning a news conference in New York later Monday.

happy jack wrote:

10/31 @ 1:38 pm: Incidentally, how many days (or hours) do you think it will take for your cute little Cain story to utterly disappear from the news?

10/31 @ 5:22 pm: This is such a non-story that only you (or someone equally ridiculous, if there even is such a person) will continue to harp on it.

11/01 @ 2:00 pm But what I am saying is that the accusations are pointless, unsubstantiated, and petty, and I will go out on a limb and predict that they will disappear within a news cycle or two.

The woman who just came forward is an educated,accomplished Life-Long Republican and came across as very credible. The Caine campaign just gave a statement that Caine has never sexually harassed anyone.

Go Herman Go!! Keep up the denials!! Stay in the race and do not give an inch! You da man!

Unfrickin' believable!

Quote :

“All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone."

This sounds like a statement that was issued by the Chinese government about food safety or something. He's going to have to do better than this. He can't just casually dismiss a direct accusation... well, I guess he can, but IMHO, if he doesn't come up with something better than this, it's time to "stick a fork in him," because he's done.

Scorpion wrote:

Unfrickin' believable!

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“All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone."

This sounds like a statement that was issued by the Chinese government about food safety or something.

Reminds me of
"Baghdad Bob"

Quote :

He's going to have to do better than this. He can't just casually dismiss a direct accusation... well, I guess he can, but IMHO, if he doesn't come up with something better than this, it's time to "stick a fork in him," because he's done.

Not only did this woman come forward,but 2 people she told after the incident have signed depositions under oath acknowledging what she told them. I think he's trying to become the official Black martyr of the Republican party.

Meanwhile we can always count on Rush Limbaugh to wallow in the gutter....

Quote :

Limbaugh: Gloria Allred Clarified Pronunciation Of Cain Accuser's Name: It's "Buy-A-Lick, As In [Slurping Sound] Buy-A-Lick"

Artie60438 wrote:

Scorpion wrote:

Unfrickin' believable!

Quote :

“All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone."

This sounds like a statement that was issued by the Chinese government about food safety or something.

Reminds me of
"Baghdad Bob"

Wow - Thanks for reminding me. I haven't found an occasion to use him for a long time. Time to dust him off...

Caine claimed at today's presser that he never even met Sharon Bialek the gal who came forward yesterday. I'm almost positive that she was seen hugging him at a tea party event in Chicago recently and that it was witnessed by Amy Jacobson of WIND-AM.

Week 2..Day 9....
A Second Accuser Goes Public Against Cain

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Karen Kraushaar, one of the two women who settled sexual harassment claims against Herman Cain with the National Restaurant Association, spoke publicly for the first time on Tuesday about her allegations against him.

Ms. Kraushaar, a spokeswoman at the Treasury Department, said in an interview that she was upset that her name had leaked into some press reports. But she said she had decided to speak out now that her identity was publicly known.

“When you are being sexually harassed in the workplace, you are extremely vulnerable,” she said. “You do whatever you can to quickly get yourself into a job someplace safe, and that is what I thought I had achieved when I left.”

Ms. Kraushaar had previously allowed her lawyer to challenge Mr. Cain’s denial that he had done anything wrong while at the helm of the restaurant association in the late 1990s. But after Ms. Bialek went public on Monday and several news organizations published Ms. Kraushaar’s name on Tuesday, she said she had decided to talk publicly — at least in a limited way.

She said she did not know whether or how she might tell more of her story, but had been warming “to the idea of a joint press conference where all of the women would be together with our attorneys and all of this evidence would be considered together.”

She said of Mr. Cain: “These allegations can be considered together as a body of evidence

.”

Thank Jebus. There apparently are a few conservatives that recognize Cain as the useless gasbag he is:

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If you want to watch an uncomfortable moment from the “debate” between Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain this weekend, take a look at Cain’s answer on whether he preferred a premium support or a defined benefit plan in the context of Medicare. These are the type of policy questions that presumably should be in Cain’s wheelhouse. His main selling point, after all, is that he’s a successful businessman who knows how to right our economic ship; and no program has more bearing on our fiscal future than Medicare. Yet on what is a fairly basic question about Medicare, Cain is utterly lost. That ought to matter to conservatives as they determine who is the individual best equipped to prosecute the case against President Obama less than a year from now.

I understand early on there was a certain freshness to Cain’s style. But we’ve now had several months in which we’ve been able to watch Cain in debates, during interviews, and at center stage, raising this question: Has any recent major presidential candidate shown as little mastery of the basics, when it comes to policy matters, as Cain? He’s shown his limitations time and time again, from debates in which he can’t articulate his policy preference on Afghanistan, to his cluelessness on the so-called Palestinian “right of return,” to his contradictory stands when it comes to abortion and a willingness to trade GITMO prisoners for hostages, to his (unconstitutional) declaration that he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet or a federal judgeship, to his inability to defend his 9-9-9 tax plan. Yet some defenders of Cain actually celebrate his lack of knowledge, portraying it as a virtue, a sign that he’s an outsider, a non-establishment figure, authentic, the appealing anti-politician.

But this has very little to do with whether or not one is a slick, pre-packaged politician and has everything to do with whether an individual who seeks to be president has taken the time to study, even minimally study, the urgent issues facing our nation.

Though the celebration of lack of knowledge isn't reserved just for Cain, though. That's pretty much across the board. They have to be if all your political platform has to offer is an endless stream of demonstrably false talking points; they have to demonize any and everything that can so easily rebut their phony narrative. So, information and education are constantly vilified as "elitism", any question offered that requires a modicum of free thought rather than a prescripted answer is a "gotcha question" (as even the above author notes in his article), all scientists are part of either the global warming or evolution conspiracy (or both), and every news organization other than Fox is just another front for the Great Liberal Conspiracy. It's awfully effective.

Heretic wrote:

Though the celebration of lack of knowledge isn't reserved just for Cain, though. That's pretty much across the board. They have to be if all your political platform has to offer is an endless stream of demonstrably false talking points; they have to demonize any and everything that can so easily rebut their phony narrative.

That's the Tea Party mentality at work. Never mind if you're an idiot as long as you're a "regular guy".

Quote :

So, information and education are constantly vilified as "elitism", any question offered that requires a modicum of free thought rather than a prescripted answer is a "gotcha question" (as even the above author notes in his article), all scientists are part of either the global warming or evolution conspiracy (or both), and every news organization other than Fox is just another front for the Great Liberal Conspiracy. It's awfully effective.

Palin played a big part in starting it when she whined about Katie Couric ambushing her with a question like "What do you read"? Cain is somewhat similar. He reminds me in a way,and others have said the same thing,of the character "Lonesome Rhodes" in the movie A Face in the Crowd

Week 3.......

Ex-boyfriend of Cain accuser corroborates her story
By Robin Abcarian Los Angeles Times reporter

3:55 p.m. CST, November 14, 2011
The pediatrician who dated Sharon Bialek when the Chicago woman claimed to have been sexually groped by Herman Cain came forward Monday to support Bialek's allegations against Cain.

Standing next to Gloria Allred at a hastily called news conference in Shrevesport, La., Victor Zuckerman, who said he is a registered Republican, said it was he who suggested Bialek contact Cain for help finding a job. It was also he who suggested Bialek contact Allred for help after they both realized that the man she'd had an unpleasant encounter with in 1997 was a front-runner for president.

In Shrevesport, Allred was challenged by reporters to say whether she was planning other news conferences or had any other accusers in the wings.

"We are not disclosing what our future actions may be," said Allred. If Cain had not denied the charges, she said, "we wouldn't be here today. If he wants to end this, let him come clean, that's all we ask."

happy jack wrote:

10/31 @ 1:38 pm: Incidentally, how many days (or hours) do you think it will take for your cute little Cain story to utterly disappear from the news?

10/31 @ 5:22 pm: This is such a non-story that only you (or someone equally ridiculous, if there even is such a person) will continue to harp on it.

11/01 @ 2:00 pm But what I am saying is that the accusations are pointless, unsubstantiated, and petty, and I will go out on a limb and predict that they will disappear within a news cycle or two.

It's been a never ending roller coaster for the Republicans. Now they're saying that Newt is making a comeback. NEWT! In fact, I think the only ones who haven't seen a surge to the top of the polls yet are Santorum, Ron Paul, and Jon Huntsman...

I don't understand the Santorum thing. I guess nobody likes him. Is that what that's about?

I'd say Paul would have a chance if he'd quit spending time focusing on things that pissed Republicans off. In other words save it for Obama.

Also, can someone explain to me what mortal sin Jon Huntsman did BEYOND accepting a job that was offered to him by President Obama?

paul87920 wrote:

Also, can someone explain to me what mortal sin Jon Huntsman did BEYOND accepting a job that was offered to him by President Obama?

Acknowledges the science on both evolution and global warming. The Republican death knell...

paul87920 wrote:

It's been a never ending roller coaster for the Republicans. Now they're saying that Newt is making a comeback. NEWT!

Ha Ha HA..It's going to be fun watching Newt try to defend his lobbying for Freddie Mac. He claims he was hired as a historian.

Quote :

Also, can someone explain to me what mortal sin Jon Huntsman did BEYOND accepting a job that was offered to him by President Obama?

Like Heretic said,he acknowledges the science on both evolution and global warming. His views are grounded in reality,and he refuses to pander to the hardline wingnuts.

Cain is a fucking moron :

Quote :

He defended his view that presidents and presidential candidates don't need to be immersed in the fine print of world affairs - they simply need to be leaders who can surround themselves with the right people and sift through their advice.
"I'm not supposed to know anything about foreign policy. Just thought I'd throw that out," he said, a dig at his critics.

"I want to talk to commanders on the ground. Because you run for president (people say) you need to have the answer. No, you don't! No, you don't! That's not good decision-making," said Cain.

He expressed sympathy for fellow candidate Rick Perry and his well-publicized freeze-up at a recent debate - a moment that would soon be linked with Cain.

Compare that with this quote from my previous article:

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Perhaps adding to my inability to understand Cain’s rock-star appeal is the fact that I recently watched a January 14, 1980 “Firing Line” interview between William F. Buckley, Jr. and Ronald Reagan. During the interview, Buckley assumes Reagan is president and proceeds to ask him a series of hypothetical questions, from race riots breaking out in Detroit, to the value of the dollar and the way government bonds should be issued, to a strike by postal workers, to a Soviet invasion of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, to CIA concerns that it cannot discharge a recent directive because of having been hamstrung by legislation championed by Senator Frank Church.

It is a very impressive display by both Buckley and Reagan – Buckley because the questions were both challenging and well-put (today it would be labeled as a “gotcha” interview) and Reagan because of his fluency and mastery of all the issues. Without having been told in advance what topics would be covered, Reagan time and time again spoke not only with a command of an issue at that moment in time, but he also touched on its relevant historical background.

Ignorance and stupidity are openly celebrated as today's Republican platform.

Cain: ‘We Need A Leader, Not A Reader’

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Susan Archer of ABC News reports that Cain declared at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire: “We need a leader, not a reader.”

Corroborating the reports that this is something Cain…actually…said, Steve Peoples of the Associated Press also reports Cain saying that knowing every detail is not important: “We need a leader, not a reader.”

So it turns out that Ronald Reagan isn’t Cain’s only political role model — his other is the fictionalized “President Schwarzenegger” from The Simpsons Movie!

I'm with Cain on this one...

Woman says she and Cain had 13-year affair; Cain denies accusation

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He said in a statement to WAGA that "Cain has been informed today that your television station plans to broadcast a story this evening in which a female will make an accusation that she engaged in a 13-year-long physical relationship with Mr. Cain. This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace -- this is not an accusation of an assault -- which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.

"Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults -- a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door.

It's about time that somebody made this argument. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Scorpion wrote:

I'm with Cain on this one...

Woman says she and Cain had 13-year affair; Cain denies accusation

Quote :

He said in a statement to WAGA that "Cain has been informed today that your television station plans to broadcast a story this evening in which a female will make an accusation that she engaged in a 13-year-long physical relationship with Mr. Cain. This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace -- this is not an accusation of an assault -- which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.

"Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults -- a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door.

It's about time that somebody made this argument. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Cain is obviously lying about having the relationship....

Quote :

She says the physical relationship ended about eight months ago, right before Cain announced he was running for president. But the communication did not. When we asked for any corroborating evidence, she pointed us to her cell phone contacts. One name: Herman Cain.

She showed us some of her cell phone bills that included 61 phone calls or text messages to or from a number starting with 678. She says it is Herman Cain's private cell phone. The calls were made during four different months-- calls or texts made as early as 4:26 in the early morning, and as late as 7:52 at night. The latest were in September of this year.

“We've never worked together,” said White. “And I can't imagine someone phoning or texting me for the last two and a half years, just because.”

We texted the number and Herman Cain called us back. He told us he "knew Ginger White" but said these are "more false allegations." He said she had his number because he was "trying to help her financially.”

She says she planned on keeping the relationship a secret while Cain made his run for the White House until she and her family watched reports of different women who had accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment. She says she was not surprised by the allegations, but was bothered by the way Cain fought back, attacking the woman, including during an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman.

“It bothered me that they were being demonized, sort of, they were treated as if they were automatically lying, and the burden of proof was on them,” White said. “I felt bad for them.”

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/ginger-white-claims-affair-herman-cain-20111127-es