Adam Raised a Cain
Herman Cain is in DC today to talk to the American Enterprise Institute at 9 AM and the National Press Club at 1 PM. Both events are on C-SPAN, and the press event will include questions. Here’s the current weak-ass denial from his campaign:
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.
If you read the Politico story, it’s pretty clear that they’ve committed an act of journalism. They have the names of two women who were paid off by the National Restaurant Association (the other NRA), they have documents in one of the cases, and it sounds like they have a good number of NRA employees on the record. “The liberal media is out to get me” isn’t going to cut it in face of those kinds of facts.
Isn’t going to cut it with whom? It may well cut it with the GOP voters Cain needs to win the nomination.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:22 am
Speaking of C-SPAN. Watching C-SPAN’s Washington Journal and the right-wingers are tripping over themselves to defend Herman Cain and accuse the “liberal media” of trying to put a conservative black man down, who dared to leave the liberal plantation.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:24 am
OT: I’m in the UK and our clocks just changed this week (right now it’s 11.25am). What the hell time is it right now on the east coast so I can try and contact family stuck without power?
October 31st, 2011 at 7:25 am
Oh, yeah, Grover’s up next on the Journal. Thanks for reminding me to turn on the TV.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:25 am
@TheMightyTrowel: It’s 7:25 am on the east coast.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:28 am
Given that a large percentage of Americans have put in power the same gang of Republican scumbags over and over again, I’m beginning to wonder if they “deserve better.”
October 31st, 2011 at 7:28 am
it’s 7:30AM on the east coast right now.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:28 am
@cleek: @Gin & Tonic: Thanks! the clocks change on different dates and it always messes me up – usually it’s not a big deal but older relatives and downed powerlines….
October 31st, 2011 at 7:32 am
For Cain’s base, being a sexist pig is a feature, not a bug.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:33 am
@TheMightyTrowel:
We “fall back” next Sunday morning.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:38 am
Rumors that never stood up to the facts, but stood up to a payoff from the Nat’l Restaurant Assoc.?
I don’t think you’re gonna be able to sell that one, Herman.
.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:46 am
@Joseph Nobles:
Grover, the blue Sesame Street muppet? God, I hope he’s not a Republican.
.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:48 am
@JGabriel:
How about this one?
Mr. Cain is a busy man and can’t be expected to remember every time he was accused of sexual harassment.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:55 am
And yet cain edges perry 27-26 in his own state.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:59 am
first, can someone convince me that Politico isn’t just being the shitty, fact-lite, rumor rag it’s always been ?
October 31st, 2011 at 8:00 am
@JGabriel: Oh, butter would not melt on the WJ set today. Why, didn’t you know Norquist has not a single bit of political power? Strue, I just heard him say so!
October 31st, 2011 at 8:01 am
Fixed.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:06 am
Question is, is it still OK if you’re a Republican?
October 31st, 2011 at 8:06 am
““The liberal media is out to get me” isn’t going to cut it in face of those kinds of facts.”
Hahaha! That was funny!
October 31st, 2011 at 8:08 am
The “inside the beltway media” isn’t going hard on Cain – it only goes hard on those candidates the GOP tells it to. If it can be bothered to stir itself from the halls of power.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:10 am
Yeah, like facts ever changed a teabaggers mind.
My teabaggin brother-in-law was over to the house yesterday. First he was whining that he needed surgery but would lose his job if he took time off. Then he was whining that his company was hiring temps because of increased demand but didn’t want to pay full wages or benefits (he also complained that too many of the temps were “from the ‘hood” – but that is a different problem he has).
My sister, who was lucky enough to have never met this douche before said “It sounds like you need a union.” That set him off on a rant about how unions were destroying America.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:12 am
@cleek: On GMA the Politico reporter mentioned they have documentation of the harassment as well as the agreement.
@The Raven: Of course..plus both sides do it. At least we now know the meaning of do..
October 31st, 2011 at 8:13 am
I really doubt that it is the “Liberal Media” out to get Herman Cain. More likely it’s Republican establishment insiders (like Karl Rove & friends) who dredged the details and documentation of this story up and dropped it on Jonathan Martin’s lap.
Herman Cain’s 15 minutes are supposed to be up by now. Someone in the Republican hierarchy is just trying to make sure of it.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:21 am
Bets?
It’s kept the Snowbilly Grifter’s fan base rabidly loyal for years now.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:26 am
But wouldn’t that be “playing the race card”?
October 31st, 2011 at 8:28 am
looks like republicans have finally found a black man that more closely fits their view of what black men are
October 31st, 2011 at 8:29 am
Cain should say, the women misinterpreted the events. “Also, I suspect the one embellished the story because I rejected her flirtations.” (I’m sure she loses her money if she violates the confidentiality agreement.) The lawyers wanted to settle; I wanted to fight. The media is taking pieces of the story and drawing an incorrect conclusion.
Cain should challenge people: do you trust the media? If you trust the media to get a story right then you are going to believe this negativity no matter what Herman Cain says.
Then Cain should talk about looking forward not backwards.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:31 am
Cain should join Clarence Thomas and go on the Coke ‘n Pubes Tour 2012
October 31st, 2011 at 8:34 am
When’s the shoe gonna drop on the Rick Perry has sex with men rumor?
“Rick Perry gay” comes up before “Rick Perry for president” on Google’s autocomplete. Google problems… they’re not just for Santorum anymore.
Feel the Mitt-mentum.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:35 am
@amk:
This and the Iowa poll showing Cain taking a 1 point lead over Romney is why Rove & team have released this now. The reporter didn’t have to do much work, mistermix. This was most likely handed to him on a silver platter.
ETA: I see RandyH already said this above.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:38 am
Last OT on Grover on WJ: the host, Paul Orgel, made Norquist’s time as softball as he could. Just disgusting.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:40 am
I know it doesn’t matter, but the whole Cain frame is bullshit, both from his campaign and from “inside the beltway media”.
Cain was a lobbyist. He was paid to lie about the Clinton health care bill, and lie about smoking, and lie about the minimum wage, all in the service of the business interests he represented. That was his job. That’s where he got his start in “politics”.
The idea that he is some “straight talking outsider” is complete and utter nonsense.
Yeah. They do. So let’s call him what he is: a former lobbyist.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:44 am
Cain’s reply to the Politico hack when he confronted him outside CBS makes him sound guilty as hell.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:46 am
@Joseph Nobles: The hosts on WJ do that with all their guests, apparently.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:49 am
Yes, this will derail Cain just like Anita Hill derailed Clarence Thomas. Whatever happened to that guy?
October 31st, 2011 at 8:50 am
Haha, cute.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:52 am
Our media cant even distinguish the Cain response as a non-denial.
Its the gop establishment who is concerned with Cains popularity, not Dems.
Dems WANT to run against Cain, so this story was leaked by the gop. Plry Rove.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:52 am
@John PM: he wasn’t running for president, and only had to get, what, 50 votes?
October 31st, 2011 at 8:56 am
@The Raven: Yes.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:58 am
Politico is hardly “liberal media” as it exists mostly to get Republican talking points into the mainstream. I’m guessing this came out of one of his republican opponents opposition research teams.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:01 am
@Nemesis:
I agree with you, Nemesis. This has Rove’s greasy, non-stick fingers all over it. If this were a liberal/dem leak, they’d wait until Cain won the nomination. As it stands now, it looks like WhichMitt has a clear field.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:05 am
Were the women he is accused of harassing white? Because if they were, that might get the attention of some in the GOP. If they were black, probably no one will care.
Why yes, I am cynical.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:05 am
more important than cain’s accusations that this is the libruhl media’s attempt to thwart him, this will become the mainstream republican pundits’ means of thwarting him, giving them the green light to trash him from all angles.
because they know enough to make sure this guy does not get the nomination. i mean, if pat robertson of all people is begging their candidates to stop being so extreme, you know they gotta be scared poopless.
and given the outlet delivering all this trash is, after all, politico, cain should go back to promoting his book and making plans for that caribbean cruise in march.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:12 am
Come on Herman. “You remember the faces, the places, the names. You know it’s never over, it’s relentless as the rain.”
October 31st, 2011 at 9:18 am
Rick Perry gave quite a performance at a speech on Sat in New Hampshire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
Is he drunk, or high, or crazy?
I’m sad this has come out now about Cain. It would have been more fun after Cain won the nomination.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:19 am
Again, Politico is doing the GOP a favor by putting away another shiny toy their juvenile base wants to distract itself with, and forcing them to eat their vegetables (specifically Romney).
October 31st, 2011 at 9:21 am
re the timing, apparently politico gave Cain something like ten days to respond before running the story.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:22 am
A facebook friend posted something the other day saying something like “if 10% is good enough for God, 9% should be good enough for Government.”
Does anyone know what the hell he’s talking about?
October 31st, 2011 at 9:23 am
@Hal: Your friend is comparing tithing to taxes.
.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:28 am
From HP commenter:
There once was a man named Cain
Who sexually harassed a girl Jane
He hushed it with money
And thought it quite funny
Until his candidacy went down the drain
October 31st, 2011 at 9:28 am
Lost but not forgotten, from the dark heart of a dream …
October 31st, 2011 at 9:41 am
@Hal: 10% is tithing, like the LDS do, 9% is Cain’s tax plan
October 31st, 2011 at 9:44 am
@cleek: No, I thought this was a pretty weak story. First, for all of the “documents” that Politico claims to have, they provide us with nothing but generalities: “inappropriate behavior,” “conversations allegedly filled with innuendo or personal questions of a sexually suggestive nature,” “physical gestures that were not overtly sexual,” and so on. What are we supposed to glean from that? I have no idea what happened.
Second, “five figure settlements”? WTF is that? There is a big difference between a $10,000 settlement and a $99,000 settlement. The former would quite obviously be a nuisance settlement, while the latter might suggest some legitimate concern (although, I would add, the high-priced NRA attorneys almost certainly would have run up a six figure bill even getting a sexual harassment suit tossed before trial via summary judgment). Meritless lawsuits get settled all the time. The mere existence of a settlement doesn’t really prove anything.
Finally, Cain’s stonewalling response may be because he’s a jerk (and he is a jerk), but it may be partly motivated by the settlements themselves, i.e., he’s probably bound by the same confidentiality/non-disparagement provisions that bind the former employees. He could be exposing himself (heh) to future litigation if he provides details or even if he acknowledges the existence of the settlements.
I hate to sound like a Cain defender. I find him generally deplorable, and wouldn’t be surprised if he is a lech as well. Still, there is very little substance in this story.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:46 am
@John M:
Well, you’re not wrong. But one feature of the story is that the complainants signed a strict non-disclosure agreement.
But I am inclined to not theorize in advance of the facts because I am a moron who initially scoffed at the lurid claims that surfaced about (a) John Edwards, and (b) Anthony Wiener. Gah. I will wait.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:06 am
@TheMightyTrowel:
I’m sure you’re all straightened out now but here’s how I keep track of the time in US time zones.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:06 am
I agree with RandyH upthread. Cain’s continued buffoonish presence at the forefront of Republican politics is a great thing for Democrats. The more this fool gets to talk about his policy “ideas” the better. This is an insider Republican hit job. Ergo, it appeared in Politico first.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:07 am
How come I doubt Politico did actual journalism? Am I alone in thinking some other Republican camp threw Politico a bone with their oppo research?
No other way is reasonable. Politico just doesn’t dig it’s own dirt. They just push other folks piles around.
With that in mind, which camp would release this bad news on Cain? Perry? Karl Rove? Either of those are good bets in my view.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:09 am
@RossInDetroit: I don’t have a widget, but I have this link on my bookmark toolbar: World Clock.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:10 am
An idea I haven’t seen aired yet: In auto racing idiom, maybe Cain is the ‘rabbit’ that’s expected to wear out the opposition and let the ‘tortoise’ win the race. He’s obviously not going to be their candidate, so why is he out in front? Maybe because the guy chosen in the back rooms couldn’t stand up to 18 months of scrutiny and a distraction is needed. He’s certainly been keeping Mitt’s and Perry’s column inches down, which would be to their benefit. maybe that’s on purpose.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:16 am
@kindness: I’d bet money on Rove. He has a long history of this kind of thing, while Perry is just another dubya-ish stumblebum. IOW Perry’s job is to be a figurehead, while Rove’s is to be a ratfucker.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:16 am
@Larkspur:
I use the NIST page when I’m synchronizing mechanical watches to test their rate for regulation. It’s good to about 200ms and runs in a browser.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Larkspur:
I use the NIST page when I’m synchronizing mechanical watches to test their rate for regulation. It’s good to about 200ms and runs in a browser.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Larkspur:
I use the NIST page when I’m synchronizing mechanical watches to test their rate for regulation. It’s good to about 200ms and runs in a browser.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Larkspur:
I use the NIST page when I’m synchronizing mechanical watches to test their rate for regulation. It’s good to about 200ms and runs in a browser.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Larkspur:
I use the NIST page when I’m synchronizing mechanical watches to test their rate for regulation. It’s good to about 200ms and runs in a browser.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:19 am
FYWP. I did not post that 5 times.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:20 am
i like this story better: Aides’ Corporation May Have Illegally Gotten Cain Campaign Off The Ground.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:20 am
How long before he calls it a high tech lynching?
October 31st, 2011 at 10:21 am
@John M:
“Substance” or not, in this case ISTM that the “story” is the story; and, details of the settled suit notwithstanding, the main point of the exercise is to get the “Herman Cain is a sexual-harrasser” meme out and circulating. At whose behest, and for whose benefit, are debatable points*; but even as thinly-detailed as the “charges” are right now (as you correctly point out), there has to be something there. And even if neither Mr. Cain or the plaintiffs can or will divulge any information, I’m sure there are plenty of media (or “media”) outlets that will oblige the public’s
prurient curiosityright to know in short order.*IMO, Karl Rove and Mitt Romney, respectively, but YMMV
October 31st, 2011 at 10:21 am
Anyone who already likes this sleazy corrupt huckster already has bottom of the barrel standards. If he’s discovered or proven to be a harassing letch, will they change their minds? I doubt it.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:26 am
Hmmm, I think Bill Clinton might disagree with that analysis.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:26 am
Onion headline story:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:30 am
RandyH nailed it – this is a Romney or Rove hit job. That won’t stop Cain or FOX from pretending and acting as though it is a “liberal” smear job.
Wonder how The Politico staffers are reacting to the fact that they are now, apparently, the “liberal media.”
October 31st, 2011 at 10:32 am
While almost certainly a rat-f*cking, I cannot see how this tempest redounds to the benefit of the Mormon former governor of Massachusetts. Romney has long been rejected by the Tea Party wing of the GOP (i.e., its base) for his ideological heresies.
Moreover, I agree with several commenters above (ctwinder, Carl Nyberg, John PM) who are skeptical that this story will harm Cain’s grifter juggernaut. “High-tech lynchings” generate sympathy among those for whom the notion of a “liberal media” is gospel truth. Also, that bromide “Hate the sin, love the sinner” is always a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card for these true believers.
Should the stench of scandal begin to imbue Herman Cain (and it won’t), it is Governor Goodhair who is much more likely to be welcomed back from the wilderness by the Tea Party brethren. He already knows all their hymns.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:41 am
So if Cain’s campaign staff (such as it is) starts to desert him a la Michelle Bachmann’s New Hampshire organization, will this be referred to as the “Cain Mutiny”?
October 31st, 2011 at 10:41 am
@kth: “forcing them to eat their vegetables (specifically Romney).”
So Romney’s massive, throbbing campaign is being forced down the GOP’s throats? Huh.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:47 am
I hope Politico checked the kerning on whatever memo they were handed.
October 31st, 2011 at 10:57 am
Charlie’s on it. Worth reading.
ETA: Pierce sees Rove’s hand in this, and who would that surprise?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:00 am
@kindness:
Politico did the serious leg work on this story.
They picked up the phone and the Rove operative gave them the scoop.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:44 am
Gee, just in time for Halloween, too. What are Herman Cain’s top 10 pickup lines?
October 31st, 2011 at 11:54 am
@John M:
I don’t know if it is true or ot, either. But I don’t care. To me, the entertainment value of the stroy comes from watching the Rethuglicans at work: Cain has decided to really run for PResident and hires staff for Iowas, Politico suddenly pulbishes a story which they probably got from the Romney opresearch people, the corporate press jumps right on it. Too funny! The Rethug leadership didn’t mind Cain running to be the next Sarah Pali, but once he starts acting like he might really try for the nomination thhey decide to swat him down.
But the real hilarity for me is the reaction fo0rm the base which will almost certainly be support for Cain. They will most likely see him as a victim of the liberal press!
I do so hope that he gets the nomination. I do ot think that this poloy on the part of the Rethug leadership will slow him down a bit.
October 31st, 2011 at 12:24 pm
-Charlie Pierce
Heh. The best thing about the clusterf**k coming down the pike will be Charlie’s two cents every day. It’s going to be must reading for every idiot pundit whether they want to or not.
October 31st, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I kept reading the article, but it wasn’t clear whether the woman took the money.
I am in a cynical mood today.
October 31st, 2011 at 1:24 pm
It’s 100% clear that to the extent this story has any effect on the election, it helps Cain get the Republican nomination. Republican’s love voting for someone who’s been “smeared” by “baseless” accusations by “liberals,” and that’s exactly how this is going to be viewed by the Republican base. If this wasn’t leaked to Politico by the Cain campaign then the campaign committed political malpractice.
Publishing a campaign commercial for Cain for free and calling it a news story isn’t journalism.
October 31st, 2011 at 1:25 pm
@RossInDetroit: You mean posting the same thing 5 times is NOT how you win the internets? :^)
October 31st, 2011 at 2:15 pm
@Carl Nyberg:
Then Crain should put on his best William Shatner impression, and say: “It was the mad-cow… Herman Cain.”
October 31st, 2011 at 2:49 pm
R Johnston @ 84
But if Cain’s people had released the story, he would have been vastly better prepared than he was. He was really caught off-guard by the initial questioning (he was standing there silent for a while and then uttered gibberish). And Cain’s campaign wouldn’t have released it to Politico, but picked an appropriately liberal publication.
No, this was released by someone else within the Republican party. Most likely, Karl Rove. Less likely, Romney’s campaign. Unlikely but possibly Perry’s people.
October 31st, 2011 at 3:00 pm