Let the games begin!

Posted on October 30, 2011 by myiq2xu

Exclusive: Two women accused Herman Cain of inappropriate behavior

During Herman Cain’s tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, ultimately leaving their jobs at the trade group, multiple sources confirm to POLITICO.

The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.

Vague accusations from anonymous sources. Is he guilty?

Who cares! Let’s talk about sex!!!!

UPDATE:

These are the non-specific allegations:

The sources — which include the recollections of close associates and other documentation — describe episodes that left the women upset and offended. These incidents include conversations allegedly filled with innuendo or personal questions of a sexually suggestive nature, taking place at hotels during conferences, at other officially sanctioned restaurant association events and at the association’s offices. There were also descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual but that made women who experienced or witnessed them uncomfortable and that they regarded as improper in a professional relationship.

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54 Responses

  1. Lola-at-Large, on October 30, 2011 at 7:54 pm said:

    A high-tech lynching? (Apologies to Anita Hill)

  2. WMCB, on October 30, 2011 at 8:05 pm said:

    Gotta love those anonymous sources hinting at vague improprieties. Notice that not only are the sources not named, they don’t even give any details as to what, exactly, the man supposedly did. Did he tell a dirty joke? Was he a jocular but annoying flirt? Or did he supposedly corner some woman in the storeroom and proposition her or threaten her job? I’m not saying any of those things are good in the workplace. But there ARE degrees. What did he supposedly do?

    The media is going to do their damndedest to do a real number on him. And this article is a big pile of innuendo from nobody concrete.

    This is the same media that did backflips and yoga poses to avoid reporting on skeezeball Edwards’ torrid and bizarre affair until they were CERTAIN that it was so incontrovertible they could not avoid it. But they are Johnny-On-The-Spot trying to find some thin accusations on Cain and blwo them into a big story, aren’t they?

    • kc, on October 30, 2011 at 9:14 pm said:

      yoga poses–that’s a beauty. Gotta be the ‘pigeon’ pose, and just think of the poses to protect obama.

  3. 1539days, on October 30, 2011 at 8:29 pm said:

    This tells me that Obama’s people have some internals on Cain that scare the living crap out of him.

    I read the Politico story until nausea set in and this is what I got. Two women were given settlements when they left the National Restaurant Association. If Politico did verify them (there’s no way they could verify an NDA) as employees of that group, telling their story would subject them to a lawsuit for violating the terms of their settlement, assuming they were even paid off because of this and not, for example, bad job performance.

    I saw this on Fox, where Geraldo (who knows a thing or two about sexual harassment) was breathless about the lack of a denial by the Cain campaign. If this was a nuisance lawsuit that ended in a quick settlement, he may not even know the name Politico supposedly gave him. He can’t deny if he doesn’t remember and he can’t confirm if nothing happened. If this was settled with a legal agreement, then Cain was only accused of something, not guilty. I could accuse the staff of Politico of murdering my cat, but that doesn’t make it true.

    • Anthony, on October 30, 2011 at 8:39 pm said:

      This tells me that Obama’s people have some internals on Cain that scare the living crap out of him.

      Cain can always say “I’ll see your two anonymous sources and raise you a Vera Baker and a Larry Sinclair”

      If BHO wants to play with fire, let him….

  4. myiq2xu, on October 30, 2011 at 8:42 pm said:

    Presumption of guilt:

    It figures. Most men in positions of power become predators one way or another.

    • 1539days, on October 30, 2011 at 8:50 pm said:

      Well, he’s an old man and a Republican. I imagine they would have a hard time NOT believing the story.

    • WMCB, on October 30, 2011 at 9:11 pm said:

      Actually, no, MOST men are not predators in any way shape or form. I have never subscribed to the “all men are pigs” brand of feminism, and I never will. Because it’s bullshit. It’s just as bullshit as “all white people are racists”.

      • myiq2xu, on October 30, 2011 at 9:15 pm said:

        That blog is sub-titled “A place to talk about my issues”

      • gxm17, on October 31, 2011 at 10:32 am said:

        WMCB, while it may be true that most men are not predators, it is also true that most predatory/violent criminals are men. Most victims of violent crime were attacked by male offenders. Further, a woman is most likely to be victimized by a man that she knows. This is why it is not uncommon for victims, and victim advocates, to identify violent crime as a male “problem.” Given that many rapes and incidents of domestic violence go unreported, there are far too many men (albeit not “most”) who commit violent crime. FWIW, I say this as someone who is well aware that women can be violent. They just have a lot of statistical ground to make up.

        • WMCB, on October 31, 2011 at 6:24 pm said:

          I didn’t say that most violent crime was not committed by men. I didn’t address that at all. The quote to which I was referring specifically said that “most men in positions of power become predators. And I called it for the bullshit it is.

    • 1539days, on October 30, 2011 at 8:54 pm said:

      1. Was there a settlement? Legally, he shouldn’t answer that. If there was one, the terms most likely demand silence.

      2. These are serious allegations. No. These are not serious allegation.

      3. Near the end Geraldo is just jumping to conclusions that aren’t even in the story.

      4. Asking to talk to Cain wasn’t going to happen. Then Geraldo throws to Mark Fuhrman? Seriously?

      • Jadzia, on October 31, 2011 at 1:17 am said:

        Usually if you settle with an NDA you’re allowed to say something like, “We have resolved our differences in a manner that is mutually acceptable.” And then you close your mouth.

  6. myiq2xu, on October 30, 2011 at 9:12 pm said:

    Face The Nation:

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Mister Cain, I– I just have to ask you. What is the point of that, having a man smoke a cigarette in a television commercial for you?

    HERMAN CAIN: One of the themes within this campaign is let Herman be Herman. Mark Block is a smoker, and we say let Mark be Mark. That’s all we’re trying to say because we believe let people be people. He doesn’t deny that he’s a smoker. This isn’t trying to–

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Are you a smoker?

    HERMAN CAIN: No, I’m not a smoker. But I don’t have a problem if that’s his choice. So let Herman be Herman. Let Mark be Mark. Let people be people. This wasn’t intended to send any subliminal signal whatsoever.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: But it does. It sends a signal that it’s cool to smoke.

    HERMAN CAIN: No, it does not. Mark Block smokes. That’s all that ad says. We weren’t trying to say it’s cool to smoke. You have a lot of people in this country that smoke but what I respect about Mark as a smoker, who is my chief of staff, he never smokes around me or smokes around anyone else. He goes outside.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: But he smokes on television.

    HERMAN CAIN: Well, he smokes on television. But that was no other subliminal message.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Was it meant to be funny?

    HERMAN CAIN: It was meant to be informative, if they listen to the message where he said, “America has never seen a candidate like Herman Cain.” That was the main point of it. And the– the bit on the end, we didn’t know whether it was going to be funny to some people or whether they were going to ignore it–

    BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well–

    HERMAN CAIN: –or whatever the case may be.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: –let me just tell you, it’s not funny to me.

    HERMAN CAIN: Okay.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: I am a cancer survivor–

    HERMAN CAIN: Right.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: –like you.

    HERMAN CAIN: I am also.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: I had cancer that’s smoking related.

    HERMAN CAIN: Yes.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: I don’t think it serves the country well. And this is an editorial opinion here, to be showing someone smoking a cigarette. And– and you are the front-runner now. And it seems to me as front-runner, you would have a responsibility, not to take that kind of a tone in this. I would suggest that perhaps, as the front-runner, you’d want to raise the level of the campaign.

    HERMAN CAIN: We will do that, Bob. And I do respect your objection to the ad. And probably about thirty percent of the feedback was very similar to yours. It was not intended to offend anyone. And being a cancer– being a cancer survivor myself, I am sensitive to that sort of thing.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Would you take the ad down?

    HERMAN CAIN: Well, it’s on the internet. We didn’t run it on TV. And once–

    BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well, why don’t you–

    HERMAN CAIN: Once–

    BOB SCHIEFFER: –take it off the internet?

    HERMAN CAIN: It’s impossible to do now. Once you put it on the internet, it goes viral. We could take it off of our website but there are other sites that have already picked it up. It’s nearly impossible to– to erase that ad from the internet.

    BOB SCHIEFFER: Have– have you ever thought of just saying to young people, don’t smoke? Four hundred thousand people in America die every year–

    HERMAN CAIN (overlapping): I–

    BOB SCHIEFFER: –from smoking related.

    HERMAN CAIN: I will have no problem saying that. And matter of fact–

    BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well, say it right now.

    HERMAN CAIN: Young people of America, all people, do not smoke. It is hazardous and it’s dangerous to your health. Don’t smoke. I’ve– I’ve never smoked and I have encouraged people not to smoke. So, I don’t–

    BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): And it’s not a cool thing to do.

    HERMAN CAIN: It is not a cool thing to do. And that’s– that’s not what I was trying to say. Smoking is not a cool thing to do.

    • crawdad, on October 30, 2011 at 9:17 pm said:

      There’s nothing worse than a reformed smoker.

    • 1539days, on October 30, 2011 at 9:39 pm said:

      Bob’s angry about his own smoking. That’s the worst kind of nanny state attitude. And it’s hypocritical. Why isn’t Face the Nation doing an anti-smoking segment at the end of each show? Why isn’t he asking Obama about his smoking? I’d say because he wants it not to exist.

      This country depends on tobacco revenue and on tobacco related taxes. If you’re a smoker, you’re stupid and are going to kill yourself, yet somehow you are also helping to alleviate the deficits of many states.

      All these pundits trying to tell me that Herman Cain is unelectable just makes me want to vote for him more. If Cain were so unelectable, we would SEE it ourselves. Maybe the news media should try something crazy like REPORTING the news and not editorializing on it.

    • Erica, on October 30, 2011 at 10:26 pm said:

      I am confused. Obama smokes and no-one ever grilled him about it. So are Bob Schieffer and the rest of the media trying to say that if Obama does it, it’s okay, but if Cain’s manager does it on an ad, then that’s really, really wrong? Why can’t these guys get their message straight? They give me a headache trying to keep up.

      • Mary, on October 31, 2011 at 6:05 am said:

        Confusing, isn’t it? :)

        Bottom line: Bob Schieffer and the rest of the media–including Politico—are protecting Obama however they can. They know they’re inconsistent in their pettiness; they just don’t care.

    • bandit08, on October 31, 2011 at 6:48 am said:

      BOB SCHIEFFER doing his job for the Obama re-election committee

  7. kc, on October 30, 2011 at 9:19 pm said:

    maybe he should have Obama tell people that it’ not cool to smoke.

  8. DandyTiger, on October 30, 2011 at 9:25 pm said:

    Obama makes me “uncomfortable”, can I sue?

  9. kc, on October 30, 2011 at 9:36 pm said:

    ask for a settlement.

    This is all so predictable, isn’t it. Remember, Obama likes to take the competition out before the game starts.

    • Mary, on October 31, 2011 at 4:15 am said:

      And he plays dirty. There IS no low that is too low for Barak Obama to go, to win. We all know that.

  10. myiq2xu, on October 30, 2011 at 10:03 pm said:

    The sad part is there was no way for Cain to avoid this once Politico fired the first shot. Admit, deny, stonewall, counter-attack – the media smells blood and they won’t stop until they get some.

    Now we just have to see how it plays out.

  11. myiq2xu, on October 30, 2011 at 10:07 pm said:

    Can someone give me an example?

    There were also descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual but that made women who experienced or witnessed them uncomfortable and that they regarded as improper in a professional relationship.

    If it’s not overtly sexual why would it make them uncomfortable?

  12. lurker, on October 30, 2011 at 10:08 pm said:

    OT: Is this real or some kind of trick to get Obama re-elected?
    http://www.americanselect.org/about

  13. Lulu, on October 31, 2011 at 3:19 am said:

    Herman Cain is very attractive especially to women of a certain age. Like me. He is very masculine while being intelligent and charming. He is pretty much the opposite of Obama physically, mentally and in personality. So what does the Obama PR machine do? They take one of his innate strengths and turn it into a negative. And I will go even further and say that because Cain is a dark skinned black they will try to smear him with this as somehow scary while Obama a light skinned person of color isn’t. While inherently racist it really shows the class divides that this administration has at the core of its lizard brain. Cain is a low class black from the South, Obama is a high class black from Harvard. These are sick puppies in the White House.

  14. Feeding Frenzy « The Crawdad Hole, on October 31, 2011 at 3:24 am said:

    [...] Comments 1539days on Let the games begin!Jadzia on Let the games begin!DandyTiger on Let the games begin!Lola-at-Large on Let the [...]

  15. yttik, on October 31, 2011 at 9:27 am said:

    “There were also descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual…”

    What does that mean?? Seriously, I can’t think of any non sexual, physical gestures that would make a woman uncomfortable? Belching? Twirling your finger to imply somebody is crazy? What? My imagination is failing me.

  16. gxm17, on October 31, 2011 at 10:43 am said:

    Oh gawd but I don’t want to have to sit through another year of ObamaNation’s dirty tricks and magic pony show. It sucked the first time around, but they’re gonna try to beat that dead pony to life again. Somebody call the Humane Society. Please!

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