“I have never sexually harassed anyone, but yes, I was falsely accused while I was at the National Restaurant Association,” he said.
He added that he does not know that a settlement was paid out against the two complainants, and said “If more allegations come, I assure you that people will simply make them up.”
“The only other allegations will be trumped up allegations,” he said.
Simple and direct. If he’s telling the truth that should snuff out the fire. If he’s lying, get ready for the other shoe to drop.
The Crawdad Hole 
Somebody’s going to offer a million dollars for those ladies to come forward 😉
Bill Clinton had his lady issues going into ’92, but I voted for him anyway. He was just so darn likable ….
Honk, honk!! 🙂
OMG, next thing we’ll hear, he might have had consenting sex once. Burn the witch. Or is that warlock.
Give ’em the old Razzle Dazzle:
we’re just not going to get into the details….
Yeah, that’s what I thought… you have no details.
Unless someone comes forth with specifics, this is a big fat notingburger.
Now, if someone does come forth with specifics and it passes the smell test, then I reserve the right to reassess.
Let’s see, if a woman agrees to go to a man’s hotel room she’s not agreeing to sex, but if a man asks a woman to his hotel room he is making a sexual advance?
To me, this could be the most damaging charge, and it NEEDS to be substantiated if true, he’s been married 43 years, and although I’m no judge, it would damage his ‘character’.
I took that comment as a throw away, and someone should be pressing Jonathon HARD as to what he means, what proof (statement) does he have or is that just his own speculation….?
Clarification:
I could care less if he’s having Hot-Asian-Swingers-Orgies – so long as he gets me back my Dem Party, oh yeah, and does a better job than Obama…
but, many of his supporters will feel betrayed if he has not been faithful to his wife.
…and by ‘getting back my Dem Party’ – I mean DESTROYING the current one.
There – I’m done…
A lady would graciously decline the room invite and agree to meet in the lobby bar. There, wasn’t that easy?
BUT, if he said come to my sexy time room or I’ll fire you, BAD ! She had a right to file a complaint.
Under what circumstances was she asked to his room? I know that Cain had a history of being very chummy with his employees. He used to buy them lunch, know ALL their names, etc. Was he in the habit of using his own room/suite as an impromptu private meeting place to sound them out about stuff, etc, while at “away” conferences? Had he routinely done this with both male and female employees? If so, it might have been a dumb thing to do, but not necessarily a sexual advance at all.
*shrug* He could turn out to be a horndog, but so far all I’m seeing is innuendo and “uncomfortableness” about situations or actions that could well have been not sexual at all.
Also – men of his generation simply did not see good-natured flirting as a bad thing, even men who were quite faithful to their wives. I had several bosses who flirted with me in a joking way. None of them made me feel oppressed or uncomfortable. One did once – and he was the one who was furtive about his compliments, etc. I cold-shouldered him and gave him the evil eye and a nasty comeback a couple of times, and he stopped. The others did it openly, not in a secretive way, and I flirted right back. It was funny precisely because we both knew it was a mild joke and an icebreaker and idle fun in a boring office – not serious. Nothing to hide.
I had one 70 year old doc used to ask me in the hall “Have you told your husband yet you are running away with me?” He’d say it in front of his WIFE. And she’d laugh and roll her eyes. They adored each other. I was about 35. I’d counter with: “My husband says your last offer to give me up was too cheap. We’d need a few more million at least.” One of the other nurses would offer to fight me for him. His wife would wave her hand and say “I’m not paying his bus fare home when y’all get tired of him. He’s a pain in the ass.” It was a standing joke around the office. He was just that kind of twinkly-eyed old codger. I guess I should have filed a lawsuit. Except we all loved the old guy. Great boss, great doc.
That was pretty good.
How do you make such a serious character asassination and not be able to give details ?
Unfortunately, if these ladies are publicly revealed, then their characters will be attacked by the right.
Lose-lose situation, thank you Politico 😦
At this point it’s pretty much “when” not “if.”
“Simple and direct.”
I was soooo hoping for a greatest speech evah.
Can we have a name game, for the title of the greatest speech evah on wimminizin’?
Here, I’ll start:
– ‘Sweetie’ and other sweet nothings to call professional associates.
– Being likable enough.
– How to flip a woman off without paying a settlement (creative itch scratching)
– Pig-Lipstick is a real product.
– The ‘Primary’ reason wimmin’ cry
– MenFolk ARE controllable…. so sayeth Michelle, so sayeth we all.
FTR, the women can’t come forward without having to repay the settlement, if the terms were described correctly. That’s what makes this such a creepy story. Politico knows that no one will actually be able to fact check them. And Denise is right, even if they did come forward, the press would tear them apart.
I’ll say this, the left knows exactly how to exploit gender issues and push hotbuttons for certain groups. I’d be happy to hear from the women themselves, but I’m guessing I won’t get to.
I would like to hear from them too, but as you pointed out, this is a Catch-22.
In my dreams, I’m hoping for the Cain handlers to air all the other “false accusations” made against other politicians, and asking for at least as much press exposure as this charge is getting – starting with Vera Baker and Larry SInclair, but that’s not gonna happen…..
I guess this story and OWS will distract us from Solyndra, Fast & Furious, and the attack in Kabul over the weekend.
If they were paid hush money, I’m sure the Obama and Romney campaigns would gladly pay them back 🙂
… confidentiality agreement or not, Cain knows he has to be truthful or it will be devastating…
To catch him in ‘the lie’ and scuttle his campaign, the media (Obama/Romney et al) would find a workaround the agreement (3rd party leak, corporate notes/memos, etc) to show he knew/knows more and is lying – if this stays static, he ends up looking maligned.
Sorry – I meant this to next under Lola’s comment….
They have to give us more than anonymous sources and undisclosed details. Without accurate info, it’s just rumor and innuendo
Hmmmm, it seems odd that if there was a settlement, nobody on the board knew about it? I don’t know how the Restaurant Association works, but usually if you’re going to settle with somebody you have to notify the board and the CEO.
“Ron Magruder, Denise Marie Fugo and Joseph Fassler, the chairman, vice chairwoman and immediate past chairman of the National Restaurant Association board of directors at the time of Cain’s departure, said they hadn’t heard about any complaints regarding Cain making unwanted advances.
“I have never heard that. It would be news to me,” said Fugo, who runs a Cleveland, Ohio, catering company, adding such behavior would be totally out of character for the Cain she knew. “He’s very gracious.”
Fassler, who helped bring Cain on board as CEO of the restaurant association, said any inappropriate behavior was not brought to his attention and that he would be upset to learn it had gone on and he was not made aware of it.
“That’s a shock to me,” Fassler said. “As an officer during all of Herman’s years there as a paid executive … none of that stuff ever surfaced to me. Nobody ever called me, complained about this, nor did I ever hear that from Peter Kilgore, nor did I ever hear that from Herman Cain.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67194_Page4.html#ixzz1cNnjG1GD
I really hope this is not true. Mr Cain seems to be a smart, honorable man. That is something that is really needed right now in this country.
While working I have seen loony tunes women set up situations to try to sue and get money when they were in danger of losing their jobs due to not doing the work. Thank God there are only a very few but they are out there.
Knowing that I will give Mr Cain the benefit of a doubt until proven otherwise.
do you think part of the reason for this breaking now, in addition to taking the eye off
fast and furious
soylandra
and many other things
this little tidbit. change in the FOIA. allowing backtrack and bunch to lie.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2011/10/foia-obama-wants-license-lie
these are people who worked with Mr Cain for years and they say NO WAY. this is just not who he is
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/former-cain-staffers-harassment-allegations-unbelievable_604253.html?nopager=1
this might be why backtrack and bunch and even Romney might be afraid of Mr Cain.
his business history and employee interaction
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/10/herman-cain-at-pillsbury.php
Wonderful article Helen, thanks! He seems to have a gift of understanding for the business world. Which we really need.
Funny, he never seemed to vote present because of a tough decision 😉
Honk, 🙂
Cain beats Perry in Texas
http://theulstermanreport.com/2011/10/31/oh-my-cain-beating-perry-in-texas/