Cain Spokesman: ‘Smear Campaign Meant to Discredit a True Patriot’
UPDATE: Former Campaign Aide Says Cain’s Behavior ‘Never Even Bordered on Inappropriate in the Slightest’

Posted on | October 30, 2011 | 140 Comments

You have to read pretty far down into the Politico story before you find that response from Herman Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon, and the article sticks all the exculpatory material at the end:

Ron Magruder, Denise Marie Fugo and Joseph Fassler, the chair, vice chair 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 that 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.”
Fassler — who ran a Phoenix food-service company and finished his term as chairman the month before Cain’s June 1999 departure but remained on the board’s executive committee — described Cain as treating men and women identically and asserted it was “not within his character” to make unwanted advances. “It’s not what I know of him,” Fassler said.
Much like Fassler, almost all board members remember Cain fondly and say he left on good terms.
Cain was “extremely professional” and “fair” to female staffers at the restaurant association, recalled Lee Ellen Hayes, who said she “worked fairly closely with” Cain in the late 1990s, when she was an executive at the National Restaurant Association Education Fund, a Chicago-based offshoot of the group.
Cain’s treatment of women was “the same as his treatment of men. Herman treated everyone great,” said Mary Ann Cricchio, who was elected to the board of the restaurant group in 1998. She said Cain left such a good impression on the organization that when he spoke at a group event in January of this year, as he was considering a presidential bid, “he had unanimous support in the room.”

We know nothing about the accusers and the specifics of the accusations from a dozen years ago are reported rather vaguely by Politico: “episodes that left the women upset and offended” and “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.”

All in all, it’s a long run for a short slide. Unless and until we have some specifics — including names, dates and places — my instinct is to agree with Gordon that this is “part of a smear campaign.”

Why are Cain’s enemies firing the thermonuclear component of their oppo-research arsenal so early? Generally speaking in such matters, you save your big stuff for later in the campaign.

UPDATE: A commenter reminds us of the Inept Elevator Nerd incident, which prompted Rebecca Watson to lecture her fellow atheists about how it “creeps me out and makes me uncomfortable when men sexualize me in that manner.” The basic problem is that, absent a court proceeding, “harassment” is an accusation impossible to refute. And if you can get tens of thousands of dollars in “go-away” money by making such an accusation, hell, why not?

UPDATE II: A female Republican operative who worked on Herman Cain’s 2004 Georgia Senate campaign scoffs at the accusations against him. “I don’t believe story that Cain behaved inappropriately,” wrote the woman, who uses the Twitter handle @KarolNYC. “He never even bordered on inappropriate in the slightest,” she Tweeted, and added that she “just can’t believe there’s anything to the charges.”

Cain’s supporters are furious and there is widespread suspicion that the Politico story was the result of opposition-research by Cain’s GOP rivals.

UPDATE III: Linked by Andrea Shea King, The Lonely Conservative, Maggie’s Notebook and Fire Andrea Mitchell — thanks!

Many women who know Cain are prepared to vouch for his character.

UPDATE IV: J.D. Gordon’s call-in to Geraldo didn’t go well:

UPDATE V: Thanks to the commenter who pointed out that on Friday, the Arizona state coordinator for the Rick Perry campaign Tweeted this:

This is (a) intriguing, but (b) not actually proof that the Perry campaign was dishing “oppo” on Cain. It so happens that I spoke by phone with Mrs. Bolick last year during a visit to Arizona with my blog buddy Barbara Espinosa. Mrs. Bolick is a nice lady, but we are left to wonder where she he might have heard about this “not pretty” opposition research.

UPDATE VI (Smitty): Linked by Ed Driscoll. Does it count as ‘First Blood’, though?

UPDATE VII (Smitty): More thoughts at ResCon1.

Category: Election 2012, Herman Cain

Comments

140 Responses to “Cain Spokesman: ‘Smear Campaign Meant to Discredit a True Patriot’
UPDATE: Former Campaign Aide Says Cain’s Behavior ‘Never Even Bordered on Inappropriate in the Slightest’”

Dianna Deeley
October 30th, 2011 @ 10:43 pm

I’m still trying to figure out what physical gesture that was not explicitly sexual would make me uncomfortable. I may be oblivious – that’s more than possible, but, despite valiant cudgeling of my brain, I cannot come up with any gesture that qualifies.
ThePaganTemple
October 30th, 2011 @ 10:46 pm

One explanation as to why so early could be because its coming from inside the camp of one of his Republican primary opponents. I smell the Perry camp for some strange reason, but I wouldn’t put it past the more overzealous supporters of any of them. Or, if its from the Democrats, it could be because they know there’s nothing to it, but it might serve to derail Cain’s campaign, the implication being they would rather face Romney or Perry than Cain.
Info
October 30th, 2011 @ 10:53 pm

These accusations, at least as presented by Politico, do not even appear to rise to the level of the Inept Elevator Nerd’s crimes against feminism.
Herman Cain’s campaign accuses left-wing Politico of unsubstantiated personal attacks : Fire Andrea Mitchell!
October 30th, 2011 @ 10:53 pm

[…] (or his crack addiction in his college days). Then it was Politico’s turn to smear Cain. Digging back nearly 20 years for “two anonymous sources” Politico’s ‘exclusive’ story claims that two […]
Info
October 30th, 2011 @ 10:56 pm

I suspect it’s similar to “unwanted comments”, which usually means no more than that the person making said comments bore no resemblance to George Clooney.
Anonymous
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:04 pm

I head Juan Williams opine that HC isn’t even on the SD’s radar yet and couldn’t be responsible as they haven’t started their oppo-research on Cain yet. Of course this ignores that the Winston Smith Media is the SDs oppo-research. This is the same old unattributed third party smear that’s becoming the lefty presses’ stock in trade.
Politico: Herman Cain was Accused of Harassment in the 1990s | The Lonely Conservative
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:04 pm

[…] anything. Is this why only professional politicians ever reach the highest office anymore?Update 4: The Other McCain points out that all of the exculpatory material was stuck at the end of the Politico piece, and […]
John LaRosa
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:07 pm

I’m thinking this hit piece originated in Texas and was fed to Politico by someone who (mistakenly) thought he or his candidate would benefit from such a story. The question is this:

Was the culprit wearing a cowboy hat or a tin foil hat?
Anonymous
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:08 pm

“Inept Elevator Nerd’s crimes against feminism.”

Heh. I’d forgotten about that.
Dell Hill
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:10 pm

Why do I get the distinct impression that this obvious hit piece could be traced back to one James Carville?
Anonymous
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:10 pm

And you probably wont settlements like this usually have confidentiality clauses. It sounds like pretty small potatoes and HC might have only been vaguely aware of it.
Joe
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:12 pm

My guess…nothing. It seems that someone wants Cain out. Now. It could be rumors from our side (so to speak) as well as the left.
Anonymous
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:14 pm

Perry’s AZ coordinator was bragging on twitter 3 or 4 nights ago about the oppo they had on Cain that would knock him out of the race …I dont doubt for a second this is from Perry
Joe
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:14 pm

Actually the Dems are not that bright. They truly think Cain is weaker than Romney or Perry (see there is not that much difference between Establishment Republicans and Democrats).

I suspect an over zealous supporter of Perry or Romney. My gut says Perry, but I would not put it past Team Romney to try something like this.
Scottie1321
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:19 pm

Definitly. Very few Cain supporters pick Perry as their second choice.
Huey
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:19 pm

Yeppers. I think it would benefit Romney – maybe make some Cain voters go to some other “not Romney” camp – further splitting the “not Romney” vote.
Anonymous
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:20 pm

I had too, it might interest you that when one googles “Inept Elevator Nerd’s crimes against feminism.” “Stirring the Feminist Cauldron” is the second entry.
Christy Waters
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:20 pm

Maybe a foil-wrapped cowboy hat.
Rebecca Watson
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:22 pm

I have not forgotten. I am forever scarred by that experience.

Mainly because no one else has made a pass at me since.
Carol Iwanski
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:29 pm

You could be pretty close on the supporter wearing a tin foil hat John.
Herman Cain: The Anita Hills Crawl Out of the Woodwork – Cain Charged with Sexually Suggestive Behavior | Maggie's Notebook
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:41 pm

[…] Stacy at The Other McCain has been along for the ride with Herman Cain several times, and has some t… […]
BradMarston
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:42 pm

I don’t think Jim Messina or Matt Rhoades perceive Herman Cain as a threat. I think Rob Johnson does. If I had to guess where this is coming from that would be my bet.
richard mcenroe
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:45 pm

This ain’t a dem hit. They would have had a friendly judge unseal the records, a la Jack Ryan.

Nope. Perry or Romney.
John LaRosa
October 30th, 2011 @ 11:57 pm

Casey–If you can dig up the tweet, post it here. Stacy has been known to update his posts.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:02 am

This has SCOAMF written all over it. I mean really, does anyone think that pulling an Anita Hill on Herman Cain would do anything but solidify his support? Heck, a lot of conservatives would have been suspicious if something like this hadn’t been tried!
Brendon Carr
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:03 am

A pat on the back which made too much contact with the bra strap?

Once, in ill-timed queue jumping, we ended up with the back of my secretary’s hand all up in my junk. But that made me uncomfortable.
AngelaTC
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:04 am

The Geraldo interview with JD was brutal. I hope they’re brainstorming on a better response.
Robert Ferris
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:08 am

Perry has shown no shyness about attacking opponents openly. If I were going to put money on it, I would easily bet on Romney.
Edward
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:17 am

“episodes that left the women upset and offended” and “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.”

Well in one personal case it involved my opening, and holding open, a door for a female colleague. Who then took the opportunity to harangue me right then and there about it. And who then later on bitched at me for not holding open the same door when there was a downpour of summer rain that was a close cousin of a monsoon.

Frankly these weasel words are so incredibly vague it could literally be anything.
Edward
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:19 am

Either way, to paraphrase an old Texas saying, we’re talking about someone who is all asshat and no cattle.
richard mcenroe
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:22 am

Likewise. I’d love to read it.
Adjoran
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:23 am

Oh, come on! Don’t stick your hand in the crazy!

This anonymous smear comes from Politico, a pro-Obama leftist propaganda machine. Every single “allegation” is completely vague and leaves plenty of wiggle room against being sued. It’s typical leftist tactics from a typical leftist source.

If someone on our side were the source, Politico is the last place they would trust with it – for good reason, because the hacks would burn their source at the most critical future moment.

Sure, it’s possible – but so is the story being spelled out on Ben Smith’s car in bird droppings. Neither are very plausible, and neither is the story.
Adjoran
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:26 am

Again, more conspiracy theories about OUR guys when a hit piece comes from a place so far behind enemy lines as to stagger the imagination.

Evidence, please, that it’s not a typical sourceless leftist smear like Anita Hill – who refused to testify under oath until her name was leaked and she was stuck with the story.
Adjoran
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:28 am

Exactly. Politico isn’t friendly enough to any of our guys to be trusted with it. And it is typical leftist MO.

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:29 am

From Romney’s point of view Perry is THE threat surely he’s got to know that when one of the other candidates goes down their supporters go to one of the others not Romney. It almost appears as if Romney is only pretending to woo the other candidates supporters.
Adjoran
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:31 am

How is all this baseless smearing of Romney, Perry, and/or unnamed “Republicans” any different than the anonymous hit piece on Cain by Politico?

Evidence, please – unless you are saying that’s the sort of campaign YOU want to run and think is appropriate, in which case why whine about Politico when you are doing the same thing?
Adjoran
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:35 am

People have been “accused of harassment” for keeping a picture of their
wife in a bikini on their desk in their private office facing their
chair.

Unnamed sources from Politico, a known leftist propaganda
organ whose principals were all involved in the Journ-O-List conspiracy
to “manage” and “massage” the news to fit the liberal Narrative, don’t
mean much. Put someone with a name on it when you make serious
allegations if you are a serious journalist. Politico doesn’t because
they aren’t journalists in any meaningful sense.
UPDATE: They couldn’t find anything on Cain… « The Radio Patriot
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:38 am

[…] Well it only took 48 hours to bring out the dancing girls. What’s next? Pubic hair on a Coke can. Oh wait… they did that to the last Black […]
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:39 am

Not if they’d appear to be nonsense in the first place. The contents of Ryan’s unsealed divorce papers was the kind of stuff that disqualified him in even the more socially liberal types of Republicans. For all we know Cain just called the wrong dingbat “darlin” or some such.
Robert Ferris
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:44 am

We aren’t posing as legitimate news sources. We are simply exercising our first amendment rights. It’s not even close to the same thing. In the world of politics, someone accuses you of something, you deny it if it’s not true (as Herman Cain has done.) Let Romney and Perry deny they leaked it.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:45 am

As you and I are the only two people who watched it, I doubt it. It’s possible that Cain doesn’t know all the details and is barred from commenting on what he did know. If I understand correctly HC didn’t wasn’t the directly the plaintiffs target but rather the National Restaurant Association and it is they who reached a settlement not Cain.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:51 am

And when you get hit in the nuts, think it’s one of the people you’re in a cage match with now, not the person you hope to be in a cage match with six months from now.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:54 am

Wouldn’t Redstate be the more logical outlet to hawk this to?
MrPaulRevere
October 31st, 2011 @ 12:59 am

I think I found it, maybe. In any event its a fascinating twitter feed full of hateful gossip, which Saint Paul urged all Christian to avoid: http://twitter.com/#!/slmbolick/status/129770632018788352
Marie Culbreth
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:02 am

This is too much like the hit against Clarence Thomas. They can’t play the race card, so they throw down the “sex-crazed black man” card. Anita Hill is doing quite well, now, BTW. Also, very reminiscent of what was done to Sarah Palin. Cain is getting too “real” looking, so out come the long knives.

It will probably backfire, making him look like an even STRONGER candidate; sounds like he has boatloads of character references and “witnesses” to refute this one. So far, at least, that is how it appears.

Don’t fall for it. Whether it came from Romney or Perry, or from the Democrat party Alinsky lemmings, doesn’t matter. Not that I think Bachmann herself would pull this, but there are too many working for her on her campaign staff who would stoop this low – and she is the only other authentic TEA Party candidate…….but I doubt she would allow this.

Someone is afraid. Very VERY afraid.

IMHO, if it coming from the Republican side, and if it can be determined WHICH candidate started this, then that candidate is finished.

This is exactly what people are sick of from politics; it will destroy the candidacy of anyone who “leaked” this, if it’s from inside the Republican camp.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:05 am

Ask and you shall receive (Note…this is the direct tweet link, but when I click, says “not authorized to view this tweet”)…if that happens, its under @slmbolick on 10/28

http://twitter.com/#!/slmbolick/status/129770632018788352
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:08 am

And yet strangely excited perhaps? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Brendon Carr
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:09 am

No, mostly creeped out. And a little leery of the possibly-forthcoming complaint.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:12 am

“Wouldn’t Redstate be the more logical outlet to hawk this to?”

Not if you want plausible deniability.

It just doesn’t strike me as something the Dems would be interested in.

Let’s think about this:

Obama is probably assuming he’ll be up against Romney, and is probably OK with that.

But if he sat down and asked himself who he’d really prefer to run against, it would probably be a coin flip between Palin and Cain, because there would only be one debate, and that would be such a bloody fucking massacre that the GOP nominee would just go into hiding until after the first Tuesday in November, leaving Obama free for some autumn golf and maybe a weekend or two at Martha’s Vineyard instead of going through the motions of a campaign.
Anonymous
October 31st, 2011 @ 1:20 am

I’ll bet if a female reporter tries to ask Obama about this, the first thing she’ll get is “hold on, sweetie.”