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.
In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints.
Geez Herm, just as you were going neck and neck in the polls with Mitt Romney, the GOP's preferred candidate of choice, someone somewhere threw a curveball that dinged you straight in the chest. Now we all have to see if you manage to get up or if your hopes for the GOP nomination will fall dead from Sudden Campaign Failure. I guess the previous Planned Parenthood flub wasn't enough to knock you off your campaign hustle.
Behold the Cain Train's reaction to the above allegations:
“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,” J.D. Gordon said in an e-mail message Sunday night. “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.”
Translation?
Yep. Sums it up just about.
To be honest, I was hoping the Cain Train would have enough steam to chug on until Super Tuesday, for laughs. And I also wanted him to grab the GOP nomination, so I could see the following happen:
- The GOP establishment being forced to get behind a Teabagger's candidate, thus validating the Tea Party and its assorted shenanigans.
- Deep South crackers coming to grips with either backing a black GOP candidate or staying at home and allowing a black Democrat president to remain in office.
- The GOP failing miserably at its gamble to "fight fire with fire," being left to wonder how come they couldn't at least split the black vote with Cain as a candidate. "Gee, I thought those blacks always supported blacks no matter what." (And for further evidence to the contrary, see Artur Davis.)
Either way, even with Mittens being pushed onto the stage while Cain gets yanked offstage with a shepherd's crook, the GOP still stands a huge chance of losing in 2012. I think I need another refill of this here popcorn...
