The End of the Cain Train

Herman Cain suspended his campaign yesterday afternoon in Atlanta.  It was the strangest end to a campaign that anyone has ever seen.  It was a brand spanking new office that the press conference was held at.  It is said that staff and volunteers were working until the wee hours of the morning getting the office ready, it seems he kept his cards close to his vest and virtually no one in his campaign knew this was his decision.  There were people outside collecting donations for the campaign just before the announcement.  


As my regular readers know, I was a big Cain fan from early on.  Many didn't even know his name when I jumped on the Cain train.  He lost his luster for me once it became apparent that he was not qualified for the position.  He has many good attributes, but the ability to be in the big seat was just no one of them.  His lack of knowledge in foreign policy was so apparent that it became downright embarrassing.  He gave the appearance of not understanding even the most basic of issues; such as right of return.  That is Mid East Peace 101.  


Then all of these accusations of sexual impropriety came to light.  Two settlements on harassment charges while working at The National Restaurant Association, a charge of sexual assault, and a long-term affair.  The settlements on harassment don't necessarily mean anything.  The sexual harassment laws are written so vaguely that many companies get caught in their web.  Sadly, many people are overly sensitive and are more than willing to file a suit that isn't truly harassment.  The woman who made the assault charge with Gloria Allred in  tow is totally unbelievable.  While she never uses the word assault, that is what she described.  As a woman I find her story insulting.  When a man is trying to assault your reaction to him is not "I have a boyfriend".  Your reaction is get me out of this car and away from this man.  She was in the middle of downtown D.C..  She could have easily found a taxi to take her back to her hotel.  Speaking of her hotel, she didn't think anything when he upgraded her to a suite?  That would have been a big red flag and make you not want to get in a car alone with him.  You would want to meet in a public place.  As far as the Ginger Rodgers story, the only two people who truly know what exactly what their relationship entailed is them.  The fact that he gave her money that his wife didn't know about gives the illusion that something was not right about that relationship.  But, since we don't know how the Cain's handle money issues, we can't be sure of that.  But, as I said, it gives people pause.  


There are some who firmly believe that Mr. Cain never really expected to be taken seriously and was in it to raise his own profile and sell books.  I am not willing to go that far.  I think he truly wants to see this country change course.  The problem is he should have known that there was a chance that relationship and the money changing hands would come out, and put him in a negative light.  He came out with a bold plan about changing the tax code in this country.  He forced many other candidates to do the same.  No matter where you fall on Herman Cain's candidacy, conservatives owe him a debt of gratitude for tacking the debate to the right and getting people to have a serious discussion about it.  

Yes, Rush Went There

Because he didn't sexually harass anybody because she said stop, and he stopped; she said take me home, and he took her home.
I did notice that when we were listening to Bialek she said that she told him, "What are you doing, Mr. Cain, I don't want you to," and he stopped. She said no and that was it. No means no. . . . When Herman Cain drove the babe home she actually got there and is alive to talk about it. 

Now, I am not a listener of talk radio very often.  While I do sometimes get useful information, I personally feel it more entertainment than substance.  But, shortly after the press conference I was in a car with a friend who was working on a local campaign to re-elect a state delegate doing a get out the vote effort for yesterday's elections.  He happened to have it on.  I thought then that Rush went too far, but I didn't really get to hear the entire thing.  


Jill over at Pundit and Pundette didn't take to the Rush dialog on this any better than I have:

Well yes, it's true, no one's accusing him of abduction or murder. But that's what I'd call a pretty low bar. Would Rush have the same casual response if someone treated his wife like that?

 She asks the question:

What she is accusing Cain of is worse than that. I've been out of the dating scene for a while and I know things have changed, but have we really sunk so low that a guy sticking his hand up a woman's skirt and pushing her head down to his crotch is just making a romantic overture?

There are many things about Ms. Bialek's story that I find troubling.  There are things that just don't make sense to me.  One being that what she was describing is not harassment, but assault.  That was a criminal offense and she should have contacted the police.  Digging to see if she has financial gain to making these allegations, is she prodded along to make them, and if so, by whom?  Those are legitimate questions to ask. Her credibility then becomes questionable.  But, for people to talk about her sexual history is downright low and disgusting.  Bill Kurtis has basically publicly called her a whore:

And lot of people [at CBS] know her and she has a history. . . . There's a lot more to the story that is just developing.

One of the constant themes you hear from the right in regards to the media coverage of the accusations against Bill Clinton once he started running for president was that the media attacked the women instead of dealing with the allegations against President Clinton.  That is exactly what Rush just did.  He now no longer has the credibility to go after the press for not doing their jobs in regards to Clinton.  


I believe that the first women's motivations for making the accusation need to be examined.  Professor Jacobson over at Legal Insurrection has pointed out an article done the by the AP on one of accusers who seems to have a history of making harassment claims.  She went on to make another complaint at her next job, in fact.  In that complaint she was looking for a raise and a promotion.  Apparently, the claim was eventually dropped, but one can detect a pattern of behavior with her that makes her complaint against Cain much less credible.  


As a woman, I find it just more than a more disturbing that the first line of defense is to call the woman a whore and to dig into her sexual history.  In this day and age most women have a sexual history.  Some may be more sorted than others, but few women were pure as the driven snow on their wedding nights.  The right or wrong of that is up to your own particular morals.  But if only a virgin or a woman who was on her wedding night can be a victim of sexual harassment or assault, most women better start not leaving their homes without a guard, because it will open season on many of us.  


I have to hang my head in shame to see where Rush took this conversation.  His sexual innuendo with her last name and saying that since she is still alive to talk about it is way over the line of decency.  I am with Jill in asking if someone stuck his hand up his wife's skirt would he just be grateful that she isn't dead, and to heck with the gesture?  


As a person who honestly believes that the media went too far in going after the women who accused President Clinton in a personal, demeaning, and disgusting fashion, I am no more pleased the some on the right are doing exactly the same thing.  Investigate the claims and look into seeing if they are being driven by money or a sick attempt at 15 minutes of fame.  But leave the woman's sexual history out of it.  It is none of our business.  

The Latest Herman Cain Sexual Harassment Allegations

Today Sharon Bialek became the first woman to go on the record and formally accuse Herman Cain of being sexually inappropriate with her.  She story is very detailed.  Something that we didn't have in the past.  The Cain campaign has denied the charges as false and baseless.

Here are the issues with her story as I see it.

1. What is describing is assault, not harassment.  She says that since she didn't work for the National Restaurant Association she felt that had no claim.  That is simply untrue.  If her story is accurate, Cain asked for sex in order in return for a job.  That is exactly what quid pro quo sexual harassment is.  She would have been perfectly within her legal rights to file a claim of sexual harassment against Cain with the NRA.
2. She never reported this to the police.  Again, this was attempted rape at worst or assault at best, if her story is true.  Both of which are criminal offenses.
3. After Mr. Cain stopped after her refusal she wants people to believe that she got into a car with him.  Really?  That makes no sense whatsoever.  None.  As a women I can't imagine getting into a car alone with a man who just tried to my force my head into his crotch area so he could receive oral sex.  EVER.
4. She hired Gloria Allred, known publicity whore and tool for the left.  Just ask Meg Whitman.

The NRA has released a statement confirming her employment that falls within the time frame of her story.  One of the attorney's for one of the original accusers during his time at NRA has also made a statement saying that the accusations of Ms. Bialek are "similar" to that of what happened to his client.  Easy to say, since we have no idea what the accusations of the first two women are.  The Politico story originally said that one was a gesture that was not really of a sexual nature.  Whatever the heck that means.

I hope Ms. Bialek is ready for the firestorm that is going to come her way.  She will have people digging into her past.  Some will be doing it to prove her right, others will be doing it to prove her wrong.

If these charges are true, Herman Cain cannot be president. Character matters.  If these charges are not true shame on the people who have made them so public.  Because once this is all over with, where will Mr. Cain go to get his reputation back again?  People will now always know him as a sexual harasser, regardless of the truth.

Cross Posted at Pundit Press and PotLuck

And In Walks Gloria Allred

Not missing an opportunity to get her name in the papers, Gloria Allred will be holding a press conference this afternoon with another woman who claims she was sexually harassed by Herman Cain.  RadarOnline is reporting that this news conference will be held this afternoon in New York City.  


Allred, the women who has made a very good living representing such women as the porn star who was having an affair with Tiger Woods, who Allred contended deserved an apology.  Let's see the woman slept with a man she knew to be married, and was paid to have sex on camera.  Yeah, she sounded like a victim to me.  She was a paid whore and then got upset that was exactly how she treated.  


There are no available details on this woman that I could find.  So, we don't know how or where she knows Mr. Cain from.  But it would seem to me that if you wanted creditability, the last person you would go to would be publicity whore Gloria Allred.  Although, she successfully helped derail Meg Whitman's candidacy for governor of California with Nikki the lying maid.  Who admitted to committing fraud and still miraculously manages to stay in the country illegally. 


Cross posted at Pundit Press