Posted on 11/02/2011 11:00:59 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
So far, neither of the two alleged complainants from Herman Cain’s tenure at the National Restaurant Association have come forward publicly, although it appears at least one would like NRA to release her from her confidentiality agreement to do so. However, a pollster who worked for NRA at the time told KTOK in Oklahoma that he witnessed both incidents — and that if the women talk, Cain’s candidacy would be over:
Interviewed today on KTOK’s Mullins in the Morning, [Chris] Wilson, of Wilson-Perkins-Allen Opinion Research headquartered in Washington, D.C. explained he was a witness to the incident. “I was the pollster at the National Restaurant Association when Herman Cain was head of it and I was around a couple of times when this happened and anyone who was involved with the NRA at the time, knew that this was gonna come up.”
Wilson described the woman as a low level staffer who was maybe two years out of college. “This occurred at a restaurant in Crystal City (Virginia) and everybody was aware of it,” he continued. “It was only a matter of time because so many people were aware of what took place, so many people were aware of her situation, the fact she left—everybody knew with the campaign that this would eventually come up.”
Wilson claims that he also can’t discuss the specifics, for legal reasons. I’m not quite clear as to what that might be. He may have signed a broad non-disclosure agreement with NRA to get the polling work, but if that’s the case, he just violated it with this statement today. Unless he also participated in the settlement/severance agreements with the women, he’s as free to discuss the details as the fact that he witnessed them. And it’s difficult to see how Wilson would have been involved in a settlement between NRA and the two employees.
However, Wilson isn’t only linked to NRA and Cain from years gone by. His firm has conducted polling in this presidential race for the Make Us Great Again PAC. And guess which candidate is favored by MUGA-PAC? Why, none other than … Rick Perry. The PAC has no formal connection to Perry’s campaign, but it’s certainly boosting Perry as the Republican nominee in the primary.
Could Wilson be more than just a witness in this story? Could he be a source? It could just be a coincidence that a witness to these alleged incidents did work for an organization pushing Perry, and that the story mysteriously got to Politico as Cain took support away from Perry in mid-October. If he is the source, then conducting an interview on the topic has to be one of the dumber political moves I’ve seen.
Update: Some are saying that this indicates Romney as the source of the leak, but I’m not terribly convinced that a one-time donation means much. Romney has less to fear with Cain as his main opponent than others in the race, and besides, no one knows whether Anderson ever knew about the incidents at all. Other board members say they didn’t. YMMV, however.
My problem is that I always respond in a situation like that...lol
But I'm not married or running a large corp, or running for Prez.
That being said, the NRA did the right thing.
Unfortunately anyone can make any claim, file any frivolous lawsuit, and many do it to make money or out of spite as in your hypothetical example.
Knowing that deep pockets will settle to make them go away.
His amateur status is what lots of us like about him. Since you can read the future, what are the lottery numbers going to be tonight??
Pray for America
DeMint. Sure wish he was in the mix.
It just came out that there is a third woman making accusations, and Cain refuses to speak about it.
You are working with the opposition to prolong the intrigue, aren’t you? Pretty sick! We are so fortunate to have a man like Herman Cain willing to give his all to serve the country he loves. Sometimes, in view of what unethical people will do for gain, I am ashamed to be an American. However, it seems the sleeping giant of the American people are waking up to these shenanigans of the Left, so maybe there is hope for the country after all.
Oh give me a break, Paper.
That could only have been written to me by someone that is ashamed to be an American.
Sad.
Subsequent to that campaign, I come to view Bruce Herschensohn as the man who set the standard for GOP swan dives. I’ve heard him deliver the quintessential senatorial denial with aplomb: When suspecting that you’re laying the ground for a larger discussion for which he does not wish to engage, he’ll snatch onto some factoid and cut the conversation short.
For instance:
John Doe: “As you know, the sun rises in the East. And....”
BH: “Oh really? That’s very interesting. Please send a letter to my staff so we can review it. Thank you very much.”
He’s very good at it. Passes over the head of most third parties, but the person on the receiving end knows he’s been dismissed with prejudice. Typical of SKUNC behavior towards all conservatives.
this is over the top.
i will not vote for perry if he is the candidate.
Soon we’ll have more witnesses to the alleged event than Cain ever met or was around in his life. Where were all these self rightous people when Cain first threw his hat in the ring?
Hi Syncro:)
Exactly! So who would benefit more from the harrassment charges?
A settlement disguised as a separation package.
This was done for plausible deniability.
Call it what you like, most people can see the reality of the situation.
Now is looks like that dummy- Perry- may be behind this.
That would explain his giddy, drunk like behavior at a speech a couple of days ago.
This was mutually assured destruction of both candidates.
Newt is the only one left.
You do realize there are only vague accusations at this point don’t you? And that some sources have also called her “settlement” a severance package don’t you (a bit different there). Or that the woman’s lawyer (who found this whole thing so significant he didn’t even remember it) said she wants to talk except she needs to be released from the agreement while SHE says she doesn’t really want to talk. Oh and the person who says he SAW it happen (and who the heck is going to do it in a room full of people...albeit all of them blind except for this guy because no one else saw it) says he can’t talk but why not? He worked for a polling firm. He had nothing to do with the lawsuit. He can talk. If he has some evidence he should bring it out in the open. Rumors have destroyed good people who’ve done nothing. Did Cain ever play LaCrosse at Duke.
Cindie
I don’t think you looked at the post I responded to.
I support Cain, and I also think that the “charges” are bogus. Every front runner except Romney has been and will be smeared.
You do realize there have been many NAMED (read the original Politico story...it’s way at the bottom where facts usually end up on an LSM story) people who say they never saw anything and he treated everyone equally. This guy is under NO obligation to shut up...if he was he already violated it so as well say everything he knows. There’s no paper trail evidently since it was done by phone/fax. How about, instead of accusing the candidate, expect the media to do a complete story. This has hatchet job all over it.
Cindie
Who gives a rat’s behind about this story anyway? It’s all done to bring Cain down and some on here are just as gullible as the drones on the left. It’s a non issue - just ask Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, John Edwards, or any Democrat - it has nothing to do with his ability to govern. It’s a smear tactic, nothing more, nothing less. Todd Palin was accused of having sex with a prostitute and some believed that.
Gosh, why belong to FR if you believe all the crap you hear in the media? Politico reported this - now let them fill in the details. They won’t because they don’t have them. And, Cain may not be privy to some of the settlement issues involved either.
Can we talk about the communists ruining our beloved country? The economy, joblessness, government take over of everything, class warfare? No, we have to discuss a non issue that supposedly happened over 12 years ago.
This is pitiful and petty.
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