Posted on 11/03/2011 8:28:07 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Justin Sink
November 3, 2011
Herman Cain said Forbes Magazine - and not his campaign - was responsible for the concluding that Rick Perry's campaign leaked the story of sexual harassment allegations during Cain's tenure as the president of the National Restaurant Association.
"A reporter did this research and came up with these facts, we didn't," Cain said Thursday on Sean Hannity's radio show. "That was the reporter that wrote the report for Forbes."
But despite adamant denials from the Perry camp, Cain said he still doesn't "see any other way this could have come out."
The Forbes article, headlined "Cain Says Perry Camp Behind Sex Harassment Leak," quoted the candidate as saying that he told former staffer Curt Anderson, now a consultant for the Perry campaign, about the allegations. But Cain is not quoted specifically accusing Anderson of being the leak.
The Cain campaign quickly seized on the article Wednesday night, seemingly validating Forbes' reporting that Cain was laying blame at Perry's feet.
"Rick Perry needs to apologize to Herman Cain, his family, and America for this despicable story," Cain's chief of staff Mark Block said Wednesday on Fox News.
Anderson has denied the accusations, saying in a statement: "I have great respect for Herman and his character and I would never speak ill of him, on the record or off the record."
He also told Fox News that any reporters he had ever spoken to about the Cain allegations were free to openly attribute those comments to him. In doing so, he opened up the door for Politico, who originally reported the allegations, to confirm him as the source. Politico has not done so, effectively eliminating Anderson as the source of the story.
Block said earlier Thursday that he would "accept" the claim by Anderson that he was not behind the story.
"Until we get all the facts, I'm just going to say that we accept what Mr. Anderson has said, and we want to move on with the campaign," Block said on Fox News.
But Cain seemed unconvinced, telling Hannity "there aren't enough breadcrumbs that leads us to any other place."
"I believe a lot of people are connecting the dots for themselves," Cain said. "I don't see any other way this could have come out."
Cain also said he's "almost certain" he told Anderson about the allegations.
"I am almost certain that I did. … This is why we want to get off this merry-go-round," Cain said.
Cain is doing a better job dragging himself down!
No, Forbes worked with Perry on the flat tax, Art Laffer and Steven Moore worked with Cain on 999.
I have no idea why Cain, or more specifically Bloch, felt the need to go there. Unless they have evidence Perry leaked the story, it was dumb.
Today, however, I began to wonder, why did Perry hire a former Cain guy anyway? Political operatives are a dime a dozen. Why this particular guy? Who just so happened to have worked for the candidate beginning to pull away from the pack in the polls? If for no other reason, that alone looks suspicious.
Meanwhile RP is coming just behind RP. It’s a paradox I tells ya.
Thanks, got that. I was mistaken earlier.
“It would appear you are still smarting from that night I caught you using your alter ego to post compliments to yourself.”
Might I humbly request a link? I’ve seen some strange stuff on FR, but that’s a new one.
I'm glad I'm not the only person to have noticed that. When Perry was on Hannity's show, Sean kept looking at Perry like he was interviewing a serial killer or something. Rush and Beck have gone overboard in defending poor Herman Cain from the "baseless allegations".
What I haven't heard any of them complain about is Cain's baseless allegations in accusing Perry and his camp of leaking this. When Perry and his people denied this - IT WAS INCUMBENT ON CAIN TO PRODUCE PROOF OF HIS SLANDEROUS SMEARS. Now Cain is trying to walk it back - but HE is the one that should apologize.
Perry and his employees have been much more gracious toward Cain than I could have been if someone had done that to me - but yet Sean, Rush and Beck never talk about that. It's all just 'poor, poor Herman'.
I had some respect for Cain before - but rushing to blame Perry - showed me a lot more about his character than any of these allegations (which I don't think are that serious - but his handling of this does not reflect favorably on him).
I agree with you 100 per cent.
The general opinion is that Mr. Cain is not a politician. That is true as far as elected office goes. But there are politics involved in big business. The man knows what he is doing.
I am glad you mentioned the fund raiser calls. I have had two robo Herman calls this week. It was confusing to me since our primary isn’t until March.
I could still vote for Mr. Cain at this point..or Gov. Perry. But neither are my first choice. And that could all change.
I don’t know. Sometimes the unanswered question make self reflection more powerful and lasting.
Check yer FReepmail.
Let’s take the high ground and keep our religious insults out of the discussion.
We have a difference now. There is only one.
Rick Perry was on with Hannity last night and he was great, but I sensed quite a lot of coldness from Hannity.
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Hannity is full on for Romney. Cain doesn’t speak against Romney and Cain serves a purpose for Hannity, too.
Hannity loves, loves, LOVES throwing the racist crap back in the democrats face for all their accusations of racism.
Cain is popular now and people who turned their nose up at Hannity before will think Hannity just vonerful for sticking up for Cain. Kinda like they fed off Palin’s popularity to help their ratings.
Coulter and Hannity will deal out that race card for Cain to snatch up and play, it helps them—Cain, not so much.
When it’s down to the wire and time to crown Romney, they will pick Cain’s bones for Romney...Coulter and Ingrams had a bitty fest over Palin not too long ago. Cain will get the same.
Cain has made many gaffes for them to add up and use last minute—so that they can suddenly be less than an enthusiastic supporters with a believable out. Excuses for when Cain isn’t as useful.
I could be dead wrong but this is my opinion and how I see it. I think Cain should beware dealing with them, don’t lap the milk and honey up to quick.
I don’t like Cain and won’t vote for him but I think some of those folks are snakes in the grass and nobody deserves that.
I suppose Cain could be OK with it all and would be happy to be Romney’s VP but it is starting to look like perhaps Bachmann. It will be one of the two, I think. I had thought Jeb as VP, not so much now.
Crayola politics—black VP against Obama or a woman VP for a GOP first (since the dems landed the first black president).
It’s not a slip up. It’s a clarification. I look for clarification because he is always subtly changing his story, and I assume the latest version is more accurate.
In this case, earlier he sounded like he was certain, but now he is hedging his bets. Not a bad thing, given that Anderson is insisting that Cain didn’t tell him, and has told reporters to reveal ANYTHING Anderson might have said to them about Cain.
Sounds like Anderson is positive he didn’t say anything bad about Cain. And since Anderson said that, no report has appeared with anything negatinve Anderson said about Cain, so it sure looks like Anderson is innocent, and Cain is accusing an innocent man.
And remember, the “I told him” is just the FIRST STEP in the Cain attack on Anderson.
Wednesday morning, Cain said he was sure the story was racially motivated, but didn’t have any evidence, he just knew it. Then he said that Anderson leaked the story to Politico. So he seemed to be saying that Anderson did it for racist reasons.
Anderson denies both parts of Cain’s charge — Cain says he told Anderson, AND Anderson told Politico. Anderson says he didn’t know the story until he read it, and he didn’t talk to Politico.
Who is telling the truth? Politico knows. And Anderson told politico to tell everybody if he was the source — and Politico didn’t say he was the source.
Cain is playing a dangerous game, because he made a direct charge with no evidence that was easily refuted since Politico actually KNOWS who their source was, and it apparently wasn’t Anderson, who says he still admires Cain (as do many Perry supporters, although not quite so much now that he is taken to unsupported charges about Perry’s involvement).
Cain’s supporters are trying everything to make this about Perry. Which seems odd if as they insist, this is great for Cain.
I thought Hannity was downright cold to Perry last night, OTOH I read that the John King interview on CNN was excellent, I haven’t seen the video yet, but look forward to finding it...Hannity, Levin and Boortz are in the tank for Cain, so is Coulter, Rush is starting to ask questions and today Don Imus raked him pretty good... Cain flunked his 3 a.m. call IMHO with how he has handled this fiasco... and I am sick of his jumping to blame Perry for everything that happens... If anyone is owed an apology it is Perry from Cain calling him a racist over the rock.
Cain's allegations weren't "baseless".
Cain gave his reasons.
Are we talking about the same thing?
Perry owes me an apology for actually listening and watching his debates.
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