Posted on 11/07/2011 10:10:55 PM PST by Qbert
A former employee of the United States Agency for International Development says Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain asked her to help arrange a dinner date for him with a female audience member following a speech he delivered nine years ago.
Donna Donella, 40, of Arlington, said the USAID paid Cain to deliver a speech to businessmen and women in Egypt in 2002, during which an Egyptian businesswoman in her 30s asked Cain a question.
"And after the seminar was over," Donella told The Washington Examiner, "Cain came over to me and a colleague and said, 'Could you put me in touch with that lovely young lady who asked the question, so I can give her a more thorough answer over dinner?'"
Donella, who no longer works for USAID, said they were suspicious of Cain's motives and declined to set up the date. Cain responded, "Then you and I can have dinner." That's when two female colleagues intervened and suggested they all go to dinner together, Donella said.
Cain exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior during the dinner, though he did order two $400 bottles of wine and stuck the women with the bill, she said.
The next time the women heard from Cain was Christmas, when he sent them his gospel CD.
Donella said she felt it was important to describe her encounter with Cain after hearing more serious allegations of sexual harassment brought by other women.
"I couldn't swear that he had some untoward intentions, but we all thought his tone was suspect and we didn't feel comfortable putting him in touch with that woman," Donella recalled.
"I think [Cain] should not be a serious candidate for the presidential nomination because of what I've seen," said Donella, an independent who said she voted for President Obama in 2008 and probably will again next year. "He's not a person I would want running the country."
Cain's campaign did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Examiner.
My suggestion would be to get spokespeople and/or members of the Republican party to get the following message out to the media. “We take sexual harassment very seriously, however where was the media on Obama’s admission of cocaine use or the multiple sexual ASSAULTS made by a multitude of women against Bill Clinton, including rape by Juanita Broderick. Hammer this message home at every press conference. I guarantee you this witch hunt would come to an end.
“PRAY !”
Another prayer said!
” Man, they’re pulling these bimbo hoes out of dive flophouse and sewer hole they can find, aren’t they? “
Yep... Mr. Hale.....and the GOOD news is it ain’t workin !
Allred.....the Devil Incarnate for 35 years.
“...Yep... Mr. Hale.....and the GOOD news is it ain’t workin !...”
As a matter of fact, Folks seem to be liking him more and more every day as a result.
Downright STUDLY, if ya think about it...just like ME!!! HAHAHAH!!! (I crack myself up...I really do...)
http://askmissa.com/2011/11/09/my-take-on-donna-donellas-accusation-against-herman-cain/
I have been getting a lot of traffic to Miss A in relation to an acquaintance of mine, Donna Donella coming out against Presidential Candidate Herman Cain. There have been some negative things written about me and Donna on Free Republic that I would like to clear up. I wrote an article years ago on Single Tease, a conversation starter t-shirt business based here in Washington, DC. I was wearing one of their t-shirts. Donna was not. The t-shirt wasn’t tight. Fitted and stylish but not tight. I was simply wearing the t-shirt which I had been given to try out for an article. The concept works, and I did receive attention from a creepy older man with a jet black toupe. I never wore that t-shirt again. I realized I don’t really want to start conversations with random strangers. Still it’s a cute idea for those who do what to meet people.
Back to Donna. Knowing Donna through various charity and women’s networking organizations, she isn’t someone out seeking massive amounts of male attention with a Single Tease shirt, or otherwise. She is your typical DC young professional — cute, wholesome looking, professional, and to be honest a tad “plain Jane”. This is not someone who sports hoochie attire, and showing a lot of skin.
This all said, I like Herman Cain as a candidate. I am not sure why Donna felt the need to come forward with her story. I watched the video interview with her on ABC News, and she does seem truly upset and somber. I don’t get it as it was a decade ago. This situation with Herman Cain isn’t exactly Gary Hart on a yacht with a bikini clad blonde bombshell. It’s Cain asking to get the contact information so that he could follow up with an attendee on her questions. It’s about Cain not wanting to eat dinner alone when half a world away from his family and friends. Having traveled for business myself, I don’t see anything wrong with asking someone to dinner at a conference or lecture. We network in business — even with the opposite sex. Donna commented on the “two bottles of expensive wine”. Well, let’s face it, “expensive” is relative. Cain was a successful older business man, while Donna was 29 or so. What seemed like expensive to her in Egyptian money may not have been to him. Heck, it was 10 years ago, is she sure she did the exchange rate correctly? It just seems silly to jump on the bandwagon over a dinner invitation or the inflection or tone of someone’s voice that you aren’t that familiar with.
I hate that the blogs are making Donna out to be an attention seeker, and I hate that there has been a piling on for Herman Cain. I feel like I can give a fair viewpoint, so I was inspired to write about this. I wish them both the best.
- Miss A
Miss A,
Thank you for the response and clarifications.
I’ll confess I am not exactly in tune with the marketing of modern-day fashions, but I think it would be wrong for anybody to come to the conclusion after reading your post and response that you were doing anything beyond simply promoting a company’s designs. (And I’m all for successful marketing). You made it clear that it was designed to be a conversation starter for “singles”, and that you were ready to fend off the creepy old guy- that’s how I read it, and I am really sorry if others have misinterpreted it and said negative things about you.
I wrote the description that the t-shirts were “tight” based upon the Mariah Carey video screen-capture, and I wrote my comment believing at the time that it did not indicate that Ms. Donella was also wearing the shirt. Thanks for the clarifications on this, as well as on the other matters regarding your friendship (and I applaud her work with the various charities helping animals).
You raise great points about the dinner in Egypt- some of the best insights I’ve read or heard, in fact. It bothers me that Mr. Cain’s accomplishments and intelligence are barely acknowledged in the non-stop media coverage the past two weeks concerning the allegations. If he did in fact do anything criminal or wrong in other ways, then I could not support him- but I simply want to know the facts so that the public can decide, and judge him based upon his policies, if the allegations are merely smears.
Again, thanks for the well-reasoned response, and best of luck on your website.
Look, even IF all this was true. Cain would have eventually scored with somebody. ha ha ha. What a bunch of liars
But his numbers are coming down :(
Melissa
I think it is going to be over for him, they are going to keep up their lies till they drain him.
I get the impression that Ol’ Herman is made of a LOT TOUGHER STUFF than that, my friend.
If, or I believe, when, he pulls though, he’ll be a hell of a lot tougher to beat.
They’re terrified of him; hence the full-court press to destroy him. And anyone they’re afraid of, we need to double down our efforts to support and be on their six.
We’ll see. Keep him in your prayers if you’re the praying sort.
He’s an American, which is more than anyone can say about the douchebag in charge right now.
He’s one of US. And that matters greatly.
I had a moment of weakness there. Excuse me.
Melissa
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