Cain: Wife didn't know about friendship, ‘financial assistance' to Ginger White

Union-Leader ^ | 12-1-2011 | John DiStaso

[smoothsailing]

Cain: Wife didn't know about friendship, ‘financial assistance' to Ginger White

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is questioned by New Hampshire Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid in Manchester Thursday. David Lane

MANCHESTER - In his most candid interview since the latest allegations emerged, Herman Cain adamantly maintains that he and Ginger White were no more than friends. He told the New Hampshire Union Leader that in about 70 text messages she sent him between Oct. 22 and Nov. 18, she was "asking for financial assistance. She was out of work and had trouble paying her bills and I had known her as a friend."
By JOHN DiSTASO
Senior Political Reporter
MANCHESTER - Herman Cain acknowledged Thursday that he repeatedly gave Ginger White money to help her with "month-to-month bills and expenses" without telling his wife.

In fact, the embattled presidential candidate said, his wife, Gloria, "did not know that we were friends until she (White) came out with this story."

In his most candid interview since the latest allegations emerged, Cain adamantly maintained that he and White were no more than friends.

He told the New Hampshire Union Leader that in about 70 text messages she sent him between Oct. 22 and Nov. 18, she was "asking for financial assistance. She was out of work and had trouble paying her bills and I had known her as a friend.

"She wasn't the only friend who I had helped in these tough economic times, and so her messages to me were relating to ‘need money for rent' or whatever the case may be. I don't remember all the specifics."

Cain said White, who has alleged that she and Cain had a 13-year extramarital affair, told him that she did not have a job and was unable to get financial help from her family, "and that quite frankly, I was the only person who was a friend at the time - and I underscore ‘friend' - that was in a position to help her.


"I'm a soft-hearted person when it comes to that stuff. I have helped members of my church. I have helped members of my family.


"And I know a lot of other people who had done the same thing, and sometimes, quite frankly, it was desperation," Cain said.


Cain said that in 17 reported text messages back to her, he would respond with messages such as, "What are you doing to get a job?"


Cain said he did give Ginger White money, although he would not say how much on the advice of counsel.


And, he acknowledged, "My wife did not know about it, and that was the revelation. My wife found out about it when she went public with it.


"My wife now knows," Cain said. "My wife and I have talked about it and I have explained it to her. My wife understands that I'm a soft-hearted giving person."


He said his wife "is comfortable with the explanation that I told her."


He said he told his wife about White only after White went public.


Cain said that in retrospect he should have told his wife about his friendship with White, "but retrospect doesn't necessarily change what's going on now."


He also said his wife "did not know we were friends until she (White) came out with this story."


He said White did not threaten to go public with the allegation of an affair if Cain did not give her money, "nor was there any indication that there might be blackmail or anything like that.


"I thought I was helping a friend, end of story," he said.


Cain said the two "struck up a friendship" many years ago when she attended a conference in Louisville, Ky., where he was the keynote speaker.


Cain said he does not know why White has gone public with the allegation.


"But I have very strong speculation that someone offered her a lot of money," Cain said. "I was helping her with month-to-month bills and expenses and somebody _ this is speculation only _ offered her a lot of money.


"And one of my objectives is to clear my name and my reputation," Cain said.


(This story will be updated throughout the evening.)

[ExSES]

No good deed goes unpunished.

Indeed, it always does! "Down on her luck" donee finds her big meal ticket screwing over longtime donor! In any event, Cain is toast as a primary candidate!

Now any REPUBLICAN political candidate better not be paying anything to an individual, however needy! "DEMOCRAT political candidates..., proceed as always!

[gimme1ibertee]

Not good.
Now...for all of those who are vigorous defenders of Mr.Cain,and say,"This doesn't prove anything",you are quite wrong.

Think about it a moment.

You are a nice,compassionate,"soft-hearted" person.You help people all the time.These people normally would come forward to say "thanks" at some point,right? A phone call here,a thank-you card there....many,if not all of which,your spouse would notice at some point,particularly being a public or prominent figure,whether in the business or political world...
But, text messages at four in the morning...knowing someone for 13 years,someone of the opposite sex,and you have been "helping" this person for all of those years,without your spouse knowing about it-or you bothering to mention it to her/him at any time during that period of time...This doesn't strike a chord of suspicion with you?

Sorry but no dice. I think Cain got busted,he hasn't defended himself in a distinct,timely or definitive manner,and he is done.Were I his wife,the marriage could not survive.If he could pull off this kind of deception with the woman he swore to God to be faithful to for 13 years,you couldn't put anything past him. And although he's not married to me,and doesn't owe me anything,he is running for POTUS,supposedly to do a better job than the Marxist that's in there now.But that's based on a promise,and by voting for him, i'm putting my full faith and support behind him. I can't do that for someone I can't trust.

[bigdaddy45]

Is there anyone who still believes something wasn’t going on here?? Herman’s going to be squirmin’ when Mrs. Cain raises some tomorrow.

[ktupper]

“Good Christian man”

---

Christian marriage - the two become one flesh. It is to be the most intimate and closest of relationships. I have no relationships, male, female, business entity, or otherwise for 13 years that my wife doesn’t know about at least in passing.

It doesn’t pass the smell test for my view of a Christian marriage. And it’s not passing the smell test for the donors or voters. His candidacy is done.

[GloriaJane]

"Obama was oh so hoping he would get the nomination. All his Dem loyalists and the 95% black vote would stay with Obama."

No. obama is terrified of Herman Cain getting the nomination. Because obama knows that Herman Cain can and hopefully will if he stays in the race, take enough of the black vote away from obama to win.

Because there are going to be a whole lot of blacks that will see the miracle of the second black President.

Imagine that! Two black Presidents back to back! And you tell me that obama could win against Herman Cain? Not a chance.

[GlockThe Vote]

LOL You believe that?

Cain is done -thankfully we are learning all this nonsense now.

[tjd1454]

But there is a vast difference between supporting an organization, a cause, and a person. And there is a even bigger difference between supporting a person and supporting a person of the opposite sex. My wife trusts me and I trust her. And because we trust each other, you can bet that I'm not going to even have the appearance of hurting her by attaching myself to supporting someone else in that way without her being told by me.

Well put. One could in fact argue that in such circumstances, where the nature of the relationship could easily be misconstrued, a husband would be especially careful to inform his wife. IMHO the whole story doesn't add up - until you add in a sexual component.

[mick]

Naive my ass. The guys a rich man who had thousands of employees and contacts and has probably given help and money to hundreds of people in his long career. I have been in business for over 40 yrs on two continents and I can tell you I have helped plenty of people off the cuff. Some become pain is the asses and call and try to keep the gravy train going. Some take it and move on. And sometimes I told my wife and sometimes I didn’t....for no other reason that I forgot about it. it isn’t what our life was about. And sometimes the person in question would call my home and then I would have to talk about it...until she would just tell me to stop being such a soft touch...even if it was a younger woman.....end of story. But then my wife is a grown up, like Cain’s wife, from a different generation, I guess.

[TBall]

I don’t know, my grandfather did the same thing. He was a wealthy man and pretty much took care of a woman who had troubles. My grandmother did not know about it for years, but was able to understand when she learned about it. I remember going to my grandfather’s funeral and the woman was there. My mom explained to me who she was. My grandfather was just being a good person and helping out someone who needed it.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Well afterall, his wife did vote for Obama and is a Democrat, so she is pretty Liberal. Gullable, or something, but mostly....... clueless.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Thanks smooth, another “Bunker Buster”, “MOAB”, “JDAM”!

And right on target.

[GlockThe Vote]

Herb is so done. What a train wreck. Did he not realize this would come out? and not to tell his wife before running?

What a dope.

[Gator113]

LOL... My wife owns her own shotgun. I own a backhoe and she knows how to run it. We have 5 acres and a forested area. But I would be grateful if she didn’t just wound me and let the chickens finish me off.... alive.

[Gator113]

Yep... it sure looks over from here.

[org.whodat]

I was putting fuel in my truck the other day and some young lady came up and said she had run out of gas and need some fuel, I gave her a few bucks, but we did not have sex on the fuel island. Guess I must be some sort of pervert.

[bigdaddy45]

I can assure you that Obama isn’t the least bit “terrified” of Herman Cain getting the nomination. Cain is done.

[mick]

Well that’s fine for you. But Herman Cain is a very rich and well traveled man who has met literally thousands of people in his life and knows some of these people I am sure off and on again for over 20yrs. You couldn’t possible tell your wife every “relationship” you had because that would be all you would be talking about. frankly I don’t want to know all the people my wife has a “relationship” wife. Why would I??
When you are pure and without guile and guilt you don’t need to share everything. It is called a mature trusting marriage where I come from.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Like I said further back, watching Cain on Cavuto, it was all lies from democrats trying to take him out to get Obama elected, someone else just picking on poor me, everything the woman said was totally false in every way, he never knew her very well, and on and on.

Cain can't even remember his own words that come out of his mouth.

Pure and stagnant Denial.

[bigdaddy45]

Really? Did you also exchange phone numbers so you could keep doing it for the next 13 years?

[GlockThe Vote]

one time is one thing - this was over 13 years!

How is he going to explain this to his wife. Especially thr 4am texts!

Maybe Herb has a kid with her?