Some of us have been expecting some sort of accusation to be hurled at Herman Cain. I tweeted week before last that we could expect same and that it would be interesting to see what it would be. Well, now we know. It also caught my attention that last week there was an article (that I didn’t bother to read) pointing out that Obama had gone this far without personal scandal.
That was a signal to me that something was coming down the pike as well. I was in an information blackout from late Saturday evening until the very wee hours of this morning. And it was then that I became aware of the accusations of sexual harassment directed at Herman. I admit, my first thought wasn’t what happens next, who said it, etc. My first thought was there is no way this is true. This just did not compute with the man I’ve known since 2003. It just didn’t fit, but I knew who it would fit for if there was any question whatsoever. So at roughly 3:30 AM this morning, I was saying wake up, wake up, c’mon wake up. An hour or so later they did, and I said: “I have one question is this true, have you ever seen or heard anything that you personally feel rises to this occasion?” Following is their comment to me:
“Sounds like a Clarence Thomas smear job to me. The guy has been nothing but a perfect gentleman around me and believe me, I can smell rats who are looking to run a game a mile away. No matter how old they get, they still think they are the cutest truck in shoe leather and Herman Cain is the furthest thing away from that I can imagine.”
“Man, doesn’t this sound like they are running the same old play book from Clarence Thomas? Good heavens you would think they would come up with something new after all these years.”
“I would be absolutely mystified if there was anything to this at all. The guy is happily married. He is so respectful of all folks, no matter who they are……treats everyone the same. Sounds like some feminist got her panties in a wad cause he pulled out a chair for her or held open a door for her. Who knows. Or made the whole damn thing up.”
“Pardon my French here, but this jet chaps my hide. They really want to grind this man into the ground don’t they? Not good enough to beat him fair and square….oh no….let’s make sure he is destroyed in the whole dirty damn process. Will see what I can find out…but I think it is a whole lot of hooey.”
My friend did get back to me again a couple hours later and said the following: “A complaint was indeed filed but it was for some kind of conversation and some kind of gestures, but the gestures were not sexual. So I don’t even know what that means!! The two women who filed it were paid 5 figures to keep quiet. We all know the restaurant association is a republican hangout so it strikes me that this is a republican hit, actually.”
I just moments ago received this heads up: “Sounds like Rush is leaning toward Obama releasing this……sure…..maybe, I guess. I dunno. Another high tech lynching? Possibly.”
“But who benefits most? Where is Romney today?”
“Rush is making a good point that this could be a fishing expedition…..they don’t have what they think they have….it s up to Cain to explain what happened….someone from politico on msnbc saying that Cain has to explain what happened? Why? If they wrote the story…then why? Sounds like it is a big zero then and they are looking for details to see if there is any there there….”
Which brings to a copy of a letter to Karl Rove that I just happened to receive earlier today, that ties in with a theory I was working on before all of this broke. I was copied on the following letter:
*********************************************
TPATH GETS RESPONSE
From
KARL ROVE
By Dwight Kehoe
October 31, 2011
Several days ago I sent a letter to Rove about his complicity in the defeat of the Republican for Senate in Delaware.
As you may recall Karl supported the incumbent RINO during the primary and the night his candidate lost, he began his efforts to see that Christine O’Donnell was defeated in the general election.
In response to my letter, Rove defended his actions based on many long and extensive financial and personal problems Ms. O’Donnell had. I’m not going to include his hit piece here because its irrelevant to the scope.
I responded to his letter today, October 31, 2011
Dear Karl,
A very impressive piece of investigative work. The liberal media, no doubt, is very proud of you.
I do thank you for taking the time to respond to me but this expansive hit piece on O’ Donnell does not quell my disdain for any Republican attempt to help our primary winner be defeated in a general election.
As I said in my earlier letter to you, every candidate has baggage and every piece of data can be manipulated. It should never be a Republican’s job to insure a Democrat victory.
That, is what you did.
There can be no excuse for that. None.
I had no problem with you pushing for the candidate you thought was best, even if he was an unabashed RINO, during the primary. Where you crossed the line with me and many others is when you joined forces with the liberals in the media and the Democrat party to defeat the Republican. That was disgraceful and borders on “ideological treason”.
Thanks again for your response though it did nothing to recapture the faith I once had in you.
Regards,
Dwight Kehoe
*********************************************
My colleague Curt Levey, Executive Director, The Committee for Justice wrote in a release earlier today, said the following: “The ‘severe or pervasive’ requirement is not a legal technicality. Sexual harassment in the workplace is an important problem and trivializing the term undermines the seriousness with which cases of severe and pervasive harassment are taken. There is no suggestion in the Politico article that Cain’s alleged behavior was either severe or pervasive, so at least for now, the suggestion of sexual harassment is unsupported.”
“Politico places a lot of weight on the report that ‘there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints [against Cain].’ In fact, without knowing more about the details of the settlements, it’s impossible to draw any conclusions from them. Corporate America is very risk averse when it comes to negative publicity, and in-house settlements often occur even when the evidence of harassment falls far short of the threshold needed to be taken seriously by a court.”
Here are my thoughts. Herman has been attacked in the most reprehensible of ways for a person of color who grew up during and in the Jim Crow south. Every clip I have seen of him today, indicates he is hurt and angry. But, I believe he will pull through this. I think the verse he sang at the close of his appearance at the National Press Club today says he is leaning heavily on God through this moment of pain.
Obviously I could be wrong, and granted I look at things through different glasses than most people in the general public do. I look at things through the lenses of a political pundit and activist, from a legal prospective, and from a friend prospective. One of the first laws of being in my position is don’t risk your neck until you’re sure it won’t be chopped off. With that said, here is where I am, take it for what it’s worth.
First I don’t think this attack spawned in the Obama camp. Why would it? How can they be sure Herman is going to be their opponent yet? Who does this help the most if true or if these allegations derail Herman? The answer to same should be obvious. I think this comes from much closer to home. I think the flies on this manure pile are in the backyard of the person who has already shown their willingness to undermine other candidates when those candidates stand in the way of the person they want elected. That is my opinion. We’ll know soon enough if I am right or wrong about Herman. If I’m right, we’ll probably never know for sure if I’m right about who spawned this attack on Herman.
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Mychal, great job. We somehow need to educated the masses who think Rove, Perino, et all are conservatives because some “conservative” media parade them out as republican commentators. These RINOs are just as complicit in destroying this country as the Marxists like Obama. If Romney is pushed down our throats we may very well see the end of the republic.
ben: perino annoys me because she pretends to be one thing and in reality she’s a a rove who needs the seat down in the bathroom…
I just read an article written by Eric Ericson, of “Red State” titled “Herman Cain Campaign is stuck on stupid.” and also read many of the ‘comments’. So now I’m SURE that the GOP is behind this! He is so VERY condensending toward Mr. Cain that it is too obvious, in his over-enthusiasm for Mr. Cain’s percieved stupidity, except for the words he uses to exempt them from blame. Actions speak louder than words? But then we wouldn’t want anyone to think or disern for themselves, that would be judging. Best leave the ‘judging’ to self appointed ‘wise guys’ – oh! ha! just like in “Pilgrim’s Progress”! I’m so mad about it that I really want to ‘unsubscribe’ but then I want to know how much other stuff they say that I don’t agree with. (same coin, flip side. BLAH!)
mrsjb: I have been shocked to see colleagues that I took as sharp and aware parroting the same things as the lib media about Herman and party hierarchy…I’ve been forced to consider some of the early comments by so many pundits and talking heads as being that they knew he would be destroyed…I trying to remember if one talking head who didn’t give the he’s a great guy but can’t get elected line…
It is vital to certain interests that we have a Republican candidate that has as much chance of winning as McCain did in 2008. Ta da, enter Romney a candidate who can get the nomination, but lose the election. The Christian community probably will not go out in great numbers to vote for a cultist (Mormon), especially the Southern and Midwestern Christians. Sure we can get a moderate nominated, but what is the point?
gary thomsen: you make valid point…
Someone deftly executed the Judo Principle on Herman. Whoever was smart enough see Cain as the main contender for de-throning them.
Regarding Karl Rove – well and OK Bill O’Reilly too, my observation is, “Perhaps because I think-eth they protest-ith too much-ith, they’re doing so to insure they cannot be accused of bias.” Maybe they really, really like Cain, and simply can’t allow that to show….Just a thought. :-)
roni bell sylvester: that’s a good point…hadn’t considered it…even though I’m not sure I’m inclined to agree…
Romney should run in a primary race against Obama for the democrat nomination. His real positions are more in line with the democrats. If he switches now its not too late. He’s switched positions so much before this should be an easy transition for him. Only question is… will we finally get to see the “real” Romney?
dr.J: lol…excellent idea…
That was the first thing that occurred to me when I first heard of this: A feeling of deja vu all over again. Like I went through I time-warp back 20 years and we’re going through the exact same slimy mudslinging smear-job that they did on Justice Clarence Thomas once upon a time. That disgraceful public spectacle made me sick to my stomach at the time, and my reaction now is about the same as it was then. Whoever is behind it (and it could be either the Obammunist Party or the Romney/Rove RINOs–I make it about even money) obviously fears what Cain brings to the table–they hate fresh new ideas like the Devil hates Holy Water. They know they haven’t got anything else to hit him with (nothing substantive, that is), so they have to resort to the same old slime-and-smear tactics that have characterised so much of American politics throughout history. (You’d think they’d come up with something new once in awhile by now.)
Needless to say, I for one don’t believe the allegations for one quadrillionth of a nanosecond. As to whether there’s a racial motivation behind the allegations, I don’t know; but if there were, what else would one expect from the party of the Klan? (i.e., the Democrats?) As to Obama/Soetero/Whoever-he-really-is (supposedly) getting through this far without a scandal, well what else would one expect when the entire midstream media has been covering up for the creep from Day One, when he first appeared like a festering pustule on the body-politic? He could be involved in the sleaziest, slimiest, most degenerate scandal in American political history, and we’d never know it if we had to depend on the Media to tell us about it, a media that treats us like a nation of mushrooms (i.e., keep us in the dark & feed us manure…)
As for Cain, we’ll have to wait & see how this all plays out. Chances are it’ll all blow over in a few weeks (despite the media’s best efforts to construct a Mt. Everest out of a make-believe molehill.)
paul gc: there was no reason for obama to go after Herman this early…they would have waited until he had the nomination…then launched the accusation…this attack could only benefit romney and only the rove and the republican hierarchy would take the steps to try and ensure romney get nomination…
It’s easy for one to “escape scandal” when one has millions of dollars backing him and lawyers willing to defend him and keep all his “public” records private. Had the National Media been doing this type of investigative research in 2008 we certainly would not be where we are today, guaranteed! I’m sure there would have been similar allegations raised about O had reporters been able to access anything related to his life, other than his own writings. The fact that every O document has been under lock and key since his coronation should be cause for concern to all who voted for him. Every other person running for President is an “open book.” O, has escaped that scrutiny.
joyful: you are spot on…the media has done nothing to unearth obama’s background…even to investigating the illegal shroud surrounding his property purchase in chicago from rezko a known criminal…they have no credibility to now question Herman…
Couldn’t this be a smart move at this juncture of Cain’s campaign? Better to be dealt with now than at a much more Critical time in his move against Obama. It surely was going to be brought up before the election, such things do not go unnoticed by the Organizers and media. It’s like a game of chess. I would bet the PE were hoping it wouldn’t come out until September/October 2012!!
dra001: its a theory that could be discussed…but I doubt it…Herman wasn’t acting…he was genuinely angered by the assault…plus I don’t see a campaign running the risk of it backfiring…
Even if it were true, well boo hoo. Someone was offended. Boo hoo. Not a day goes by that someone isn’t offended by what someone says or does. Wake up. It’s a fact of life. So what does the offence have to do with the price of tea in China? Let’s stick to the issues at hand not alleged verbal offences. Seems to me all the millions of dollars spent on campaigning could be better spent for cancer research or something equally important. All the hypocrital adolescents playing in the political mudhole could also find something better to do than sling mud at anyone who thinks differently than they do. In my opinion the campaign business takes up too much time and money these days. Six months would still be a plenty of time to pick a leader. A year hasn’t improved the selection a whole lot better, looking back at some of the ninnies that have been elected. America needs to wake up and get a leader of the people and not of the government. Nuff said.
ginny: obama boasts of a billion dollar to be raised for re-election…yet he wants to raise our taxes to pay for more spending…what’s wrong w/ that picture…
was saying to some friends yesterday morning, after this broke, that I suspected Rove.
nice to see I am not alone.
Why am I not surprised… It seems so choreographed as to be laughable… I am not taking this too seriously and think it will be forgotten tomorrow anyway… I am personally more concerned about MF Global going bust than frivolous accusations…
No doubt in my mind that it’s Rove. This is why I am a conservative first and not a Republican. The Party is for now the one closer to my beliefs but there are too many RINOs for me to be entirely comfortable in it.
olegario martinez: hey big guy…trying to catch up on comments and came across yours…I agree…Christian conservative first everything else thereafter…
There is a dirty tricks department in all campaign organizations, so upon reading the news about Mr. Cain, I along with a cadre of friends all got in touch with one another. The general reaction was, “So? As if this should be a surprise?” The same media running around like hamsters on crack is the same media that enabled a Sexual Predator in Chief to continue with his perverted behavior, looked the other way and demeaned (see a pattern here?) the accusors, and has not yet turned up the names of any of obama’s classmates, childhood friends, college classmates, law school classmates, a single girlfriend, or any “boyfriend.”
I’ll return to our collective reaction: “SO?”
Mr. Cain achieved one thing throughout this tawdry and rampant run of innuendo; he has established himself as a bonafide THREAT, and the sophomoric antics of the press and the heavy breathing and tsk-tsking is evidence of it. He cannot be attacked on the issues, so they have taken it upon themselves to delve through the detritus and laundry of a 64 year old man to come up with “something.” It is a testament to Mr. Cain’s stength of character and the lack thereof among the press and his opponents of either ilk that this is the best they could do as it relates to launching a stink bomb.
danbubalo: are you sure we’re not related…
I don’t know, but if you prefer a ribeye to filet and count spaghetti carbonara as your favorite pasta dish, we might have to do some serious checking !
Here’s an off the wall thought. If Mr. Cain wins the GOP spot, how are the libs, etc. going to push the race button on anyone that votes for him against Barry?
sumitch: they’d say he was uncle tom who didn’t threaten them like a real black man…like obama…
My first thought was Romney. Is it possible he could something like this? Hey….anything is possible with a “professional politician”! It was my gut reaction…..we’ll find out, sooner rather than later. I have tremendous faith in Cain and think he will rise above this muck!
RVD – He said it was horse pucks today without any hesitation and explained the gesture accusation by telling the story of one lady that his wife was about the same height as her and put his hand up under his chin. I wonder if he was caught walking in the direction of a female if he would be accused of stalking?
True story here. Back when I was gainfully employed I went to many meetings where both men and women were in attendance. As happens a lot, there would be a little socializing after the meeting. I’ll admit I stayed away from the females more than the males (better jokes), but I had a complaint filed against me anyway that I was discriminating against the women by being with the men more. Like Will Rogers was supposed to have said “There are two theories about women. Both are wrong”.
Ooops. Now they got me for sexual bias as well as ….. whatever.
sumitch: lol…I’ll refer you to my lwyrs…
sumitch: bottom line is there are goldbricking liberal feminazi’s always looking for free meal…
rvd: i think it is rove…romney is lying big government rino…but I don’t think he has this character flaw…but I would bet the cigar I’m smoking right now that rove does…
well I suspected rove doing it FOR romney, and romney knowing it would not surprise me.
Mychal….it could very well be…especially since the GOP has already picked their winner, Romney, and so has the the Dem. party. It’s Romney all the way and I include Rove in the part of the GOP who has his money on Romney! The Dems don’t fear Romney but they fear Cain! And Romney fears Cain! We are basically all animals, and when animals feel threatened they fight back with all they’ve got. One of the reasons I was putting my money on Romney’s campaign to stir up a hornets nest. All’s fair in love and war …. and politics!
rvd: I disagree…we are not animals…we are created in hte image of God…notw/standing that there are those like obama et al…that said…i again repeat that it makes absolutely no sense for obama to go after Herman this early…especially since all we keep hearing is he cannot win…which we of course know is a lie…