News Roundup for 11/7/11

Herman Cain conducts a job interview

-Headline of the Day-
"Fourth accuser: Cain 'reached for my genitals.'"

Herman Cain's sexual harassment scandal has, in the words of ThinkProgress' Ian Millhiser, been "upgraded to criminal sexual abuse." Of course, that's assuming the obviously Occupy-Wall-Street-supporting hippie commie America-hater is telling the truth.

And that accuser is Sharon Bialek, a registered Republican and tea party supporter. So there's that. No word on whether she wants to bring down the neo-feudal corporatist structure, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess no.

According to Bialek, she met Cain to discuss finding a job in 1997. "At that time, I had on a black pleated skirt, suit jacket and a blouse," she said. "Instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg, under my skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it towards his crotch." I guess Herman was confused about what sort of "job" she was looking for.

"I said, 'What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn’t what I came here for,'" she recalled. "Mr. Cain said, 'You want a job, right?'"

"She reached out to Mr. Cain for help in finding another job," Bialek's attorney Gloria Allred explained. "Mr. Cain, instead, decided to provide her with his idea of a stimulus package."

Oh for chrissake, Gloria. Don't. Just don't. (Raw Story, with video)


-It's not all bad news-
There is a big winner in all this, after all:


Click to embiggen

Look at it this way Republicans; you're not losing a frontrunner, you're gaining someone who will have to do for the time being. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"Report: News Corp. hired investigators to spy on hacking victims’ lawyers."

Wait, Rupert hired people to spy on the lawyers of the people he was spying on?

Scandals should really have less recursion, is all I'm saying. (Raw Story)

Stories to Watch: 11/4/11

Got a loaf of sourdough in the oven and the place smells outlandishly good. Now here's the news...


Joel Bennett, the attorney for one of Herman Cain's alleged harassment victims, cites not a single instance, but a "series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances" from the candidate. The National Restaurant Association says they're "willing to waive the confidentiality of this matter and permit Mr. Bennett’s client to comment," but Bennett says his client would rather remain out of the media three-ring circus that would no doubt result from her coming forward. Hard to blame her.


Meanwhile, Cain's Koch ties and his money-laundering scandal start to get more media attention.


House Republicans go on a fishing expedition, come back emptyhanded.


It's finally happened; Mittens flip-flops on the subject of Mittens' flip-flops.


ThinkProgress's Alyssa Rosen proposes a cure for abusive Twitter trolls.


Faced with budget shartfalls and the GOP's resistance to "bailing out" state and local governments, a Michigan city turns out the lights -- literally and permanently.


Finally, Republicans' frequent bouts of frothing outrage are often brought on by their own stupidity. Today's GOP; always on the lookout for a chance to play the victim card.

Related articles

• Text of Statements on Allegations of Sexual Harassment by Herman Cain (blogs.wsj.com)
• Herman Cain Harassment Victim's News Conference (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Cain Accuser's Lawyer: 'Where There's Smoke There's Fire' (abcnews.go.com)
• Cain Accuser Disputes His Account, But Decides Not To Go Public (alan.com)

News Roundup for 11/2/11

Herman Cain harasses an Iowa crowd with a sexually suggestive gesture

-Headline of the day-
"Oklahoma Consultant Claims He Witnessed Cain Harassment."

Herman Cain's sexy sexual harassment sex scandal (SEX!) may have just moved from the abstract to the concrete. And, in the process, moved into the icky. According to the report, "Oklahoma political consultant Chris Wilson says if the woman behind the reported sexual harassment complaint against GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is allowed to speak publicly, it'll be the end of Cain's run for the White House."

"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 told an Oklahoma radio station.

"This occurred at a restaurant in Crystal City [Virginia] and everybody was aware of it," he said. "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 described the woman as a "a low level staffer who was maybe two years out of college" and says that, for legal reasons, he can't get too into it. But that it's pretty bad. "[I]f she comes out and talks about it, like I said, it'll probably be the end of his campaign."

Cain defenders are making a big deal about the fact that Wilson is a Perry backer. But if the allegations are true, would you really expect him to be supporting Herman Cain?

Think about it. (KTOK)


-This isn't going to help-
A lawyer for one of the women Cain is accused of harassing says that the confidentiality agreement keeping her from coming forward is out the window -- because Herman was bound by it as well.

According to the report, "[O]ne of the stipulations of the confidentiality agreement was that neither party could make disparaging remarks about the other. [Attorney Joel] Bennett said Cain violated that agreement on Fox News on Monday when he said that he had been told that the accuser’s performance in the workplace 'was not up to par.'"

FLASHBACK TO PREVIOUS ITEM: "If she comes out and talks about it... it'll probably be the end of his campaign."

She wants to come out and talk about.

OK, GOP voters. Back to the drawing board. (The Hill)


-Bonus HotD-
"AP Exclusive: Third worker says Cain harassed her."

Oh man, Herman. You are so screwed! (AP)