How many women will accuse Herman Cain of sexually inappropriate behavior before he drops out of the race? Monday began with activist lawyer Gloria Allred announcing a 1:30 PM news conference where a fourth accuser would detail unwanted sexual advances from Cain. Conservatives have every reason in the world to mistrust Allred, but her clients statements were compelling.
Unlike the first three accusers, the fourth, Sharon Bialek, did not work for Cain at that time, so her accusations were not sexual harassment. But what she did describe, if true, was a sexual assault. “He put his hand on my leg,” Bialek said, “under my skirt, and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and reached for his crotch.” I said, ‘Why are you doing this? You know I have a boyfriend!’ He said: ‘You want a job, don’t you?’”
Bialek said the incident occurred in 1997. The statute of limitations on third degree sexual assault in the District of Columbia, where the alleged incident took place, is 10 years. So no criminal charges can be filed. Bialek said she came forward to “give a voice” to other women who have suffered under Cain but can’t speak out. It seems to have worked.
By day’s end a fifth woman had come forward, this time from the United States Agency for International Development. She told The Washington Examiner that Cain asked her to set up a meeting with a specific “lovely young lady” so that Cain could “give her a more thorough answer over dinner.” When the USAID official refused, Cain asked her to dinner, at which point other colleagues came to her rescue.
Why some conservatives are still defending Cain is becoming more and more of a mystery. He simply does not have a grasp of the issues to be taken seriously. This past Saturday, the Texas Patriots PAC hosted a debate on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid between Cain and Newt Gingrich. When the moderator pressed Cain on the differences between defined benefit plan and premium support Medicare plans, Cain paused, muttered the question over, and then asked Gingrich for help. He clearly had no clue.
Cain’s official campaign statement responding to Bialek said the sexual assault stories were distracting from “our crippling $15 trillion national debt.” If Cain can’t even describe basic Medicare reform facts, then his candidacy is the real distraction from addressing our nation’s spending problems.
Around the Bigs
The Washington Examiner, Occupy DC becoming increasingly violent, police say: Citing injuries to five people outside the Washington Convention Center on Friday night, Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier on Monday said the Occupy DC protesters have grown violent, and the police department will adjust its tactics to ensure the public’s safety. “That is no longer a peaceful protest,” Lanier said.
The Washington Post, Census Bureau measures more Americans living in poverty: New data from the Census Bureau shows 49.1 million Americans — 16 percent of the population — lived in poverty in 2010.
The New York Times, Keystone XL Pipeline Decision to Be Investigated: The State Department’s inspector general will conduct a special investigation of the Keystone XL pipeline decision. Democrats say a former Hillary Clinton staffer turned pipeline lobbyist compromised the process.
The New York Times, Interest Rates on Italian Bonds Pushed to New Levels: Yields on Italy’s 10-year bonds, a measure of investor anxiety about lending money to the country, rose to 6.63 percent, a level that economists say is unsustainable. “This is feeding on itself,” Eric Green of TD Securities told The Times.
The Los Angeles Times, Take this bullet train. Please: Stanford history professor Richard Wright says, “California’s proposed high-speed rail project is a costly boondoggle.”
The Wall Street Journal, Key Obama Aide Relinquishes Some Duties: White House Chief of Staff William Daley will turn over “day-to-day management of the West Wing” to Pete Rouse, a long-time Obama aide. Daley will now focus on “relations with outsiders.”
The Oregonian, Incidents at Occupy Portland, including threats with hammer and knife, keep police, firefighters busy: After a man threatened other occupiers with a hammer, a passerby by had a knife pulled on him, fires were set in the street, and occupiers threatened pizza shop employees, the City of Portland will close the last public restroom at Occupy Portland.
Righty Playbook
The Wall Street Journal op-ed praises Mitt Romney for moving “part way toward Paul Ryan on Medicare” and “finally beginning to wade into the deeper end of the reform pool.”
The Weekly Standard‘s John McCormack explains why Ohio voters will repeal Gov. John Kasich’s collective bargaining reform law today: “The Quinnipiac poll showed voters opposed the law—which was never implemented—by a 57 percent to 32 percent margin. But dig a little deeper and what the poll really shows is that voters don’t seem to understand what “collective bargaining” means. Fully 60 percent of Ohio voters support “requiring public employees to pay at least 15 percent of their health insurance premiums,” but 56 percent of Ohioans oppose ‘limiting collective bargaining for public employees.’”
RedState’s Soren Dayton takes The New York Times editorial page editor Andy Rosenthal to school on voter fraud.
Lefty Playbook
Talking Points Memo‘s Brian Beutler calls an emerging Super Congress deal to close loopholes and keep rates low “a bad deal for Democrats.”
The Washington Post‘s Brad Plummer admits Cash for Clunkers was a clunker: “Even if the program did have some benefits, it’s hard to argue that it was an efficient way to dole out cash.”
Mother Jones‘ Andy Kroll identifies four reasons why progressives will succeed in Ohio where they failed in Wisconsin.
