Networks Hit Cain With 117 Stories; ABC: Accusers Seek 'Safety in Numbers' From Cain
[Updated with video. See below.] Good Morning America's Brian Ross on Wednesday played up fears that Herman Cain supporters might physically attack the women who have accused the Republican of sexual harassment. Meanwhile, the total number of Cain harassment stories reached an astonishing 117 stories in less than 10 days.
Reporting for GMA, Ross intoned, "Overnight, [accuser Karen] Kraushaar told ABC News she had tried to stay out of the news, for fear of retaliation by Cain supporters. And now she has hired a security team to guard her home outside Washington." The journalist later added that all four accusers might appear together "so they can all tell their stories of Herman Cain, with the sense of safety in numbers." [MP3 audio here.]
In a follow-up segment, former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos expressed incredulity to GOP strategist Mary Matalin: "But to believe [Cain], you have to believe that all four accusers are lying. Can you hold that line even if they all go public?"
The irony here is rather thick. When Stephanopoulos worked for Bill Clinton, he did his best to discredit multiple women who accused the politician of inappropriate sexual conduct.
On page 267 of his autobiography All Too Human, Stephanopoulos wrote, "My goal was to put Paula Jones in the category as Connie Hamzy- women whose stories were so suspect that their accounts couldn't be dignified by the media." (Connie Hamzy accused Clinton of propositioning her.)
He added, "Most important, I wanted to keep reports of Paula [Jones'] press conference off television...It wasn't a hard sell."
From Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, the networks offered an additional 17 stories, bringing the total number to 117. NBC's Today had the most coverage, offering five reports throughout the November 9th program.
Meet the Press host David Gregroy appeared on Today to assert there was no "grand wizard" in the GOP who could force Cain out. He later apologized.
In a previous segment, reporter Lisa Myers noted, "Cain's campaign put out the case numbers for a half dozen lawsuits against Bialek, as well as two filings for personal bankruptcy. He called her a liar, and troubled." She also mentioned that accuser Kraushaar complained of unfair treatment at another job.
However, while covering the story for the previous day's Nightly News, Myers offered a sympathetic spin: "Earlier in the day, the Cain campaign even put out the case numbers for a half dozen lawsuits against Bialek, as well as two filings for personal bankruptcy. Her lawyer predicted such attacks yesterday."
In a related segment on CBS's Early Show, reporter Jan Crawford made a similar point, but minus the commentary. She simply noted that the accusers could expect "some scrutiny" and added, "...Kraushaar filed another harassment complaint against a different supervisor at her next job."
On Tuesday's Evening News, Crawford offered a more complete look at possible discrepancies:
JAN CRAWFORD: The campaign e-mail lists a half dozen lawsuits against Bialek as well as two bankruptcy filings and a paternity suit involving her now 13-year-old son. CBS News has confirmed Bialek filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and again ten years later. She also has been sued at least six times for amounts under $5,000 over such issues as nonpayment of rent. She was evicted once. As for the paternity suit -- she won and got child support. Bialek, a 50- year-old single mother who now lives in the Chicago area, says she is not seeking money.
A transcript of the November 9 Brian Ross segment on GMA can be found below:
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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: On the attack. Another Herman Cain accuser goes public, telling ABC News the Republican front-runner is a monster. Will his accusers now band together to bring him down?
7:07
STEPHANOPOULOS: From one firestorm to another. Herman Cain, the embattled presidential candidate held a defiant press conference yesterday, denying all charges of sexual harassment, blaming them on a Democrat machine. And promised he won't be pushed out of the race, even as another accuser has now gone public with her charges. ABC's Brian Ross spoke to her last night and he joins us now.
BRIAN ROSS: Good morning, George. This is day ten of the story, with at least four different women having made allegations against Cain, including another one that showed her face and spoke publicly. She told me last night, that Cain as a boss, could be described as a monster. Yet, Cain continues to call all of the accusers liars, stronger than ever in his denials and defiance.
HERMAN CAIN: And as far as these accusations causing me to back off and maybe withdrawal from this presidential race, ain't going to happen.
ROSS: This is the latest Cain accuser to identify herself.
KAREN KRAUSHAAR: I'm Karen Kraushaar.
ROSS: This was Karen Kraushaar 11 years ago, serving as a spokesperson for the Immigration Service, just after she had filed her complaint against Herman Cain and left the restaurant association with a reported $45,000 settlement. Overnight, Kraushaar told ABC News she had tried to stay out of the news, for fear of retaliation by Cain supporters. And now she has hired a security team to guard her home outside Washington. On Tuesday, Cain said there was nothing to Kraushaar's complaints of sexual harassment.
CAIN: They were found to be baseless and she could not find anyone to corroborate her story.
ROSS: Cain also dismissed the allegations of Sharon Bialek, who said she was sexually assaulted by Cain 14 years ago. He says he could not remember meeting her.
CAIN: My first response in my mind and reaction was, I don't even know who this woman is.
ROSS: And Cain went on to say that Bialek was a product of a Democratic smear campaign.
CAIN: Now, the Democrat machine in America has brought forth a troubled woman.
ROSS: And of course, last week, Cain blamed the rival campaign of Governor Rick Perry.
CAIN: We've been able the trace it back to the Perry campaign that stirred this up in order to discredit me.
ROSS: The larger question, of course, is what do the allegations, if true, say about a candidate for president?
JOSH KLAPOW (PhD, Clinical psychologist, University of Alabama, Birmingham) Sexual harassment is a power move. It is a demonstration that you are more powerful and you are, if you will, superior, to the person that you are harassing.
ROSS: Overnight, the Associated Press reported that Kraushaar had another complaint with another employer four years after leaving the restaurant association, alleging unfair treatment on the job after she was injured a car accident. Now, she and Sharon Bialek say they want to hold a joint appearance with the other two accusers so they can all tell their stories of Herman Cain, with the sense of safety in numbers. George, that would be quite a dramatic moment
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Comments
Making up non-existent stories
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 2:03pm.
Charming.
JournOlistic Malpractice.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
maybe I'm wrong to worry over another alleged progressive ideolo
Submitted by commenta on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 2:41pm.
I wonder whether it matters to anyone, to investigate whether, or not -all or a sig. amt. of, these accusers are supporters of Margret Sanger? Are all these women from the same political generation as well?
Because if so, then, this now would be a good time to react to this peculiar agenda, and that is seemingly what they are risking.
Sexual harrassment claims sort of like Ace in the hole.
Submitted by Bobbygn on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 2:49pm.
Under the current "she said, he said" environment it would almost be impossible for any male manager who ever worked where women were present to be exempt from one of these kind of claims. Any complement such as "looking nice" or "you look good today, you have lost some weight and look nice, your workouts are beginning to show on you" etc etc and even including her in the office kibitzing could leave you open to some of these claims. Always beware the "one of the boys" type of lady. She will be the one that will get fired and then come back to tell about the dirty jokes she had to endure. The fact that the worse ones came from her will never be mentioned.
Sexual harrassment claims years later if they hire an Allred type lawyer can almost be conscrued as their retirement "nest egg'..
that kind of attack is coordinated
Submitted by commenta on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 3:04pm.
This is power politics, not found in general settings.
Maybe there is a history of such progressive tactics. Progressives, such as Sanger, had specific "targets."
If many of these accusers are supporters of such thinking, as by their contributions, could show whether or not such a power theme and connection exists.
I worked at an office that
Submitted by Bhaal on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 3:10pm.
I worked at an office that hired a company to deliver sexual harassment training in the late 90’s. Part of the training addressed what you mentioned. Even though both parties have engaged in the same type of behavior as soon as one party was offended that became harassment. So both people could talk BS about each other’s momma but as soon as one person was offended that constituted harassment by the other party. Or both could tell raunchy sexual jokes and as soon as one was offended is was harassment. What a load of crap.
Read the comprehensive editorial
Submitted by gopcongress on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 3:52pm.
I have written a comprehensive on how the Democratic Party systematically destroyes potential rivals:
http://www.tinyurl.com/c8sggyf
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Geez
Submitted by rockyracoon on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 3:57pm.
Seems as though these accusers are dropping from the sky, like rain lately. Too bad Herman ain't a Dem, then we wouldn't have had to hear all about this stuff.
One thing though, the more this Bialek woman appears on TV, the less inclined I am to believe her. Having Allred as an attorney, marks 2 strikes against her claim to begin with. JMHO.
Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
No Karen you don't need a security team
Submitted by ohio granny on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 4:18pm.
Even though I think you are a liar and democrat stoolie, you don't have to worry about republicans harming you. That is what the democrat/liberals do. Republicans don't do things like that. They don't lie about democrat politicians either. Lying is what democrats/liberals do. It is their MO.
To be a democrat means you have no standards except power, no morals and must be willing to destroy anyone to gain more power.
Tell the truth about democrats and you would have something to worry about.
it's a distraction
Submitted by kata on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 4:23pm.
It can't be proven, it can't be dis-proven. This is just the media filling airtime with as many pollutants as possible. Unless someone produces the proverbial "blue dress" it's a distraction and a waste of time.
I guess they are relying on the maxim,
Submitted by Kaleidoscopic God on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 7:23pm.
"If you tell a lie often enough, eventually, people will come to believe it."
i don't believe her...
Submitted by puredmashie on Wed, 11/09/2011 - 9:39pm.
and it's not just because she reminds me of stifler's mom on the american pie movies.
something is just plain fishy with the whole thing.
The Slime keep crawling out of the sewer!
Submitted by billwhit1357 on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 2:37am.
I would not doubt that the roles were changed with all these women, they most likely made advaces towards Mr Cain and he refused them, which now they are wanting payback. I certainly believe none of them and especially what the MSM reports, they lie as much as Obama!
Get them all together THEN run a stress test . . .
Submitted by pylgrym on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 10:42am.
See the article below, which uses Voice Stress Analysis to evaluate true/false testimony
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16002149/investigator-herman-cain-innoce...