Seeking to breathe new life into the political damage of unproven sexual harassment charges against him, CNN's Lisa Sylvester presented viewers with a "developing story" in the 4 p.m. hour of The Situation Room entitled "Is Cain the Anti-Women Candidate?"
Sylvester glommed onto "recent controversial comments" Cain has made, such as referring to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as "Princess Nancy," and saying that "tutti-frutti" is the ice cream flavor that would best describe Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).
"Some critics see him as the anti-women candidate," Sylvester insisted of Cain, turning to "CNN contributor Donna Brazile" who "says he has a credibility problem with women." Sylvester failed to note that Brazile is a liberal Democratic strategist who contributed to President Obama's campaign this September.
"Cain walked back from the Princess Nancy comment," Sylvester noted, but added that "on the tutti-frutti controversy" that a Cain spokesman said that "America needs to get a sense of humor."
Lawless ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic party nomination for a House seat in Rhode Island in 2006. She was endorsed by the abortion-on-demand advocacy PAC, NOWPAC.
Both facts were unnoted by Sylvester, leaving viewers with the impression that Lawless is an otherwise disinterested academic observer.
Sylvester did air a clip of Gloria Cain defending her husband, but immediately followed that by reading a quote from Iowa Federation of Republican Women president Maureen Olsen that Cain "needs to be a little more careful before speaking."
