CBS Broadcasts 'Sexual Assault' Claims Against Herman Cain

November 2nd, 2011 12:42 PM
On Wednesday's Early Show, CBS's Betty Nguyen incorrectly reported that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain had been accused of "sexual assault" by two women. Nguyen later accurately reported that the women actually leveled sexual harassment allegations against Cain [video below the jump; audio clip available here]. The fill-in news anchor used the erroneous term during a 14-second…

Networks Continue to Hype Herman Cain 'Firestorm'; 12 More Stories in

November 2nd, 2011 12:27 PM
The network evening newscasts on Tuesday and the morning shows on Wednesday continued to hype the Herman Cain "firestorm," creating 12 more stories in less than 24 hours. Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos led the show on Wednesday by trumpeting, " Republican front-runner Herman Cain changes his story again as one of his accusers now says she wants to go public on charges of sexual…

Chris Matthews Speculates Herman Cain Sexually Harassed Women While Dr

November 2nd, 2011 10:15 AM
Appearing on Wednesday's NBC Today, MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews urged Herman Cain to admit to sexually harassing women and even predicted what the Republican front-runner might say: "I think even if it's really bad he has to put the context to it. He has to say, 'It was an extraordinary night, I had too many drinks, I normally don't act like that, this is not me.'" [Audio available here…

Papantonio So Unhinged By Allegations Against Cain, Even Ed Schultz De

November 2nd, 2011 6:26 AM
Ed Schultz used to be conservative, then jumped ship more than a decade ago and became a left winger. Yet based on his conversation Monday with attorney and radio host Mike Papantonio, Schultz's conversion appears far from complete. The two were talking on Schultz's radio show about allegations of sexual harassment leveled against GOP candidate Herman Cain in the 1990s while he was head of…

Touré: Herman Cain Is Nothing More Than a Black 'Minstrelsy' Entertai

November 1st, 2011 7:34 PM
The liberal media are clearly in a full-scale panic over the possibility that a black conservative could either win the Republican presidential nomination or become the eventual victor's running mate. On MSNBC's The Last Word Monday, left-wing author Touré went on a racially charged attack on Herman Cain referring to him as a black "minstrelsy" entertainer (video follows with transcript and…

NYTimes Editor 'Alarmed' at 'Right Wing' Pushback on Cain Story, Whine

November 1st, 2011 3:44 PM
New York Times editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal, better known as James Taranto’s punching bag at Opinion Journal, has a new blog at nytimes.com, “The Loyal Opposition.” On Tuesday Rosenthal posted the provocatively titled “Herman Cain and the ‘Liberal Media,’” where he broadcasts his alarm at how “quickly the right wing jumps on an issue almost in unison,” blames Republicans for injecting…

Bozell Slams Media Double Standard: Shielding Clinton, Pouncing on Cai

November 1st, 2011 3:03 PM
Editor's Note: In direct contrast to how ABC, CBS and NBC newsrooms all but ignored the sexual assault allegations against Bill Clinton from multiple women including Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick, the same networks are now salivating over an alleged act of harassment by Herman Cain from anonymous sources. NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell made the following statement…

NYT Quickly Fronts Vague Cain Charges, Ignored John Edwards Adultery A

November 1st, 2011 1:54 PM
There’s a clear double standard on sex allegations for presidential candidates in the New York Times. The Times put 15-year-old anonymous accusations of sexual harassment against GOP candidate Herman Cain on the front page Tuesday morning, in an off-lead story by Jim Rutenberg and Michael Shear written with help from five other reporters: “Cain Confronts Claim From 90s Of Harassment – He…

Politico: 'Restaurant Group Nixed Backing Cain,' But Decision Made Wee

November 1st, 2011 1:23 PM
"Restaurant group nixed backing Cain," reads a teaser headline on Politico's website today, hinting to casual readers that a National Restaurant Association (NRA) endorsement of their former chief Herman Cain was a done deal until Politico dug up an old out-of-court sexual harassment settlement.  The story was also plastered on the front page of the November 1 print edition, headlined "…

Networks Hype Vague Cain Charges, Ignored Sexual Harassment Claims Aga

November 1st, 2011 11:49 AM
Since the Herman Cain sexual harassment story broke late Sunday night, the broadcast networks have covered it extensively: full stories on Monday's morning news shows (ABC's Good Morning America led off their broadcast); full stories on Monday's evening news shows (the CBS Evening News made it their top item) and ABC's Nightline; and the top story on all three Tuesday morning shows. Cain's…

Networks Pile On Cain: Will 'Bizarre' Response to Harassment Claims 'D

November 1st, 2011 11:21 AM
All three network morning shows on Tuesday led with Herman Cain's response to allegations of sexual harassment in the 1990s and even speculated the scandal could end his candidacy, with NBC Today co-host Ann Curry proclaiming: "Damage control. Herman Cain changes his story....Will the controversy and his reaction to it derail his presidential campaign?" On ABC's Good Morning America, co-host…

Scarborough: 'Rush Limbaugh Would Be Making Fun of Herman Cain' If Ano

November 1st, 2011 10:45 AM
For the second day in a row, the lone so-called conservative anchor on MSNBC supported Politico's hit piece on Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. After saying Cain "made a fool of himself" with his inconsistent response to the allegations Monday, Scarborough said that if there were another viable conservative candidate in the race, "Rush Limbaugh would be making fun of Herman Cain…

Open Thread: Are Attacks Against Cain Similar to Attacks Against Clare

November 1st, 2011 10:25 AM
Despite allegations of sexual harassment during his time at the National Restaurant Association, conservatives are still rallying around GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, likening attacks against Cain to attacks against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. Cain has labeled the charges as a baseless witch hunt, denying sexually harassing anyone. Some are even suggesting that…

Unable To Produce More Cain Evidence, Politico's Allen Brags Of Big Nu

November 1st, 2011 8:30 AM
"This is the biggest single Twitter controversy of the campaign.  48,000 mentions!" That was Mike Allen doing his best "look--a squirrel!" dodge on today's Morning Joe.  Pressed by Joe Scarborough as to whether Politico had any more details beyond its story's vague allegation that Herman Cain had made gestures "that were not overtly sexual but that made women uncomfortable," Allen's telling…