Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
Attorney and syndicated radio talk show host Mark Levin is nightly highlighting Politico’s scurrilous exercise in yellow journalism against Herman Cain (podcasts available here). After five days, Levin points out, no specific details have been provided with which to charge Mr. Cain with anything. Moreover, Cain’s lack of specific knowledge about whatever the heck this is all about is understandable given what we do know.
- A Title 7 sexual harassment allegation is made against the employer, not the employee target of the complaint.
- Company counsel and human resources professionals conduct any Title 7 investigation. The target’s involvement, if any, is limited to being an interview subject.
- Any settlement is reached between the complainant and the company. The target of the investigation is not a party and will have no specific knowledge of the settlement.
- The key purpose of hermetic confidentiality, even as to the existence of the settlement itself, is to protect the future employment prospects of the complainant.
Joel Bennett, attorney to the anonymous complainant, confirmed yesterday that Cain is not a party to the agreement made between his client and the National Restaurant Association.
Mr. Bennett is now asking the NRA to waive confidentiality, but only partially, allowing him to issue a statement on behalf of his client, but not providing Mr. Cain any information with which to respond.
Bennett told CNN the statement will not include his client's identity because she is trying to "remain private." The statement would be a summary of "what she did and why she did it" but not include specifics about any incidents or any settlement, Bennett said.
If this request is granted later today, we will endure the further spectacle of Herman Cain being asked to respond to an anonymous statement alleging something-or-other—still unspecified—supposedly linked to a still-confidential complaint and settlement agreement to which he is not a party and that nobody reporting on this has ever seen; all of this concerning an event, which, we are told, was of a non-sexual nature but nevertheless made someone feel “uncomfortable” a dozen years ago.
This next step in the smear will not enable anyone to test the credibility of the accuser or the plausibility of anything in the statement. There will still be no documents, no evidence and no sources provided. But voters will once again see images of a frustrated Herman Cain flailing as he attempts to respond to something that, frankly, can’t be responded to.
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Sep '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I'd like to hear what Juanita Broaddrick has to say.
Aug '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
So this is a classic "when did you stop beating your wife " gambit ?
Or a big ol' wag the dog to keep the OWS slime from dripping into the public eye, as the Fast n Furious blood seeps through the floorboards ?
Mar '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
Funnily enough, I was just listening to Mr Levin on the way into work (I subscribe to his free podcasts) - he does a masterful job, as you would expect of a lawyer.
At least it's giving Mr Cain practice in crisis management, and shows him (and us) what an uphill struggle he has in saving the country.
I can imagine a situation where Mr Obama wins by default, which of course is the Alinsky plan.
Oct '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
Imagine that. Three posts above and no Ricocheteer has yet thrown Herman Cain under the bus.
Let's see how long this record stands.
Sep '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
We all knew that something of this sort was coming. And with Obama's horrendous record, the dirty politics will just get worse during the general election cycle. The key question to ask is how will The Herminator respond. The result is a mixed bag so far. The super-PAC ad that just came out is good - link him up with Clarence Thomas. The flailing and apparent story-changing is bad, but I think it will fade away soon.
Apr '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I'm in the unusual, for me, position of being sad to see Romney topping a national primary poll. I hope some good luck blows Cain's way, or at least that next week's debate is interesting enough to help us move on from here. It would be a terrible incentive for future campaigns if the lead candidate could be taken down by this sort of thing.
Jul '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
Regardless of what actually happened, how Cain is handling the whole thing is not giving me a good feeling about a Cain presidency.
Mar '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
raycon: Imagine that. Three posts above and no Ricocheteer has yet thrown Herman Cain under the bus.
Let's see how long this record stands. · Nov 4 at 10:39am
Post #7 - just as Alinsky planned.
Even Jonah Goldberg (in his weekly newsletter) is throwing Mr Cain under the bus, along with Mr Romney - sigh. Mr Obama is laughing.
Edited on Nov 4, 2011 at 11:03amRe: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
But Wade, how can he handle it? Cain may never have even seen the complaint and therefore be unaware of the specific allegation. If he is indeed innocent, it follows that he would not recall anything specific to talk about. The journalistic gambit has been to toss the words "sexual harassment" into the air-- "look at this! Over here!--and then when asked about details, coyly reply, "Details? You'll have to ask Mr. Cain about the details."
But he can't know the details, by the very nature of the way sexual harassment claims are handled.
Then, as Cain racks his brain to provide more information, the new story becomes "Cain's Inconsistencies!"
What about Politico's yellow journalism?
Of course, Cain could be a cad; something might have happened, in which case he should be drummed out of the race in disgrace.
But as of now, there are no dates, no documents, no incidents, no witnesses, no sources, no named accusers, no nothing.
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I might as credibly accuse Cain of sexual harassment myself.
May '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
This allready happened with Palin.
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
The Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential column reports the following tidbit:
Sep '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
Does anyone remember Obama's run against Jack Ryan?
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I sure do. In fact, I highlighted candidate Obama's uncanny luck in campaigning virtually unopposed for both the Illinois and U.S. Senate in a post two days ago .
Jun '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
This is a total crock. If you listen, as George has said, to the method in which, by law, these complaints were handled in the 1990's (it is different today) and how the supposed instigator is never given an opportunity to give anything but an interview before the case is settled between the complainant and the company (not the accused individual). That being said, Cain has done an horrific job of dealing with this. Essentially blaming the Perry campaign and then retracting the next day was attrocious. Mark Block needs to slide into the mist and Mr.Cain needs a true heavyweight to run his campaign. He is in the big leagues now. He has to produce as such.
Dec '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I think there are several possible good outcomes for Cain resulting from this.
1) Some argued John McCain won the nomination because he made his mistakes early enough to recover. Remember, McCain was finished in August? Then, while the rest of the field started taking hits, his bruises were healing and the memory of the hits on McCain was slipping down the memory hole. Cain has time to recover still and he really hasn't lost anything in the polls anyway.
2) This episode will prove Cain's ability to learn. If he's teachable, he'll learn not even to get on the playing field with Obama's media lapdogdoodles, as Mark Levin (and George) so effectively describe. If not, he'll just keep stepping in something gooey and odoriferous. I think he'll learn.
3) The media lapdogdoodles are having a Pavlovian response. It will further erode their already severely damaged credibility with the electorate. Conservatives aren't the only ones who know hypocrisy, absurdity, and smears when they see it.
Yes, a similar thing was done to Bork and Palin. But, remember, after Bork, we still managed to get Justice Thomas. Maybe Palin is Cain's Bork.
Jul '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
The fact that Cain isn't some smooth smarmy snake like Romney is amusing to me and actually a touch endearing as I despise politicians.
This journalism now is exactly what we can expect from the media regardless of whoever runs against evil emperor obama.
Put an R on anyone and they'll get my vote over barry.
Jul '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
The fact that Cain isn't some smooth smarmy snake like Romney is amusing to me and actually a touch endearing as I despise politicians.
This journalism now is exactly what we can expect from the media regardless of whoever runs against evil emperor obama.
Put an R on anyone and they'll get my vote over barry.
Sep '10
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I am most fascinated by the conservative press’s “scoring” of how well Cain is playing the game. They don’t give him high marks. What the press, conservative and otherwise, fails to realize is people are fed up with “the game” and how politicians and the press play it. Ordinary people view the country as being run into the ground by a ruling class and their conservative and liberal lackeys in the press. This they rightfully view as a serious tragedy. Cain’s popularity in large part is due to the fact he has placed himself outside of the establishment. This farce will not hurt him. My biggest problem with him is that he is not nearly as outside the establishment as he portrays himself.
May '11
Re: Yellow Journalism: Politico and Herman Cain
I remain somewhat skeptical of Cain but that is a way of life for me. I was encouraged by the report that during this frenzy he spent an hour meeting with Henry Kissinger and Kissinger claimed to be impressed that Cain seemed to focus on what foreign policy positions would be good for his presidency rather than what would make good soundbites for a debate.