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Bennett: This Is Not a ‘Lynching’ of Herman Cain

Bill Bennett writes: 

It is hypocritical in the extreme for those members of the media who didn’t take the charges and allegations against Bill Clinton seriously to be taking the allegations against Herman Cain that we now have as seriously as they are. Hypocritical is probably too soft a word, frankly.

That said, Herman Cain and his campaign chief of staff, Mark Block, cannot go on as they have. There has been a pattern now that is both unhealthy for our politics and unhealthy for our polity.

Four women are not an insignificant number. One or two anonymous charges, perhaps. Three anonymous charges (where, as I understand the story, Cain knows of at least two of the women) plus one woman who went very public and opened herself up to all manner of investigation are a lot. It is no longer insignificant. Neither is it insignificant that the Cain campaign discounted the charges in the initial stories, saying they were based on anonymous sources, only to make a mockery by blaming other campaigns with less substantiation than the original stories.

If Herman Cain wants to be taken seriously as a public advocate for anything, never mind running for the chief executive and commander in chief of the most powerful and important and blessed country in the world, he needs to give a full press conference dedicated exclusively to this issue and these allegations.

I have watched long enough and held my tongue long enough to give him the benefit of the doubt, but can no longer say this is a witch hunt, “a lynching” to use his word, or any other euphemism. There are allegations out there that matter and they have stacked up. For we who led the charge against Bill Clinton on a number of related issues to continue to blame the media or other campaigns or say it simply doesn’t matter makes us the hypocrites as well.

New on The Corner. . .


COMMENTS   71

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   11/07/11 20:22

Well said, Sec. Bennett.

And Mr. Cain, let's not hear any Clintonian parsing when you make your reckoning on these questions.

So, let's not hear stuff about how they weren't settlements, they were severance packages.

Let's not hear you deny that there was harassment while not denying (nor affirming) that the incident actually took place.

Let's be clear on this, Mr. Cain.

This isn't a question of whether a law was broken.

This is a question of your moral character.

And whether you have lied through your teeth to the American public.

I hope and pray that you have not.

But your conduct and your careful parsing suggests that you have.

Time to make your reckoning.

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Andy Williams
   11/07/11 20:23

I've had enough, too. Not a lynching? Perhaps Dr. Bennett should reacquaint himself with another surging Republican candidate's past and ask where the outcry is over Speaker Gingrich's past sexual transgressions.

External Link 

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   11/07/11 20:40

He's done. Finished. His 15 minutes are up.

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2nd Treatise
   11/07/11 21:05

As the Leonaidas in the movie 300, said to the man who approached him on a gaudy platform, stepping down to meet Spartan king on the backs of his men, "Let me guess, you must be Xerxes?"

Let me guess, you support Romney?

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Lemon
   11/07/11 20:40

You go Bill! Bad to be hypocritical about this. Just because the media coddles libs, doesn't mean our guys get a pass on despicable behavior -- like this.

And, for the record, you can see why no sane woman who first went through the harassment, would want to be back in the spotlight.

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   11/07/11 20:46

This is complete BS. With a left very motivated to keep its hold on the reins of power and three UNIDENTIFIED women sifting through unaccountable media sources which lean left their as yet undocumented stories about claims settled through reportedly minor termination payments, followed by a woman who resembles Liz Ray making twelve year old charges substantiated by nothing but a couple of sworn statements from friends (who often tend to share political motivations) - no charge of assault at the time, no contacting his employer to report his alleged behavior, nothing.

And, of course, when we finally do have a woman come forward with her "he said, she said," it is a blonde, white woman.

This whole thing stinks to high heaven. And, the piling on without revelation of evidence documented AT THE TIME the events allegedly occurred and with individuals subject to public inquiry isn't convincing, it just compounds the smell.

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   11/07/11 21:20

This is smarmy cr*p I expect from Paul Begala.

Blonde, white woman? Your point there is what? Bialek didn't wait 12 years, she waited 14. Guess what? Juanita Broaddrick waited 20 before she went public. It's not just he said/she said. It's a whole bunch of shes - and now there are details, which Cain failed to address today. Liz Ray? You're getting into "Drag a hundred-dollar bill through a trailer park" territory.

I've been giving Cain the benefit of the doubt on this story all along until now. Today he blew it. If the charges are so bogus, why didn't he address them? Instead, he gave us the SOS. We've got 4 women now - one with specifics and one whose lawyer said had a story that matched Bialek's - plus the Clinton years as a big fat reminder what happens when you look the other way and you still think it's "complete BS"?

Geez.

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Edmond
   11/07/11 21:47

Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? I have. What is he supposed to say other than that it is completely false? How can he address something details of something that did not happen?

If some woman accused you of the exact same thing today, what would you say? Could you prove that you did not so something 14 years ago?

It's easy to make accusations.

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 Rook
   11/07/11 22:29

We have one woman linked to Gloria Allred and three Miss Anonymouses..

Interestingly Clinton never denied the Broderick charge. Cain has denied this charge. If he's lying about her, she needs to take him to court.

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   11/08/11 00:24

I'm sorry I offended you and I agree that it is smarminess one might expect from Paul Begala. What has he been up to while this story has been developing?

The reason I brought up the blonde white woman is because I knew where those motivated to destroy Cain's candidacy while also injuring the Republicans in general would go with it. And they have.

External Link 

Juanita Broderick knew about the bimbo patrols. Paula Jones was invited to Bill Clinton's hotel room by a state trooper. Those are some fairly intimidating forces surrounding the abuse those women suffered which might discourage disclosure for a number of years. And, those women told others the details immediately. Neither of those factors is apparent here.

Cain has likely worked with a great many women. So far we have three unidentified's with a few facts which sound weak (a statement she was same height as his wife with Cain holding hand palm down behind chin), reports of payments which sound like fairly small termination amounts to rid the company of nuisances, and one woman who was so unbothered by the alleged assault that she accepted a ride back to her hotel from Cain and left out all details of their alleged encounter when reporting the event to the two people who now come forward to "substantiate" her claim.

So, yes, I do still think it is complete BS.

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   11/07/11 21:29

The left? She was a Tea Party Republican.

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 Rook
   11/07/11 22:28

Riiiight......

You do parrot the script, don't you.

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steveeboy
   11/08/11 09:41
2nd Treatise
   11/07/11 20:57

Let me follow this logic. Sarah Palin was dogged by frivolous law suits and ultimately resigned. Each of the complaints were ultimately knocked down. You seem to assert that because it is alleged that Cain committed, at first, unspecified acts that he should defend himself against them? Now, with a supposed victim coming forward to make specific allegations that only she can prove, he should say what exactly that hasn't been said by his campaign or that he hasn't spoken to directly?

Just like Bernard Goldberg has done polling or referenced polling about newsrooms in America and the overwhelming liberal bias, I'd like to see a poll of NRO contributors and their preference for the GOP nomination.

Don't get me wrong, if Cain did what he is alleged to have done by Bilek, it is despicable and should be condemned. It does seem inconsistent with the person people have described who have worked with him closely, including many credible women, suggests is likely.

So, after he tells the world when he stopped beating his wife, what do you suggest he do then? This isn't advice you've offered, nor a strategy but a desire to have him concede and go away because it makes you uncomfortable. I'll concede that It is dispiriting and tiring. However, I'm uncomfortable replacing Obama with an establishment RINO, especially when the House is being led by the same herd and the horns in the Senate are too numerous to overcome even with a result like we had in 2010.

What will you say when it's Romney's turn?

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   11/07/11 20:59

Gloria Allred always shows up at political lynchings of Republicans. Coincidence?

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   11/07/11 21:23

Didn't she represent one of Weiner's setting partners?

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2think55
   11/07/11 21:00

I am so angry at Cain. HE KNEW THESE SKELETONS WERE IN HIS CLOSET. This mud WILL splatter the Tea Party. SHAME ON CAIN!

I can't stand the hypocrisy of those who continue to stand up for Cain. Character STILL counts. Obama has none. Holder has none. Pelosi has none. Reid has none. Clinton (both Bill and Hill) have none. The MSM has none. Let's not be like the left

Cain is toast. Obama is burnt toast. Clinton (the first black president) is a soggy donut. Stick a fork in them. Let's get on with making sure Obama loses in 2012 or we will be living Orwell's 1984.

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   11/07/11 21:01

The left is doubling down on its attack and some conservatives are falling for the shtick.

1. This woman said that she didn't file a complaint because she didn't work for the company. However, what she accused him of was sexual assault. If there was any credibility, she would have filed a police report.

2. She is just assaulted, yet she has him drive her back to the hotel. Why not get out?

3. Her reaction to being assault is "You know I have a boyfriend." Why not, "get away from me"

4. Which "Republican" (as Allred claimed), who wants to go public, thinks first to call Gloria Allred?

5. They refused to take questions

I find this woman's story has a lot of holes, and its on the burden of her to prove credibility.

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   11/07/11 21:22

Laughable.

She is on Piers Morgan as we speak. Very credible. Cain is a goner. Shame, I would love him to be the face of family value Republicans for as long as possible.

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   11/07/11 21:40

Why?
Is the principle this: "Hypocrisy discredits principle"?
If so, are you a nihilist, or are all your principles hypocrite-free?
Or have you not yet noticed that partisan charges of hypocrisy are almost always double-edged swords?

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