Tag Archives: Harassment

Scandal still pays well; any bids out there for the stories of Cain’s accusers?

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The great American past time, scandal, still pays and pays well.

Take for example Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of man-slaughtering Michael Jackson. Murray apparently took in $300,000.00 to tell his story,

The Conrad Murray documentary Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Fatal Friendship is set to air tonight on MSNBC. Murray was allegedly paid $300,000 by NBCU to appear in the film. According to Radar Online, none of that money will go to Murray himself. Most of it is for his lawyers and some will go to his girlfriend.

Source of Quote: Matthew Fleischer, “NBCUniversal, MSNBC and Other Media Outlets Sued by Conrad Murray Creditors,” MEDIABISTRO.COM.

Karen Kraushaar and Sharon Bialek, and perhaps others, are on the sidelines for the moment. They want to host a “joint press conference” of Herman Cain’s accusers so that they can present what they call their “Body of Evidence” about  allegations of Cain’s sexual misconduct. But, they don’t want to meet the press now.

> Why the wait?

> Could there be a bidding war going on behind closed doors by various media organizations for exclusive rights to their stories?

> Is America on hold until they net the highest bid?

After all it will take a boat load of money to pay their lawyer bills if they get sued!

> And, what is the fair market value for “The Girls of the NRA” to tell their stories yet again if it is the case that a bidding war is taking place?

Conrad Murray’s story fetched $300,000.00. I don’t even want to speculate how many more zeros they could get especially if there are on the stage together when they tell their stories again

Of course, they may not want any money at all. That’s what they have said so far.

They simply may want another chance to fullfill what they feel is their public duty to present their stories again to the American people.

Maybe America will listen the next time around, and knock Herman Cain out of the GOP nomination sweepstakes for President.

Who knows? We’ll wait and see!

Cain accuser wants a joint press conference; a “Body of Evidence” drama in real time

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Madonna: she starred in a steamy erotic thriller: “Body of Evidence.”

Karen Kraushaar: she is the second Herman Cain harassment accuser to go public.

Kraushaar, a director of communications, called for a joint press conference for all the accusers so that, as she coined the phrase: ”all of these allegations could be reviewed as a collective body of evidence.”

Really-a collective “body of evidence?”

Curious: Did Kraushaar coin a sound bite for her going public press conference for the purpose of alluding to Madonna’s movie?

Roland Martin Reports (quote):

Karen Kraushaar, 55, an employee with the Treasury Department’s inspector general office, said she never wanted her name to be made public as one of Cain’s accusers. But a news organization published her name Tuesday and she now says she is ready to go before cameras.

Source of Quote: ROLAND MARTIN REPORTS

Martin included a quote by Kraushaar that she wants a “joint press conference” for all of Cain’s accusers:

“I am interested in a joint press conference for all the women where we would all be together with our attorneys and all of these allegations could be reviewed as a collective body of evidence,” Kraushaar told The Washington Post.

Source of Quote: James V. Grimaldi, “Karen Kraushaar now wants to go public with other women with allegations against Herman Cain,”   THE WASHINGTON POST

 MJB’s Take

> The notion that all of Cain’s accusers will be center stage in front of the TV cameras and the media, to tell their stories at a “joint press conference” sound like a script for the high drama stuff in film and on reality TV.
 
> But what readers may not realize is that Kraushaar’s choice of words may not have been just conversation. Kraushaar, who has a graduate degree in communications, and who works as a communications director, may have used “collective body of evidence” intentionally picking up the title of a controversial movie starring Madonna: “Body of Evidence.”
 
> Madonna’s movie was not just some run of the mill flick. As noted by WIKIPEDIA: 
 
Body of Evidence is a 1993 erotic thriller produced by Dino De Laurentiis and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Uli Edel and stars Madonna and Willem Dafoe, with Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore and Jürgen Prochnow in supporting roles.
 
> Kraushaar’s words, “body of evidence,” were expressed in the context of suggesting that the highly publicized sexual harassment allegations against Herman Cain be retold again at a joint press conference. It may not be coincidental that her words allude to a controversial film starring Madonna, an erotic thriller, the plot of which is described by WIKIPEDIA as follows:
 
 An older man, Andrew Marsh, is seen viewing a homemade pornographic tape. It is later revealed the man died from complications stemming from erotic asphyxiation. The main suspect is the woman having sex with Marsh in the film, Rebecca Carlson (Madonna), who after being charged with murder is represented by lawyer Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe).
 
> Political media characterizes Herman Cain’s campaign as an “art project.”
 
> Is this business about a joint press conference for all the accusers, so that the sexual harassment allegations are viewed in the court of public opinion as, in the words of Kraushaar, a collective body of evidence, a well scripted ”art project,” that is, a tactical political attack dramatizing the allegations so as to invite comments by political media, hopefully with allusions to the steamy movie, an erotic thriller, in order to destroy Cain’s character and influence voters to reject his candidacy?
 
> Oh no, that can’t be so!!
 
> And, who devised this political strategy-the accuser, her lawyer, a media organization or a competitor?
 
Other Web Coverage

Cain: Accuser No. 4 news conference coverage bags over over 24T comments from Huff Post online community

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Huff Post Headline 

Sharon Bialek, Herman Cain Accuser, Speaks Alongside Attorney Gloria Allred At Press Conference (VIDEO)

See VIDEO: Linked in Huff Post: Uploaded in Sidebar.

Huff Post Article (quote):

Bialek said the alleged incident in question occurred down the street from the NRA headquarters. Describing what happened, she said, “Instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over and put his hand on my leg, up my skirt, and towards my genitals.” She recalled that when she protested the advances, Cain said, “You want a job, right?”

Bialek alleged that Cain also “grabbed [her] head and brought it towards his crotch.” She said that she was “shocked” by the behavior.

Link to Story: HUFFINGTON POST

MJB’s Take

> An accuser has come forward, and has spoken at a press conference. Of ourse, she will make the rounds of the morning Talk TV shows.

> Has the saga now become a turning point in Herman Cain’s campaign for the GOP Presidential nomination?

> Will the coverage influence a sharp dron for Cain in the polls?

> Can Cain win the Iowa Primary?

> Or, is he done?

Other Web Coverage

Cain saga continues: Accuser No. 4 goes public, celebrity lawyer, news conference and all

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Well, well, well-over the last 14 years, and for the last two weeks when the accusations initially broke and generated a tsunami of online buzz and mainstream coverage by political media, who knew other than the purported accuser, and when did they know, about the alleged incident?

If it was known, then it’s odd that it took so long for the accusations to go public, and to go public now!

Round 4: In a made for TV televised news conference, celebrity lawyer and all, accuser No. 4 goes public with her sexual harassment, and for this round + sexual assault, accusations against Herman Cain.

Michael D. Shear and Trip Gabriel, “Accuser Details  Lewd Behavior by Cain,” in THE CAUCUS, the politics and government blog on nytimes.com, write (quote):

A Chicago woman alleged on Monday that Herman Cain grabbed her in a sexually aggressive way when she sought his help after losing her job at the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s.

Sharon Bialek, accompanied by the celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, became the first woman to publicly accuse the presidential candidate of sexual harassment, saying that she wants to “give a voice” to other women who might have been harassed by Mr. Cain during his tenure at the association.

“I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean,” Ms. Bialek, who said she was a Republican, told a packed news conference in New York City’s Friar Club. “Just admit what you did. Admit you were inappropriate to people, and then move forward.”

Text of Caucus Reader’s Comment

One of the readers, in Comment No. 14, reacted (quote):

By: Planet Earth

November 7th, 2011

3:13 pm

If all Sharon Bialek wants is for Herman Cain to “come clean”, than why is she hiring Gloria Allred….a worse opportunist than Alfred Sharpton. 

The media should be asking Bialek why she was fired, and why did she return to “seek employment”. I think she only returned to seek retribution by making things up. Now she just wants a book deal.

Source of Quotes: THE CAUCUS BLOG 

MJB’s Take

> To borrow a line: “If it’s hard to believe, .  .  . then it’s unbelievable!” Read James LeBeau

> We’re now into week three with this stuff, so the Cain saga continues!

> What’s Next:  Next week, will the accusations move up a notch or two?

Other Web Coverage

 

Sunday TV talk shows (11/16): Herman Cain’s harassment saga

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POLITICO‘s Patrick Gavin, in TURN THE TABLE, a preview of the Sunday morning TV talk shows, talks to the major media talk show hosts about Herman Cain, the controversy concerning the sexual harassment accusations and the effect the saga will have in the upcoming GOP primary elections.

See VIDEO: Sidebar

It’s significant that Cain has maintained his standing in the polls under the weight of the negative publicity surrounding the accusations.

Also:  Jonathan Martin, “Herman Cain accuser attorney: Settlement dated 9/99, Kilgore signed,” Read POLITICO.COM  A 9/99 settlement? That’s spooky!

Herman Cain is on a roll with major media coverage, and has run the table this week on getting that coverage on all the major networks.

With the accuser declining to come forward, it looks like for now he will keep rolling and rolling along.

Articles to the Point

Forget the polls and deal with political reality: Cain’s gonna lose anyway! ala CBS News

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As a contender for the GOP nomination, is Herman Cain finished?

One analysis by an experienced political writer for CBS News suggests that Cain is for all practical purposes a non entity in the race for the GOP nomination.

Brian Montopoli, in “Analysis: the Herman Cain sideshow,” writes (quote):

All over this website – all over every news website – you’ll find stories about Herman Cain and the Great Alleged Sexual Misconduct Imbroglio. In addition to detailing the latest revelations and the ugly finger pointing, many are asking: Is this story going to sink the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination?
 

It’s the wrong question. That’s because, no matter what the polls say, Herman Cain is not the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination. His candidacy is at best a long-shot and at worst a sideshow, a bit of late-fall entertainment before the serious business of electing a president begins in earnest. 

 

Source of Quote:  Read  CBS News PoliticalHotsheet Blog

Obviously, CBS News wants credit for calling the likely outcome of the Iowa Primary as of today, at least for Herman Cain’s candidacy, and to portray his candidacy as a lost cause.

Do you agree:

1.  Montopoli: Herman Cain is not “the front runner for the [GOP] Presidential nomination?”

Our Translation: Something’s wrong-the polls, particularly the recent ones, cannot possibly be right!

2.  Montopoli: Herman Cain’s candidacy is “at best a long-shot?”

Our Translation: There’s no such thing in Presidential politics as a low-budget grassroots campaign which warrants serious consideration. Cain’s campaign is a lost cause that’s clogging up the Internet and the airwaves, and, is soaking up pristine mainstream political media coverage when it’s apparent he’s not likely to win the GOP nomination anyway!

3. Montopoli: Herman Cain’s candidacy has become “at worst a sideshow?”

Our Translation: The Presidential election is the Super Bowl of elections in American politics!

So why is the pristine mainstream political media wasting valuable time, resources, talent, online content and airtime giving serious coverage to Cain, his show and his shoe string candidacy, which for all practical purposes have become national jokes, when it should be focusing on candidates who are real Presidential material, with highly credentialed campaign organizations, supported and endorsed by GOP stars and funded with serious political money!

Our Reaction: We understand your frustration.

Our Counsel: Don’t be quick to write him off now.

Our Take

> Sure, the prospect for Herman Cain winning the GOP nomination seems dismal because of his missteps, the sheer weight of the sexual harassment drama playing out in the media and other problems he’s been dealing with.

> But, if it turns out that the drama is no more than he said/she said incidents, with no intimate contact, and should Cain and his team stop making mistakes, then Cain could survive, get past the crush of the negative media coverage and position himself to be a winner!

>  Note: Surprise! Surprise! A poll was coincidentally reported today. One commentator observed [no, just believe it isn't so]:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of Likely GOP Primary voters shows Cain with 26% of the vote over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s 23%.

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While Cain’s edge over Romney is within the margin of error, this is the first time the former CEO has held any sort of lead in a national primary poll. Last month, Cain and Romney were tied at 29% each. In September, Cain picked up just seven percent (7%) of vote and Perry was the frontrunner.

The latest survey was conducted Wednesday night, after three full days of press coverage about the sexual harassment allegations against Cain.

Source of Quote:  The Daley Gator, “Cain Now Leads All GOP Candidates Nationally In Latest Poll – 11/03/11,” READ BLOG POST

Update/MSNBC VIDEO: [Uploaded in VODPOD  Sidebar (11-03-11] Lawrence O’Donnell, host of THE LAST WORD, discusses reported new details on the accusations against Cain. His guests are split on whether the saga will affect Cain with voters in the Iowa Primary.

In Closing

> Montopoli: You think you and your colleagues are working hard now!

> Should Cain survive and win the Iowa Primary, all of you will be working harder than any of you ever did or expected to do in your media  life!
 
> But, it can be fun. After all, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell is getting a thrill a minute talking about and trashing Herman Cain on THE LAST WORD!

Other Web Coverage

Accuser No. 3 rains on Cain’s campaign parade with sexual harassment allegations

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Herman Cain  is in play now more than he ever was before.

Alleged victim and Accuser No. 3 rains on Herman Cain’s campaign parade with her accusations of sexual harassment.

Frank James, a seasoned political writer who hosts IT’S ALL POLITICS Blog for NPR wrote:

Herman Cain’s sexual harassment crisis worsened Wednesday with a third woman telling a news organization that he sexually harassed her when they both worked at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

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According to the Associated Press, the third woman has asked that her name not be made public out of fear of retaliation.

But the story she told the news agency offered some of the sharpest details yet of Cain’s alleged actions when he served as the unpaid chair of the restaurant association from 1996 to 1999.

AP reported:

A third former employee says she considered filing a workplace complaint over what she considered aggressive and unwanted behavior by Herman Cain when she worked for the presidential candidate in the 1990s. She says the behavior included a private invitation to his corporate apartment.

She worked for the National Restaurant Association when he was its head. She told The Associated Press that Cain made sexually suggestive remarks or gestures about the same time that two co-workers had settled separate harassment complaints against him.

The employee described situations in which she said Cain told her he had confided to colleagues how attractive she was and invited her to his corporate apartment outside work. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she feared retaliation.

Cain’s campaign declined to comment.

 

Source of Quotes:  NPR IT’S ALL POLITICS BLOG

When will the rain of accusations stop?

The problems with Accuser No. 3 and her story are: (a) that she did not complain about the alleged harassment to the NRA when it happened; and (b) she does not want to reveal her identity.

Of course, as noted in the AP report sourced by James, Accuser No. 3 “offered some of the sharpest details yet of Cain’s alleged actions.” There’s no way to verify what she’s alleging. But yet, her accusations are getting coverage in mainstream political media!

What other mystery women will surface and leak their stories of alleged harassment to the media and get mainstream coverage?

At this rate, there could be unverifiable accusations from a slew of undisclosed women every day of the week against Herman Cain and anyone else  until the Iowa Primary!!

Is this what we expect as the best in political journalism from mainstream media?

Other Web Articles
     Another day, another sexual harassment claim against Cain (capitolhillblue.com)

             Lawyer Says Cain Violated Confidentiality Agreement on Sexual Harassment Settlement 

             (news.firedoglake.com)