Sharon Bialek accuses Cain of sexually inappropriate behavior

[brooklynite]

Source: CBS

A fourth woman said Monday that presidential candidate Herman Cain engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior with her more than decade ago, though Cain was not her supervisor at the time.

Sharon Bialek, the first woman to publicly accuse Cain of inappropriate behavior, said Cain was "sexually inappropriate" with her in 1997, saying he put his hand under her skirt and pushed her head toward his crotch after a dinner together. She said he backed away after she asked him to stop.

"I want you to come clean, Mr. Cain," she said in a New York City press conference at the Friars Club with her attorney, Gloria Allred at her side. Allred is known for her media savvy and for representing women who have had legal issues with the rich and powerful.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57319854-503544/sharon-bialek-accuses-cain-of-sexually-inappropriate-behavior/

---

We've now moved from "boys will be boys" workplace banter to to assault and quid pro quo demands. Much more serious if the Cain campaign can't provide compelling evidence that the incident didn't happen.

[Kingofalldems]

1. She sounded credible to me.

[BanTheGOP]

33. She is the most curageous woman of the year so far

The GOP assassins have been out in full force, so her courageous disclosure should put the emphasis that sex offender Herman Cain's political career is done. In addition, I hope that other women come out and file criminal charges against him, even this late in the game.



This should be his entry later this year, hopefully:

[skip fox]

41. Groper in Chief!

[LiberalFighter]

2. He acted like some teenage jockstrap

[democrat_patriot]

3. How does he provide evidence it didn't happen. His word?

He's toast.

Or maybe not. Let him get through to the general election, fine with me.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. By being credible.

At the least.

:think:

[kestrel91316]

4. K&R.

[annabanana]

5. There you go.. not faceless, not vague, not nameless. .

Let him respond to THAT..

[caseymoz]

53. You knew this was going to happen.

If there were three that were settled, there were more than that. I wouldn't doubt if more come forward. What astounds me is that he was seemingly unprepared for this. That level of hubris and stupidity disqualifies him for president even if the harassment alone wouldn't.

[SoapBox]

6. "Herb" The CainWreck...is scum.

[Lordquinton]

32. No

Not Herb Cain, too close to Herb Caen, an icon around these parts and nothing to do with that scumbag.

[truthisfreedom]

7. Please oh please oh please, Cain, make it all the way through the primaires!

Be the one! You're such a schmuck!

[nolabear]

8. And Allred read affadavits from the boyfriend and a friend supporting her.

He's done. And he should be done.

[caseymoz]

54. And if he's not, more will come forward.

And he's not like Arnold, or Bill Clinton. He's not charismatic, adept or well-advised enough to steer his way through this. That's already been shown.

[Kingofalldems]

9. I wonder if the Hilton keeps records from that long ago

[bigworld]

10. well, they wouldn't release them unless ordered by a court

... and she's not persuing it.

[avaistheone1]

11. I think this seals his fate as a presidential contender.

Cain is toast.

[Kingofalldems]

12. RW will go on the attack against this woman

[oldhippydude]

27. yes

Anita Hill comes to mind.. i have already heard the term high tech lynching..

[unionworks]

13. sounds more like attempted rape

Than "harassment". Love to hear from the others. Stay classy, GOP.

[RufusTFirefly]

14. Pssst! Cain was never really supposed to succeed

He was a Koch Brothers plant designed to popularize regressive taxation.
He'll be gone, but his appalling ideas will remain.

Mission Accomplished.

[hamsterjill]

25. He's also the token Black Republican

I'm sorry, but to me Herman Cain's entry into the race is to make the Republicans look like it's okay with THEM if we have a black president.

I wish we didn't live in a world like that, but we all know that much of the Republican animosity against Obama stems from the fact that he's black. By having Herman Cain run, the Republicans can say they aren't being racist.

[KansDem]

15. "...he put his hand under her skirt and pushed her head toward his crotch after a dinner together"

Wow!!! What a class act! :sarcasm:

Seriously, this is what happens when we make religious icons out of mere mortals who have little, if any, social graces. We do it with CEOs, athletes, entertainers, media darlings, and the like. Anyone whose face and comments, no matter how fake and inane, will get air time and $$$ for someone "rich and powerful."

When something like this occurs, I think of a scene from "Cool Hand Luke."* Luke, played by Paul Newman, has been played up big by the other prisoners. They all like him and have deep respect for him. He's an icon to them.

He escapes and is caught. He's brought back to prison, tired and beaten, and semi-conscious. He's dropped on the ground in front of the other prisoners. He's broken.

The Boss, played by Strother Martin, points to him and says dismissively, "There he is...your 'Cool Hand Luke.'" He then scoffs and walks away...

So GOP: There he is...your "koch brothers' brother from another mother...(KansDem then says, "Hmph," turns and walks away).

______
*If memory serves me correctly...

[MindandSoul]

40. I feel so sorry for his wife! Does anyone know why she didn't do the interview she had agree to do?

[onehandle]

16. Now he'll NEVER be President. nt

[Plucketeer]

17. Historical Footnote

"History in America" textbook - 2050 printing.

It should also be noted that America's first African-American president, Barack Obama, might have gotten the chance to run against an African-American challenger as he sought the second term he ultimately won. The challenger, one Herman Cain, was exposed as a purveyor of sexual harrassment towards women that were subordinate to him. Like a shooting stars bright, short, moment of note, Mr. Cain faded from view as quickly as he flashed outta nowhere.

[Iliyah]

18. yea, but the gop don't care

they hate Obama so much that they would turn their collectives head, hold their nose and vote for a sexual predator. Cain as well as Romney wouldn't be in control anyways because CARL Rove would be the secret President of the free world.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

21. And I hope they do. I want him to be the Republican nominee...

...BADLY!!!! :)

[Charlemagne]

19. How does the saying go?

It's ok if you are a Republican?

Yeah, that will likely apply here. They will blame the victim to save their conservative free-market hero.

[DallasNE]

20. This One Is A Replay Of Thomas-Hill

It is a she said-he said story with no hard evidence to back it up (at least none presented so far). The earlier women had filed actual complaints and received monetary settlements -- that much is known and all were for unwanted advances. Because Cain left the NRA at the time these unwanted advances were taking place it calls into question the reason Cain left both the NRA and Godfathers Pizza. After all, he was still a fairly young man in 1997-1999 so one wouldn't expect him to step down from a CEO position without a push.

[avaistheone1]

29. Where there is smoke this is fire.

I bet she has plenty of evidence to back it up.

Besides now she is number 4, and the list keeps growing.

Not looking good for slimey Cain.

[Kingofalldems]

23. As predicted in this thread, Pigboy Limbaugh already on the attack

[wordpix]

45. lol "Pigboy"---love the new handle

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

24. ugh. Gloria Allred - are they trying to make Cain look innocent by picking her?

That woman is a vile, tabloid-chasing joke. I'm surprised she had time off from the Octomom case to take this one on.

[redgiant]

26. Stick a fork in him. He's done. n/t

[wordpix]

46. and put the bread in to warm. He's toast

[JJW]

28. Sounds like he is Supreme Court Approved

He would fit right in and could sit next to Clarence Thomas. Perhaps they could share stories and write a book

999 takes on a whole new meaning.

[izquierdista]

30. "Little whitey"??

I swear, you can't make this stuff up. :rofl: :rofl: Talk about a deck full of race cards. :rofl: :rofl:


(For those unaware of Polish etymology, bialy is white; -ek is the diminutive suffix)

[skip fox]

31. One thing we know about sexual abusers, it's never a one time thing.

I predict that since there are three women who can back up the confrontation by pointing to documents or people who were told at the time, that there are a number of others as well.

The main GOP will drop him as unelectable at this point and his backers will be only the far-right base. His polls will plunge this week, and he'll either quit the field or become a minor (one-figure) candidate by the weekend.

[garybeck]

34. Cain faces new claim of sexual misconduct (groping)

Source: CNN.com

Washington (CNN) -- GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain faced a new claim of sexually inappropriate behavior Monday as a Chicago woman told reporters the former head of the National Restaurant Association groped her after a dinner together in 1997.

Sharon Bialek, who worked at the restaurant group's education foundation until shortly before the alleged groping incident, said Cain unexpectedly put his hand on her leg beneath her skirt "toward my genitals." She also said he pushed her head toward his crotch.

Cain stopped when she protested, Bialek told a news conference.

Looking into the television cameras, Bialek said: "I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean. Just admit what you did."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/07/politics/cain-allegations/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[Raven]

35. That is not groping, that is assualt. Let's not minimize what he is

accused of doing.

[garybeck]

36. just quoting CNN.... I agree with you. n/t

[Blue Owl]

37. Herman Cain: Gropin' his way to the oval office

n/t

[Alameda]

38. I wonder when is he going to claim he's being lynched?

[truthisfreedom]

43. I just heard this story on NPR and it's much worse than this article reports. She says she told him

she had a boyfriend, and that this was not what she had gotten together with him for, that she had come to him looking for help to find a job, and he indicated that his help was contingent on her complying with what he wanted.

[L. Coyote]

39. Is he running for Justice of the Supreme Court?

:rofl: to replace Clarence Thomas? :rofl:

[femrap]

42. And she's

a White Republican Mother.

[truthisfreedom]

44. The story is getting much worse. This was just on NPR, too:

" Sharon Bialek of Chicago became the first woman accusing Herman Cain of sexual harassment to go public Monday, describing an alleged incident in Washington in 1997 in which the presidential contender, then the president of the National Restaurant Association stuck his hand up her skirt and tried to pull her head toward his crotch.

“I said, ‘What are you doing?’” alleged Bialek, who said she had contacted Cain for help getting a job. “You know I have a boyfriend. This isn’t what I came here for.”

According to Bialek, Cain answered, “You want a job, right?”

Bialek claims that after the incident she rejoined her boyfriend and told him that Cain had been “sexually inappropriate.” She also said she had confronted Cain recently at a Tea Party event and asked him, “Do you remember me?” and that he had confirmed that he remembered her and looked uncomfortable. "

http://www.politicususa.com/en/sharon-bialek-herman-cain

[wordpix]

47. If a potential male boss won't talk about business in an office, don't go

Young women, especially, should think twice about going out alone for drinks & dinner with a male potential boss. They could put themselves in an even worse situation than this. Certain men take the acceptance of an invitation for drinks and dinner as a signal that sex is for dessert.

[alp227]

48. I sense something connected to Cain's "blame yourself!" quip to unemployed people.

Bialek was looking for a new job and discussed with Cain. Then for some reason Cain behaved badly towards her. So Bialek didn't work at the Natl. Restaurant Assoc. (correct me if I'm wrong). Hmm...

[caseymoz]

49. Sharon Bialek, Herman Cain Accuser, Speaks Alongside Attorney Gloria Allred At Press Conference

Source: Huffington Post

Sharon Bialek, the fourth woman to come out and make sexual harassment allegations against Herman Cain, appeared alongside her attorney Gloria Allred at a press conference on Monday.

According to Bialek, the Republican presidential candidate exhibited inappropriate behavior when he was serving as head of the National Restaurant Association more than a decade ago.

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 head and brought it towards his crotch." She said that she was "shocked" by the behavior.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/sharon-bialek-herman-cain-accuser_n_1080056.html

---

So, this is the type of thing Herman Cain couldn't remember? Didn't know whether it was settled or whether there was an "agreement?" And he did it to at least four different women?

This was a woman who was out of a job and asking him for help. You could tell what his program for the jobless might be like.

Not only did he do this, but what blows my mind is, he ran for President as though he thought it wouldn't be a problem, and wasn't prepared in any way to be confronted with it. You talk about a blinding sense of entitlement due to wealth. It tells me that he thinks every guy acts like this. That's the reason why you hear him, and Limbaugh, say it must be race related.

Who didn't know Republican politics was heading this direction in the mid-90s? Where any lout with money could be considered a serious GOP contender for President. You could see he was as big a joke as Donald Trump before this sexual harassment story broke.

Well, stick a fork in him. He's done. The only way he'll be nominated now is with a Romney disguise.

[msongs]

50. repubs worship their perverts, look at diaper dave from louisiana nt

[No Elephants]

51. He said he just put his hand at chest height and said to a petite woman,"My wife comes up to here

on me."

And, just for that, the woman made a sexual harassment complaint.


I took him at his word. :rofl:

[caseymoz]

52. What woman wouldn't seize that opportunity to make a fortune . . .

. . . off a job dynamo like Cain? He compared her height to his wife, and that woman thought, "My ticket has come in! I know our activist, liberal courts will hand me a fortune."

:sarcasm:

Yeah, and apparently, that happened three times. Cain continued to say vaguely creepy, but innocent things to women, and they kept nailing him.

Those money-grubbing gold-diggers.

[Thor_MN]

55. OTOH, I would not be surprized if they paid some women to make claims

that can be proven to be untrue, to discredit the women that have come forward....

[caseymoz]

57. Harder to do than you think.

Maybe if they had prepped it beforehand, however, it appears that Cain does not have that level of forethought. Putting that together post hoc now that the story is two weeks old is going to be impossible. First, you have to find women willing to do it, and willing to take the scorn that will result once the charge is disproved. Second, she had to have had some verifiable association with Cain in the past for it to be even the least bit credible to begin with. So, they basically have to go through his black book and find somebody.

Lastly, once it breaks, they have to somehow erase the paper trail and make sure nobody leaks it. Despite what you might think, there are bound to be one or two GOPers in the loop who won't like the plan, or one or two so proud of it they have to boast.

But none of this will happen because Cain isn't a star candidate anyway. Nobody's going to do this for him. No, he's done.

[sarcasmo]

56. Looks like magic undies Romney is the nominee by default.