Cain accuses Perry of orchestrating Smear campaign-Perry floats idea of Romney camp as culprits

[Douglas Carpenter]

By JEFF ZELENY, JIM RUTENBERG and MICHAEL D. SHEAR
Published: November 2, 2011

WASHINGTON — A defiant Herman Cain accused Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, a Republican rival, of orchestrating a smear campaign to destroy his presidential candidacy, as additional accusations emerged Wednesday that Mr. Cain made unwanted sexual overtures to women while he led the National Restaurant Association more than a decade ago.

As he sought to contain the fallout that consumed his campaign for a third day, Mr. Cain shifted his blame from the news media to the Perry campaign. He accused a top political adviser to Mr. Perry of leaking details of one allegation, saying the adviser learned of it while working for Mr. Cain’s failed bid for the Senate in 2004.

A spokesman for Mr. Perry called the suggestion “patently untrue,” and denied the campaign was the source of the disclosures that have upended the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Mr. Cain took aim at his rival after The Associated Press reported that a third woman had come forward with an allegation of sexual harassment at the restaurant association in the 1990s

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/us/politics/herman-cain-accuses-rick-perry-of-smear-campaign.html

Rick Perry camp floats Mitt Romney as culprit in Cain affair


By ALEXANDER BURNS | 11/2/11 9:33 PM EDT
As Herman Cain blames Rick Perry for the stories about his alleged sexual harassment, one Perry spokesman suggests another culprit:

"That is false, patently untrue, no one at this campaign was involved in this story," said Perry communications director Ray Sullivan.

Sullivan then suggested to CBS News and National Journal reporter Rebecca Kaplan that Mitt Romney's campaign is behind the allegations.

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"I wouldn't put it past them," he said, stating that blog posts have noted that Cain's successor at the Restaurant Association "is a big Romney donor."

"There are much closer connections between the Restaurant Association, Cain and the Romney camp than there are with us," he said.

I asked Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul to respond to the insinuation that her campaign was involved in the story. Her response: "Not true."

When Jennifer Rubin asked the Perry campaign if they had evidence Romney was tied to the story, Sullivan answered: "I'm simply citing the ties between Romney camp and based on the facts."

All that is not, needless to say, a way to de-escalate things.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67500.html#ixzz1cbYEXA6j

[Skip Intro]

1. .

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. yeah, I know - accidental clicked the wrong button prematurely

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. this story is getting interesting

[Jack Rabbit]

4. "I wouldn't put it past them" -- Ray Sullivan

I wouldn't put it past any of them.

Earlier today, or maybe last night, I speculated that it might be Karl Rove acting as a loose cannon in what he believes to be the best interests of the GOP. However, it is a definite fact that Mr. Cain was accused of sexual harassment several years ago. Therefore, I must apologize to Mr. Rove. There is clearly no truth in the notion that he could be behind this story. It he were, it would be a complete fabrication.