Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

This really is a full service blog.

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

We won’t go back.

You are here: Home / Politics / An Unexamined Scandal / GOP Pollster Chris Wilson Claims to Have Witnessed Cain Sexually Harass Co-Worker

GOP Pollster Chris Wilson Claims to Have Witnessed Cain Sexually Harass Co-Worker

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aaaaaaand the other shoe drops.

It’s getting interesting folks!

Republican pollster Chris Wilson has come forward, claiming that he witnessed Herman Cain sexually harass a co-worker while Wilson and Cain were both employed at the National Restaurant Association.

From KTOK News Radio in Oklahoma:

Oklahoma political consultant Chris Wilson says if the woman behind the reported sexual harassment complaint against GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is allowed to speak publicly, it’ll be the end of Cain’s run for the White House.

Interviewed today on KTOK’s Mullins in the Morning, Wilson, of Wilson-Perkins-Allen Opinion Research headquartered in Washington, D.C. explained he was a witness to the incident. “I was the pollster at the National Restaurant Association when Herman Cain was head of it and I was around a couple of times when this happened and anyone who was involved with the NRA at the time, knew that this was gonna come up.”

Wilson described the woman as a low level staffer who was maybe two years out of college. “This occurred at a restaurant in Crystal City (Virginia) and everybody was aware of it,” he continued. “It was only a matter of time because so many people were aware of what took place, so many people were aware of her situation, the fact she left—everybody knew with the campaign that this would eventually come up.”

And from POLITICO:

Chris Wilson, now the principal of an Oklahoma-based GOP consulting firm, said in an interview on Oklahoma City’s KTOK radio station that the episode took place in the neighborhood where Cain kept an apartment when he headed the restaurant trade group.
~snip~

In an interview with POLITICO, Wilson said he was present for the episode and that it took place in the late ’90s.

Wilson declined to say specifically what Cain said or did to the woman, but that the CEO’s actions made other individuals at the table uneasy.

“It was very uncomfortable,” said the pollster, recalling that other individuals present asked Cain to stop.

Wilson said there were at least three other people at the gathering but wouldn’t share the name of the woman for publication.

Oh and the kicker? Apparently, Wilson is “a Rick Perry supporter and does polling for a Super PAC that supports the Texas governor’s presidential bid.”

Indeed.

This Cain business just got velllllly intellesting.

[cross-posted at Angry Black Lady Chronicles]

Reader Interactions

137Comments

  1. 1.

    eyelessgame

    My random comment on this is “Go to intrade and buy stock in Newt Gingrich’s chance of becoming the nominee.” NotRomney needs a new host body; it is burning them out one after the other, and the next man standing is Newt. No, he won’t get the nomination. But he’s about to rise in the Republican polls, because they haven’t acquiesced to Slick Willard yet, and there’s absolutely no one else viable.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    (Posted this in the previous thread, but it’s too hilarious to let drop)
    The Cain campaign knows who to blame:

    “Quite frankly, this is one of the actions in America that is the reason people don’t get involved in politics,” he [Cain’s chief of staff] told Fox. “The Perry campaign needs to apologize to Herman Cain and his family, and to America, for this despicable action.”

    Apologize to America, Rick Perry!

  4. 4.

    lamh34

    So Cain’s accusing Perry, Perry’s campaign’s accusing Romney, and POTUS is on his way to France to do “real Presidential stuff”.

    This guys are ridiculous. I’m def sitting back with popcorn on this.

    As people have said, I don’t think this hurts Cain at all right now unless it comes out that the women are white, then it all over but the signature, IMHO.

    eta: limpballs blames Romney

  5. 5.

    Geoduck

    Seconding lamh and others: none of this will hurt Cain with the GOP base, no mater how many victims/witnesses there were. Romney will still get the (very reluctant, teeth-chenching) nod in the end, but it won’t be sexual harassment charges that bring Cain down.

  7. 7.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Geoduck:

    The game changer with the base will be if one of the accusers, just one, is white.

    Then you basically clear the table and start all over. Because the dynamic shifts if that happens.

  9. 9.

    rikyrah

    bwa ha ha ha ah ha

    Now, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these are Snowflakes that Cain harassed.

    hee hee hee hee

    karma….undefeated

  10. 10.

    gf120581

    Great, the entire GOP presidential field is devolving into an episode of Dynasty. If the notion of Rick Perry as Alexis Carrington doesn’t give you nightmares, nothing will.

  12. 12.

    MikeBoyScout

    What did Cain say?
    Did he use number combinations?
    Did he talk about fruit?
    Did he jokingly stumble through a 4 syllable word?

  14. 14.

    lamh34

    I read somewhere, that Nate Silver over at 538 tweeted something about rumblings that “the Grifter” was rethinking her decision not to run…I’m guessing it was a joke tweet, but let’s just imagine the fun that would be…I’m sure we’d run out of popcorn.

  17. 17.

    gbear

    No More Mr. Nice Blog is betting that it’s Carl Rove, not Perry, who’s behind this. Rove is playing this to make it look like Perry is to blame. The argument is convincing, and it’s exactly the kind of shit that Rove would do.

  18. 18.

    Jenny

    Big mistake.

    Cain should continue blaming the liburel media, not Parry. He can generate a backlash among the base with the former.

  19. 19.

    feebog

    I said in an earlier thread that it didn’t matter whether this woman came forward; others undoubtedly knew about it and would leak it out, bit by dreadful bit. So here we go, chinese water torture, GOP primary edition.

  22. 22.

    Turgidson

    @dmsilev:

    Apologize to America, Rick Perry!

    I agree that he should. But not because of anything he may have done to Herman Cain.

  25. 25.

    Calouste

    @Jenny:

    Not that many delegates in Iowa and New Hampshire, and there is probably the possiblity of a write-in in a number of cases. An Axelrod-level campaign team could sort that out. Technically it is not impossible, but practically any GOP candidate, and specially Palin, would be too incompetent to pull it off. Although if they hire Mark Penn and do the exact opposite of what he tells them, they might get close.

  27. 27.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Calouste:

    Although if they hire Mark Penn and do the exact opposite of what he tells them, they might get close.

    OK, the spit take started the cat, so numerous injuries here…

  28. 28.

    Reality Check

    How many women did Clinton sexually harass? He was even accused of rape in one case, but IOKIYAD.

  29. 29.

    The Dangerman

    @Jenny:

    She can’t reconsider. The filing deadlines have already passed.

    Some deadlines have passed (Florida was 10/31, IIRC), but I don’t think that a lot of deadlines have passed. I could be wrong.

  30. 30.

    gbear

    I take it back. I would rather click over to Politico than be subjected to comments by Reality Check.

  32. 32.

    jl

    A perfect scandal storm to wash up retro middle age white dudes on the beach, so we can watch them flop around and gasp for air.

    The stuff sounds too retro goofily misogynist to believe, but remember that they are letting off steam that they have to be careful around many other amusing racial and ethnic others when they would like to tell a little joke or two and just have some fun.

    Right now I agree with the Cole Hypothesis that this stuff will not hurt Cain with the GOP primary crowd. Until one of the harassed is ID’d in public, then there might be some tension in some parts, since I have a hunch Cain’s tastes are somewhat too eclectic for bigots.

  36. 36.

    Baud

    @Reality Check:

    How many women did Clinton sexually harass? He was even accused of rape in one case, but IOKIYAD.

    I’m a Democrat, but I completely agree with you. Cain is being treated really unjustly, and the Republicans, if they have any dignity, can’t let the Dems get away with this. They need to rally around Cain and make him their nominee, or the Democrats will never learn their lesson.

  38. 38.

    dmsilev

    @Jenny: Only a few of the deadlines. If she really was serious about jumping in, it’s no big deal. Run as a write-in for a few states, which gives you license to spin just about any outcome, and then regular ballot access for the bulk of them. And if Palin does get in, she instantly becomes this month’s NotRomney. Also, given how many GOP debates there are in the calendar, poor Tina Fey begins drinking heavily.

  39. 39.

    jl

    @lamh34: Some of the sociopathic stunts people like McCain (last cycle I know, but let’s walk down memory lane) Perry, Santorum, and now looks like Cain, have done in the past are bad enough. But what about all the inappropriate remarks I heard in the GOP debates? These reporters don’t seem to be bothered by the candidates spouting ignorant and violent fantasies in public.

  41. 41.

    jrg

    @Reality Check:

    How many women did Clinton sexually harass?

    What? $40 million plus on the Starr investigation, and you still don’t have an answer for that? Guess you’ll have to pull a number out of your ass. I doubt you’ll have a problem with that.

    He was even accused of rape in one case

    This is me accusing you of sodomizing a poodle.

  42. 42.

    jl

    @Baud:

    ” Cain is being treated really unjustly, and the Republicans, if they have any dignity, can’t let the Dems get away with this. They need to rally around Cain and make him their nominee, or the Democrats will never learn their lesson.”

    I second that.

    Looks like Reality Check has us beat on this one. Let’s all throw in the towel and go out for a few drinks to celebrate.

    Cain in 2012!

  43. 43.

    AxelFoley

    @lamh34:

    So Cain’s accusing Perry, Perry’s campaign’s accusing Romney, and POTUS is on his way to France to do “real Presidential stuff”.
    This guys are ridiculous. I’m def sitting back with popcorn on this.
    As people have said, I don’t think this hurts Cain at all right now unless it comes out that the women are white, then it all over but the signature, IMHO.
    eta: limpballs blames Romney

    Ah, I love the smell of napalm Repub on Repub cannibalism in the evening.

  46. 46.

    Baud

    @Reality Check:

    I told you all I’m for Romney. Cain for VP, maybe.

    You’re just a sell-out. Probably a RINO, even. Republicans fall in line, remember? It’s Cain or bust now.

  47. 47.

    arguingwithsignposts

    OT, but someone linked in an earlier thread, and this phrase from kthuglu just struck me:

    I have to admit that I have a sneaking suspicion that this is in part driven by KDS (DS for derangement syndrome): some people will rush to take a position precisely because I have debunked it. But anyway, it’s really, really wrong.

  48. 48.

    Linda Featheringill

    @Baud: #40

    Cain is being treated really unjustly, and the Republicans, if they have any dignity, can’t let the Dems get away with this. They need to rally around Cain and make him their nominee, or the Democrats will never learn their lesson.

    :-)

  49. 49.

    Larryb

    @Reality Check: If there is a point to this story other than purience and shadenfreude watching the Repubs destroy themselves, It’s maybe the idea there was some coercion. I’m not sure anyone but Paula whatshername accused Clinton of trying to go where they didn’t want him to and I don’t recall her as being too credible once she came forward. Bill was a sleazy bastard, but apparently a charming one.

  50. 50.

    Reality Check

    Regardless, with 9%+ unemployment with no end in sight, things are lining up nicely for an Obama loss.

  52. 52.

    jl

    Any half hearted pseudo reactionary poseur troll who betrays a fine candidate like Cain is not welcome at this here miserable lefty blog.

    We want real trolls who are committed to the cause.

    Ain’t that right you damn BJ kids who should be getting off right thinking people’s lawns?

    Edit: ha ha, I forgot for a moment that Realty Check is a DougJ spoof. A real troll would forge ahead into something about these modern trollops who are just ‘asking for it’ (it is after all, the Official Talking Point of the Day, as we have seen) and not start Multiple Choicing its talking points in the middle of this grave public crisis.

  54. 54.

    Rome Again

    Funny! I was at Freeperville yesterday just to see what they were saying and they were all pissed and sure Romney did this. Now today they’re all angry at Perry. In reading the comments I found this little gem:

    Ugh, this is a bloodbath.
    Look for Gingrich to benefit.
    Then all of HIS stuff will come out.
    In the end, it’s going to be Romney.
    How the **** did we get here when we had three years to find a real conservative leader?
    This sucks.

    Haha. Love it!

  58. 58.

    Jason

    The media scent blood. They love republican ideology but they love panty-sniffing even more, especially when said panty-sniffing is being driven by Cain’s own Republican rivals. I’m starting the countdown until “embattled” Cain implodes after accusing media of a “high-tech lynching.”

    Truth is, a lot of male politicans are pretty similar: narcissistic, superficially charming men. They all skirt chase young women and pressure them because it’s part of the colossal sense of entitlement they feel, that the world should worship and adore them. Clinton /was/ a sleaze, but a /successful/ sleaze, who could usually get what he wanted by using his charm. Cain sounds like the unsuccessful type, someone who resorts to arrogant bullying tactics.

  59. 59.

    Reality Check

    @LTMidnight:

    Yes, but unemployment had been HALVED since 1932. Obama hasn’t halved unemployment or even lowered it even slightly since he took office.

  61. 61.

    Karen

    It sounds like that Chris Wilson just gave Cain the ammunition against the Perry campaign. The Cons were already off of Perry, this will only kill the Perry campaign and the Caine people will come off smelling like roses.

  62. 62.

    Reality Check

    @LTMidnight:

    Well Pawlenty dropped out and Perry well..imploded. I hate Santorum and Huntsman and Newt is a has-been, and Cain and Bachmann not experienced enough. So Romney by default now I guess.

  63. 63.

    AxelFoley

    @Reality Check:

    Regardless, with 9%+ unemployment with no end in sight, things are lining up nicely for an Obama loss.

    Obama’s kicking all your candidates’ asses, and he hasn’t even started campaigning in earnest.

    No, with that bench you guys have, things are lining up nicely for an Obama win. Thanks for playing, though. Show the man what he won, Johnny.

    Johnny: “A new car one-way trip to GoFuckYourselfistan!”

  67. 67.

    jl

    A moderate (for the current) GOP troll? For reals?

    Now, if it were Huntsman, Reality Check might get close enough to reality for polite conversation here.

    I would never vote for Huntsman and would work mightily against him, since he has tried The Pander, and failed. Which sounds kind of kinky, to try the pander. That moves him up a notch in my estimation, but enough to ever vote for him.

  70. 70.

    LTMidnight

    @Reality Check: FDR took office 3 years after the economy bottomed out. BTW, unemployment was at 25%, so half of that would be 12.5%

    So no, FDR didn’t half it.

  71. 71.

    Reality Check

    @jl:

    Romney isn’t a moderate, he’s conservative enough especially o n fiscal issues. I really don’t care much about social issues anyway except to get evangelical turnout and that’s what Romney flips on so whatever.

  74. 74.

    AxelFoley

    @Reality Check:

    Once we have a solid nominee he will catch up in the polls. Obama CANNOT win in this economy. Never.

    They said the same thing about him winning the Presidency in the first place.

    You see how that turned out.

  78. 78.

    Reality Check

    @LTMidnight:

    McCain lost because of a combination of white guilt, the fact McCain was borderline senile, and Republicans controlled the federal government during an economic collapse.

  79. 79.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    Maybe instead of arguing here with a bunch of people who have no intention of voting for a Republican, you should go over to Free Republic and try to sell that sauce to them. Good luck trying to get them to agree with you that Romney’s conservative enough. Bwahahahahaha!

    Get going boy! You have a LOT of work to do!

  81. 81.

    danimal

    The poor woman is about to undergo a humiliating public interrogation. Too many people know her name; it will be leaked. Her story will be politicized and her experience will become a GOP Rohrschach test. And that will be the end of her privacy and her life as she knows it.

    Times, apparently, three.

  82. 82.

    Reality Check

    @Rome Again:

    They hate Obama so much they’ll vote for Romney. Even the Jesus Freaks who hate Mormonism will vote for Mitt because of how much they HATE Obama. You have no idea how much the entire GOP loathes that incompetent piece of shit of a “President”. He’s an arrogant, spiteful little punk.

  84. 84.

    scav

    @jnfr:

    I love the way cleek keeps adding new lines to the pie filter. It cracks me up every time.

    Well, it’s more than the trolls can manage on their own. Ok, Ok, Most trolls: Chex_mix’s political poster is apparently a flip-book by his own account.

  86. 86.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    and Republicans controlled the federal government during an economic collapse.

    You seem to be the only Republican that understands this, perhaps you need to instruct your fellow righties on this point too?

  88. 88.

    Reality Check

    @Rome Again:

    I said they happened to control it during a collapse. That’s different from causing it. What caused it was Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and the “Community Reinvestment Act”. Too complicated to go in here but google it.

  89. 89.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    You haven’t spent much time at Freeperville. I constantly read many of them saying they will NOT vote for Romney, under any circumstances.

  93. 93.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    No, actually I’ve been reading there for a long time and these are long time posters saying this.

    ETA: These are a LOT of long time posters saying this. There is very little support for Romney at all on Free Republic. Many of them are on the Cain Train, a few for Perry, one or two for Santorum. I see an occasional pro-Romney statement, very rarely.

  94. 94.

    Reality Check

    @Rome Again:

    Let me rephrase that. Republicans controlled the Presidency. If you remember, the Congress was Democrat controlled from January, 2007 on. hmmmm….and the economy was doing just fine until it became Democrat controlled…

  99. 99.

    Rome Again

    @LTMidnight:

    Notice he turned to me because he’s uncomfortable acknowledging White Guilt for you.

    As I read it, White Guilt is a large amount of white people feeling sorry for the conditions of slavery so they threw support behind a black man. Interesting, since Obama was NOT nearly the first person to run for president as an African American. I’m a white person who voted for Obama, because he was smart, and he still is.

  103. 103.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    You made a goof-up and you don’t want to admit it. Republicans controlled economic policy and it tanked under them. You admitted it and you don’t want to own up to it now.

    LMAO! Funny stuff!

  105. 105.

    Hill Dweller

    @Reality Check: What policy did the Dems get past a Republican filibuster and Republican President’s veto that wrecked the economy?

    The truth is Bush presided over the most anemic job growth since WWII. Even before the recession, median household income was dropping, despite overall GDP growth(a first in US economic history).

    Bush was as unmitigated disaster. It’s virtually impossible to overstate his level of incompetence.

  106. 106.

    Rome Again

    @Reality Check:

    A Democrat controlled congress that gave Bush a whole lot of what he wanted. We Democrats tried to play fair, unlike your side, who sits on their laurels and votes on re-re-affirming “In God We Trust” as our national motto while people are unemployed.

  107. 107.

    WeeBey

    Regarding Palin in Iowa: Those wishing to support her could caucus uncommitted and then write her in with their delegates to the state convention, provided they can garner 15 percent representation in any given precinct.

  108. 108.

    ABL

    @gbear: It’s totally Rove. If these women are going to break the settlement agreements, they need to know that whatever liability they’ll incur for doing so will be covered.

    I doubt the Perry campaign would get mixed up in something like that at this early stage.

    It’s got Rove’s paw prints all over it.

    I can’t wait to see the agreement. I’m like a kid in a candy store.

  109. 109.

    Reality Check

    @Rome Again:

    You don’t read DK? Well, too bad, because it’s pretty much the hardcore base of the Democrat Party. And they’re pissed at your guy.

  112. 112.

    Rome Again

    @uptown:

    I’m more of an E Pluribis Unum person myself, but some people don’t like that idea. Apparently they don’t like what America’s FIRST motto stood for.

  114. 114.

    RossInDetroit

    You know, if this Cain scandal was a movie I’d have been at the box office after the first reel demanding a refund.
    It’s just so full of stupidfail.

  117. 117.

    Jason

    @Rome Again:

    I constantly read many of them saying they will NOT vote for Romney, under any circumstances.

    Yeah, but they always say that. Some of them were saying that about George Bush, for chrissakes, in campaign 2000, because they thought he was too soft on abortion. They always come home in the end. They are like a spoiled child who refuses to have any dinner but chocolate mousse. Eventually, they always give in and eat what they are served.

  118. 118.

    fuzed

    Wow, (A) Crystal City Restaurant. There’s one restaurant that comes to mind. “Crystal City Restaurant” Go ahead – google it. (poles).

    Please Please let it be there.

  119. 119.

    RossInDetroit

    @Jason:

    They always come home in the end. They are like a spoiled child who refuses to have any dinner but chocolate mousse. Eventually, they always give in and eat what they are served.

    I hope not. I’m counting on the Romney Effect to depress GOP turnout and help the Dems in down ticket races.

  120. 120.

    brettvk

    @ABL: I may be crediting Rove with too much competence in ratfucking, but it occurred to me that the perfect bank shot would be Rove tipping Politico off to the Cain harassment history, but sourcing it for them inside the Perry campaign — Mitt’s only two real rivals take each other out. I read somewhere that Rove and Perry have serious hateons for each other.

  121. 121.

    imbrium

    @Reality Check:

    I do read kos and…well, keep telling yourself what you want to believe. I hear confirmation bias always represents reality.

    As for the Freepers…you mean the democrat troll Jim Robinson that runs the site and has openly declared an all-out jihad on Romney? The one who has pledged FR will turn into a Romney opposition site should he get the nod while banning any vocal Romney supporters? Well I guess he’s just one guy…

  122. 122.

    RossInDetroit

    @brettvk:

    the perfect bank shot would be Rove tipping Politico off to the Cain harassment history, but sourcing it for them inside the Perry campaign

    If that actually happened, Rove has really outdone himself. It’s an Uber-Machiavellian move.

  124. 124.

    Jebediah

    @Reality Check:

    I am Not DougJ God almighty I even had a dialogue with him last night!

    Well, there’s the proof, then. That would be completely impossible to fake, what with modern kerning-checking technology.

  125. 125.

    jaywillie

    @Reality Check:

    I was for Pawlenty at first, and then Perry, but I’m going with Romney now.

    That’s just friggin’ poetic coming from a Romney supporter. Hey, at least you won’t have to worry about what positions he’ll take on an issue, since at one point or another in his political career he’s probably taken all of them. I love that you think the Vulture Capitalism Golden Waffler is a shoe-in to win in 2012. Eh, doesn’t matter–anyway the GOP goes you end up with a deeply flawed candidate.

  130. 130.

    Jason

    @Rome Again: Really. See some of the freeper invective directed at John McCain. In the end they swallowed their pride and got behind the candidate. After all, his opponent was a Muslim Atheist Socialist Elitist Radical Ideologue and Flip-flopper.

  131. 131.

    Berto

    Reality Check blames the economic collapse on the CRA. Classic. I bet “some of his best friends are” minorities too.

  132. 132.

    karen marie

    @jl: Since there’s not going to be a Dem primary, I’m going to vote for Cain! in the Massachusetts Republican primary.

    Every little bit helps.

  133. 133.

    karen marie

    @Reality Check: And now you think we should let Republicans have a majority in the House, Senate and the office of president so they can fix what they broke the last time?

    Really?

    That is definitely good news for John McCain.

  136. 136.

    xian

    @bemused senior: you act like the troll is looking to learn something. it’s more like a catechism from the counter-reformation (“if they say this, answer with that”). a bot could do better.

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