Cain says he was 'falsely accused' of harassment

>>> well, he's become the most famous campaign operative of the cycle.

>> we need you to get involved because together we can do this. we can take this country back.

>> mark block, the chief of staff for the herman cain campaign and the guy running the show there. his candidate planned to focus on his economic today but it's a new -- yesterday the -- last night the spokesman j.d. gordon didn't deny the specific allegation that somehow these two women left the national restaurant association after a financial settlement.

>> first of all, chuck, let me tell you that herman cain has never sexually harassed anybody, period, end of story. the only people who spoke publicly about the story in that article are the ones that were in the best position to know. they were the chair, vice chair and immediate past chair of the national restaurant association during herman cain 's tenure. yet all three -- and all three said that he was a man of total integrity. every negative word and accusation in the article is sourced to a series of unnamed or anonymous sources , and this is questionable at best. i am not personally aware of any cash settlement relating to sexual harassment charges to mr. cain .

>> have you asked mr. cain that question?

>> yes, i have. and he said to me emphatically, when there is facts, bring them to me. let me face my accusers and we'll deal with it then.

>> i can tell you, i have my own sourcing on this that talks about a cash settlement from somebody who was familiar and was working at the national restaurant association . i understand there are nondisclosure agreements on this and that's part of the reason why you're going to get sometime some of this tougher sourcing on this because in order to get the money you had to sign this. but there's a lot of string here. is he issuing a flat -- even to you that doesn't sound like he's giving you a flat-out denial.

>> i would suggest that you contact the national restaurant association and ask them about any settlement. i am not personally aware of any settlement dealing with mr. cain .

>> you understand how that sounds?

>> yes, i do. it's very serious.

>> no. the fact that you cannot say it and you're telling us that we have to go to the association.

>> that's the place to get the answer on if there was a settlement.

>> how concerned are you that this story, because you can't -- you can't and the campaign cannot be the ones to stop this, that you're saying we have to go there.

>> i think mr. cain will be addressing it today. and again, mr. cain has never sexually harassed anyone, period.

>> did you ask him about the allegations?

>> yes, i did.

>> not just about the financial part but about the allegations?

>> absolutely.

>> and you're comfortable -- was is a miscommunication between he and the women.

>> he said emphatically the story is not true. bring me some facts, bring me my accuser and that's the way we should handle this in today's society, shouldn't we?

>> well, it's a new world order .

>> kid of like the cigarette.

>> well, you brought up the cigarette thing. i want to play yesterday on "face the nation" herman cain was asked specifically about this now famous viral video that's made you an internet star and frankly tv star. let's go to the back and forth here.

>> was it meant to be funny?

>> it was meant to be informative. if they listen to the message where he said america has never seen a candidate like herman cain . that was the main point of it. ignored or whatever the case may be.

>> it's not funny to me. i am a cancer survivor like you. i had cancer that's smoking related. i don't think it serves the country well, and this is an editorial opinion here, to be showing someone smoking a cigarette. you're the front runner now. i would suggest that perhaps as the front runner you'd want to raise the level of the campaign.

>> do you -- you were saying before, you said you had had a conversation with the cbs folks.

>> yes.

>> tell me about it.

>> and i have been on the record that i do not condone anybody smoking. i would not encourage anybody to smoke. i by choice smoke. and as we have said in the campaign many times, one of the reasons that we're in the first place in polling and whether it be texas and iowa or nationally is we let herman be herman and mr. cain lets block be block. i smoke, it's a fact. now, we never anticipated that this message to our supporters, which is really what it was, that we were excited about the campai campaign, we were excited about the poll numbers. everybody knows that we're running this as a different type of campaign from a bottoms up instead of a top down. never anticipated that it would go viral the way it did. i mean, chuck --

>> so you're not longer -- are you going to make sure you're not filmed smoking a cigarette anymore?

>> if i'm standing outside of a hotel having a cup of coffee on my iphone and i have a cigarette and somebody films it, there's nothing i can do about that.

>> i understand. but you're not going to be having your campaign filming you.

>> absolutely not.

>> i want to go back one more time to the politico story. if the facts come out and mr. cain wasn't clear with you, how disturbing is that to you?

>> i have complete confidence that what mr. cain told me is absolute factual and true, chuck.

>> what gives you that confidence?

>> i've known him.

>> but you're confidence, 100% confident that all parts of this story are inaccurate.

>> yes.

>> 100%?

>> yes, sir. how many times do i have to say it.

>> there may not have been a miscommunication between mr. cain an those staffers.

>> right.

>> and did he leave under normal circumstances?

>> yes, he did.

>> you've asked him all of these questions?

>> yes, sir.

>> i want to go to the campaign strategy that you've done.

>> yes.

>> uf spent a lot of time in alabama, a state whose primary is far away . you and mitt romney are leading in iowa and have spent the least amount of time in iowa . what are we missing here? what is the old school political world missing here?

>> couple of things. one is the internet, the new media or digital media , and our ability to communicate with people that way. the fact that a video goes viral like it did and i'm being told there's over 20 million people that have seen that. but more importantly we have been in iowa -- there's only one candidate that's been there more than us. we have been in iowa early, we have built an organization in iowa , new hampshire, south carolina , florida, nevada, and we're opening up other states. our campaign, and this is a very difficult thing to understand, is really a bottoms up campaign, as a by-product of what happened on april 15th of 2009 with the explosion of the tea party movement or the citizens movement, as mr. cain calls it. you don't need this very structured top down organization to be able to deliver a message.

>> now we're showing live pictures. your candidate, your boss has taken a seat at the american enterprise institute . you think he could say something at top.

>> we would ask everyone to remain seated for security purposes and at 10:05 we'll begin a round table conversation with lots of geeky nerd types who study taxes. we're going to talk about the details of 9-9-9. welcome. it's very great to have you here.

>> it's my pleasure, happy to be here. boy, this is -- turn it down -- pull it down just a smidgeon.

>> you didn't turn it on?

>> because i tend to project. so pull it down just a smidgeon. i'll blow this thing to smitherines.

>> we didn't hit the power when they miked me up. you're loud and clear.

>> i'm happy to be here. thank you very much. i want to thank all of you all for being here.

>> thank you very much, mr. cain . to get rolling right away, it's halloween, so if you're going to go as one of your political opponents and you really want to square people tonight, who would you dress up as?

>> it has to be one of my political opponents?

>> let's say one of your republican opponents because president obama would be a layup sglo for that.

>> that is a trick question . i believe i would go as ron paul .

>> okay. so mr. cain , you've talked a lot in the debates about how business experience is different from political experience and may be preferable now. i wonder if you could talk a little bit about how you think your business experience has influenced the design of 9-9-9.

>> all right, mr. block, i know we'll be talking about the economy and we'll be monitoring this and turning it around. let me ask you one other question about -- you talked about april 15th , 2009 .

>> yes.

>> you got your start, i believe, at americans for prosperity ?

>> correct.

>> what is your relationship with the koch brothers, and what is it that their interests in which you've been doing and what is their interest in the cain campaign?

>> you know, it's interesting we get tied to the koch brothers quite a bit. in fact i was doing an interview over the weekend where i had stated that when i was a director of americans for prosperity , not once, not once were we ever given the directive on how to take a stand on a policy based upon what the koch brothers, koch industries felt or said. we were really given the autonomy to run our state organizations the way we thought --

>> how many times have you met them?

>> probably about four times.

>> when was the last time you've talked to them?

>> probably about a year ago.

>> so are they donors to the cain campaign?

>> no, they have not.

>> have you asked them to be?

>> every time it is suggested in the media that we're fronts for the koch family, i would suggest that if they are donating to us, their payments are past due.

>> tomorrow you're going to be holding -- mr. cain is holding sort of an open house , if you will, for congressional republicans to come, a meet and greet.

>> yes.

>> do you expect some endorsements tomorrow?

>> don't know if we are going to get endorsements tomorrow. the number one reason we're in washington this week besides the typical doing the tv shows and stuff is for the congressional and senate delegations to get to know mr. cain , to get to know what his platform is, his bold ideas on things like 9-9-9 and some of the other policy things we're going to be rolling out. they really want to understand how this campaign is structured. what are we doing in iowa , what are we doing in new hampshire.

>> are you giving a presentation?

>> i'll be with mr. cain . i'll let him answer the questions. the way that we've run this thing, and you have to admit that not many people understand why are we first in the polls.

>> right.

>> why are we first in iowa . why are we statistically head-to-head with governor perry in texas. and i think the majority of it has to do with the cain 's message of leadership that really is resonating.

>> his message or the resume, the fact that he's never held elective office?

>> i think both. i think both.

>> are you concerned that what's -- you know, this story.

>> yes.

>> one of those feeding frenzy moments that could be 24 hours it could go away or it could last all week, how this is happening at this time that could really undercut your ability to sort of get the republican party around you?

>> chuck, we went into this knowing full well that this is a tough, tough business. okay? this is not and will not be the first. i have no idea what the other crises, as we call them, will be. but we have a long road to hoe. it's a long way between now and november, 2012 . i think that we will handle them all professionally and we're not going to change our campaign strategy. everything that we've done up to this point has worked beyond our expectations and we're just going to -- as i usually say to my staff, keep your head down and sell tickets.

>> how much money did you raise this month?

>> we're over $5 million.

>> so more than a million a week.

>> average $1.25 million a week.

>> and how many more staffers have you added in the early states?

>> we went from 32 staffers the day of the florida straw poll to 63 today. so we've doubled in the last 30 days .

>> mark block, chief of staff to herman cain , thanks for coming in this morning.

>> thanks for having me. i look forward to being back.

>> we'll be in touch and we'll have you back.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45099767/ns/politics-decision_2012/

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