Herman Cain and the weekend of the long knives

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 7/17/2004 | Jim Galloway and Tom Baxter

[CondiArmy]

At the front end of the last weekend before the Republican vote for U.S. Senate, with something historic almost within his grasp, Herman Cain found himself the man in the middle.

Both his rivals on Friday set about clawing away his supporters, in the grim, last-minute fashion traditional to Georgia.

For Cain campaigners new to politics or to Georgia, the pincher movement was breath-taking.

Over the radio, rival Mac Collins set about making sure white voters know that there's more to Cain than the color of his eyes. Under the radar, taking aim at core Republican voters, Johnny Isakson put out a mailer that flirts with the truth:

• Herman Cain "donated money to pro-choice Democrat Senator Kerrey," the flyer says.

Isakson has raised $5.5 million, but couldn't afford to insert "Bob" in the line above. As in U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, not U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachussets. Cain wrote the $250 check in 1993, when he lived in Omaha.

"Herman was president of Godfather's Pizza and head of the National Restaurant Association. Herman said the guy [Bob Kerrey] was good for small business," said Cain campaign manager Matt Wylie. At the same time, Cain was giving more significant money to the Republican National Congressional Committee.

A spokesman for the Isakson campaign, which has decried negative advertising, saw no harm in voters thinking that Cain gave cash to the current Democratic presidential nominee. "Bob Kerrey and John Kerry are cut from the same liberal Democratic senate cloth," Heath Garrett said.

• Cain "stood with Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy to extend [the] Iraq handover deadline," the flyer says. At a May forum in Gwinnett County, Cain said he wouldn't oppose extension of the deadline. "Do it at the right time for the right reason, even if we have to move it," Cain said. Bush did move the handover -- two days forward. Neither Clinton nor Kennedy were in attendance.

• Cain "ran for president against George W. Bush," the flyer says. Bush announced the formation of an exploratory committee for president on March 2, 1999. Cain filed his papers 17 days later, and quickly dropped out.

• Cain "endorsed Bush's opponent," the flyer says. Well, yes. But Isakson omits the word "Republican." Cain was behind Steve Forbes in the presidential primary.

The Isakson campaigners justified the mailer by pointing out they had endured Cain's attacks on TV since early June -- and that several of Cain's charges were exaggerated or misleading. Tit for tat.

"We have sought a positive discussion, but we have also repeatedly put our opponents on notice that we will defend ourselves if attacked," said Brad Alexander, another Isakson spokesman.

The Collins' radio spot, aired on an Atlanta Christian station and WSB, first attacked Isakson on abortion, foreign trade and tort reform. Then Collins put his sights on two issues sure to underline the fact that Cain is African-American: "Affirmative action's long outlived its time . . . any ruling that gives preference to anyone, is wrong. Mr. Cain cannot say that. When it comes to endorsements, Mr. Cain was endorsed by the regional director of the Rainbow/PUSH coalition. I'm proud to say I was not."

Cain does have the support of Joe Beasley, the civil rights veteran, who is a member of his church.

Said Collins campaign manager Dan Kidder: "No, we're not playing the race card. We think that it's important that voters know an organization that's working against George Bush and is against Republican principles, is working for Herman Cain."

[Muscadine]

You can bet the farm that this article was written for the sole purpose of causing unrest within the Republican Party in Georgia.

Rush does not call this newspaper the Atlanta Urinal and Constipation without reason.

[AmishDude]

(a) Kerrey didn't run any risk of not being elected.
(b) $250 from Herman Cain is no more a sign of support than a Christmas card.
(c) Such kind of obfuscation and playing with the facts is OK, but it's unconscionable to do it just before the election so Cain doesn't have the chance to set the record straight.

That said, Cain should have had an easy answer and it's amateurish that he didn't (assuming your take on the interview).

[CondiArmy]

Exactly, and during this time period Cain was the owner (or CEO, I am not exactly sure of the time line) of a large business which employed thousands of employees. Anyone who is a head of a large company would know you do not want to alienate the powerful people of your state. The responsibility for your employees trumps most personal feelings you have.