Move on over Uncle Clarence Thomas …
Posted: October 30, 2011 Filed under: just because | Tags: Clarence Thomas, ethically challenged, Herman Cain, Sexual harassment, sexual harrassment 37 Comments
An exclusive from Politico: Two women accused Herman Cain of inappropriate behavior
During Herman Cain’s tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, ultimately leaving their jobs at the trade group, multiple sources confirm to POLITICO.
The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.
In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints.POLITICO has confirmed the identities of the two female restaurant association employees who complained about Cain but, for privacy concerns, is not publishing their names.
You remember Clarence Thomas right? No wonder Cain calls him a ‘mentor’ and an influence!!
Virginia Thomas’ now-famous phone call to Anita Hill has had at least one consequence that she can’t have intended. It’s prompted a former paramour of her husband’s to dish salacious and troubling detailsabout the Supreme Court justice’s past to the Washington Post. And many of those details are in sync with accusations that emerged around Clarence Thomas’ contentious 1991 confirmation hearings.
“He was obsessed with porn,” Lillian McEwen, tells the paper. “He would talk about what he had seen in magazines and films, if there was something worth noting.”
McEwen also said that the conservative Thomas was constantly on the make at work. “He was always actively watching the women he worked with to see if they could be potential partners,” said McEwen. “It was a hobby of his.”
She added that he once told her he had asked a woman at work what her bra size was.
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Sky Dancing 
I just saw about this! Wow…
It figures. Most men in positions of power become predators one way or another.
And given the inequality of the sexes in this world, all men are in positions of power over some women, via social status if not occupation.
yea, they wouldn’t be where they are today with that power, and in the work place, more women must bite the bullet.
It’s weird how power manifests itself in various control behaviors. Sexual harassment of women is just one aspect. I had one guy that used to be in the military that had an obsession with how every one dressed and what was on their desk. We had a policy that no one could have more than on work related item and one home related item on their desks. The dress code for management women was absurd! We had to wear heels and they had to be a certain height. Then, we had to wear only nude stockings. I remember getting yelled at for letting my hair grow longer than he thought appropriate.
Sexual harassment is really rampant in the restaurant industry. Youngest daughter comes home with the same tales I used to have when in university and also, the same tales I can tell you when I gigged in some of the top restaurants in New Orleans. Giving people control over others’ livelihoods can go straight to their heads. You wonder what it was that the association settled so quickly out of court. I imagine we’ll hear sooner or later.
Yikes! Is this ever going to be a stink. I always believed Anita Hill. It never made any sense that a woman of her caliber would subject herself to the humiliating testimony she went under simply to score ‘liberal’ points. She was treated absolutely horribly during those proceedings. First she had Thomas to contend under insufferable work conditions, and then she faced a group of hanging judges, who did everything they could to make her look small. Instead, she became a heroine for many, many women.
There’s something about all this right-wing repression that makes people, particularly men, go crazy. If this is followed up and the ‘confirmations’ are accurate? Herman Cain is done. Hello, Mitt Romney.
Herman Cain’s response to the accusations of sexual harrassment:
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/cain-responds-sex-harassment-allegation
Actually it’s just an evasive non-response.
Hey, Geraldo…Geraldo Blasts Herman Cain’s Spokesman During Call-In For Not Denying Sexual Harassment Claims | Mediaite
It’ll be interesting to see if the women can come out of their signed settlement agreements with the restaurant association. We need our sky dancing lawyer bloggers to tell us how iron clad those things are. Where there’s smoke, there usually is fire .. there is probably a few more out there too. They came out of the woodwork for Thomas, not that any one let them speak or anything. Usually once it’s out for one or two, then more and more step forward and it becomes a flood.
They actually settled with TWO women. I’d say that’s pretty damning.
Those settlements should still require a filing with the EEOC for statistical data and to insure safety on the job. I won’t vote for a person that doesn’t allow women to work without fear of harassment and or physical/psychological harm in the work place.
[…] Justice Thomas and the Republican Machine!An Open Letter to Anita HillAnita Hill, 20 years laterMove on over Uncle Clarence Thomas … […]
Seriously? All right wing men are pervs? As recently as Weiner texting his little weiner wasn’t perverted? Come on guys…I know you love to trash talk the republicans – sometimes deservedly so – but, really? What about all those juicy rumors about Obama? Not pervey enough to print?
Oh c’mon, the Obama stories are old news. Discussed years ago elseblog by us.
Frankly, the Vitter one about whores and diapers is the most perverted I’ve heard in some time. Weiner’s tricks are down right homespun compared to that. I think we’ve had more from Republicans because they’re appear to be a lot of closeted and married gay men in the party and they seem to come from repressive, religious backgrounds.
Of course, not ALL but do you really read everything I write that literally?
Nope…just as I’m sure if wrote something in a generalized all inclusive fashion about a group you wouldn’t take it literally word for word either – right?
Probably not. It would depend on the context. You have to admit we have had some really incredible stories of sexual aberrations coming from Republicans elected to office … this is from a list from 2006 at Corrente as an example:
http://www.correntewire.com/refresh_your_memory_the_gop_has_always_been_the_party_of_perverts
again, that doesn’t even cover the last five years … long enough for you? oh, wait there’s more!!
ANOTHER REPUBLICAN SEX PERVERT RESIGNS IN DISGRACE AFTER EXPOSURE
BREAKING NEWS: EVIDENCE NOW EMERGING THAT THE CONSERVATIVE WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ON THE FAST TRACK AS A HAVEN FOR SEXUAL PERVERTS AND OTHER SCOUNDRELS?
Just Google Republicans sexual perverts … lots and lots out there I missed too!! That last one is actually a link to a right wing site … they realize they have a problem too!!!
Yowza on that list, Kat. What is it with Republican’s fondness for molesting children??
You got me but there’s no lack of offenders, is there?
Over at The Daily Beast, curious about the same question, they tallied data and actually crunched numbers from more than 60 political scandals over the past 20 years. They came to the conclusion that while Republicans tend to have a greater quantity of scandals (35 Republican sex scandals, 28 Democratic ones), Demcratic scandals tend to be greater (uh, worse?) in quality, comprising 13 of the top 20 scandals.
OK, impressive list…I haven’t even heard of most of these peeps, but maybe they occurred in my more child rearing intensive years.
The above comes from an article on a googled list of democrat sex scandals that was written in June of this year. So, I guess you win for sheer volume…but as with everything, in some folks opinion, the republicans are ever boring in their scandals while the Dems seem to love the more salacious type. Whatever, they are pretty much all dogs in my opinion…my point is that I never really hear anything about the other side from you all…it’s a place to discuss real issues…if you agree with everything said. Peace to you all.
Believe me. If we hear about a Dem that is molesting children or sexually harassing women we will post it.
Exactly Dak…well said.
Sorry DM, but your statement is wrong.
I think this clearly is a point that you may be missing DM… you say we never discuss the “other side,” perhaps you are not reading all the post here at Sky Dancing. It is obvious that when any one of the writers has issues with one side or the other, they are addressed here. The Democrats don’t get any special treatment when it comes to the issues, real issues…or actions that affect whatever political, economic, or social situations we write about…we are very vocal about our expressed opinions from both sides of the political spectrum.
Yes, we are a liberal “leaning” blog, it does come down to ideals…but to portray the site as some sort of overzealous far left blog that berates its readers when they do not agree with our opinions is ridiculous. Maybe you have forgotten the shark like feeding frenzy of comments over at Daily Kos back in 2008…the vicious attacks are still fresh in my mind because they still go on to this day. If you feel that this blog is some kind of radical ultra-progressive liberal blog with a specific agenda , then again I have to say…you must not be reading all of the blog’s published posts.
Furthermore, you seem to be focusing on the sex scandals in your comments, we have covered both parties in that regard. However, your attitude that Democrats sex scandals are more “salacious” than the GOP “boring” sex scandals obviously reflects your extreme bias when it comes to being critical of a political party…left is worse than right. In that sense, you are making the same political party judgments that you are accusing of us…only in reverse.
WOW !!!!!!!!!
Yesterday we touched on the subject of politician’s errant sexual escapdes (Edward’s, Vitter, Clinton, etc.) and my sister and a progressive friend asked if it really mattered. Sister said it was high levels of testosterone that made men gravitate to leadership roles and have hyper-sex drives. Does that make them bad at their job?
I just feel that if they cheat on their wives they’ll cheat on their constituients (Edward’s, Vitter). As for Clinton – I think Hillary assumed he was sneaking around, but the marriage means more to her than that? To me that was more in the nature of a trivial act – not whoring in diapers or having a love child as your wife is dying.
I think a lot of it has to do with positions of power. What is it Henry Kissinger said about it being the ultimate aphrodisiac?
I think a lot of what bugs me is that most of these guys are so pious about themselves and act like they’re above the rest of us. It’s the hypocrisy that gets to me, not the acts themselves unless they’re predatory and not consensual.
I remember the first time I went to Washington DC and the hill. I was told to stay out of the elevators if Strom Thurmond was on there.
I think if a person is going to do these things…they will do it whether in a position of power or not. That said, I do feel that Power and Control…have the tendency to bring out these kinds of predatory actions, by giving the person that feeling of boldness and invincibility. Making them all the more confident to assault someone and get away with it.
The hypocrisy is the thing that gets me too…but as with any high minded individual (or religion) they feel it is some sort of entitlement…that they can “do as I say, not as I do” approach to just about anything.
Great, they are claiming it posts it ‘could be an extortion scheme’ and then we will learn after the fact as we did with Anita Hill that there were other women whom Joe Biden kept from testifying in a hotel. Clarence Hill claimed he was being lynched, despite Anita Hill being African American and then the truth dawned upon us that all that matters in the US is being male…she was made out to be a liar and Clarence Thomas went on to be confirmed.
I will never vote for Joe Biden.
I had to bring up those stories that resurfaced after Thomas’ wife asked Hill to apologize. Wow, talk about a woman in complete denial! Evidently, Cain said he expected a high tech lynching too. No wonder.
Hold on Dak, lest you fall from shock, but Ann coulter is leading the ‘Cain lynching’, she who said to shoot the London youth, who many took as removing people of color… and FOX has her on as a spokesMAN for women.
Faints.
I was too shocked but she is defending him with the same defense used for Clarence Thomas and later of course we learned that Clarence Thomas’ girlfriend confirmed everything Anita Hill said in her testimony. If only the other women were allowed to testify and not held in a hotel by Joe Biden…
Herman Cain was the leader/ he was in Charge and thus the claims should have gone trough the proper protocol and been filed with the EEOC even more so…to protect the integrity of the Pizza company. The EEOC investigates, then renders a ruling and then a letter of confirmation, with that letter the women would have been able to file a federal lawsuit. So, on appearance, I think the women’s rights were violated and thus I would challenge the validity of the confidentiality agreement., and I do believe that ‘fraud’ goes years beyond the normal statues for filing a claim against those responsible for handling their claims. Anyone else care to give their take on what appears to be a ‘hush hush’ handling of harassment claims.
I’m assuming the identities will eventually leak out one way or another. I’m really curious about those confidentiality agreements. At the moment, they appear to be protecting perpetrator. Of course, you wouldn’t know that from the right wing cult sites.
from mojo
updates on the story.
Word never reached Cain about a cash settlement, but neither is he too interested in finding out what happened:
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/cain-i-dont-know-if-my-accuser-got-cash—-and-im-not-about-to-find-out.php?ref=fpa
Is Herman Cain Hiding Behind a Settlement Agreement?
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/10/herman-cain-hiding-behind-settlement-agreement?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Motherjones%2Fmojoblog+%28MotherJones.com+%7C+MoJoBlog%29
NBC News has confirmed that one woman received a settlement from the National Restaurant Association after complaining about inappropriate sexual conduct by Herman Cain.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/31/8563824-nbc-confirms-one-cain-accuser-received-cash-settlement
He was in charge and thus had to approve of the claims/ settlements. Claiming ignorance here is both wrong and proves he will hide behind I don’t know, while claiming to know everything.
The situation should have been filed with The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) …period. The women’s rights were trampled upon and it was handled wrong by those entrusted with protecting the employees rights.