Accusations of Harassment for Herman
Let's start with a stipulation that we live in a litigious society. Everyone seems offended by something and anyone with deep pockets or a high-viz persona is going to be the defendant. Settlement is not acknowledgment of guilt but it is often the economic solution to incredible legal defense costs. Acceptance of a settlement does not net justice for the injured party but it certainly satisfies the lust for a pay-off. But, how do we square this item:
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 departuresDon't you just hate it when you are made to feel "uncomfortable"? How many thousands of dollars does it take to repair that tort? Do the women have to return the settlement now that they are publicly talking about their departures?
These incidents include conversations allegedly filled with innuendo or personal questions of a sexually suggestive nature, taking place at hotels during conferences, at other officially sanctioned restaurant association events and at the association’s offices. There were also descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual but that made women who experienced or witnessed them uncomfortable and that they regarded as improper in a professional relationshipWhat is a "gesture" that is "not overtly sexual"? How does one know before making such a gesture that an adult woman in the vicinity will find her psyche shattered?
Innuendo is a part of our language. It can be very conscious or inadvertent. How many of us have innocently uttered a double entendre without realizing it?
Maybe this is a smoking gun for Cain. If so then it is good that it comes early before the GOP has plunked their eggs in a broken basket.
But if it isn't such a situation then it highlights how low the political rhetoric in this nation has sunk.
9 comments:
1. I'd think the GOP would like to elect a candidadte that you'd like your Daughter to date. Their opponent, Obama would certaninly fit in this category.
2. Most women think long and hard about pursuing sexual harrassments complaints. Doesn't do their carrers any good.
3. My life experience tells me a large minority of men are pigs in regards to their approaches with women regarding sex. And I'm sorry to insult such a fine tasty animal with that categorization. The real problem is that some women (a small minority)like that type of approach making life difficult for those that don't.
4 Jeri Ryan is one hot actress (ST DS9, Boston Legal). She divorced her husband because he wanted to swing and she didn't. The divorced was sealed. Because the Husband jack Ryan was running for the US Senate against Obama in 2004 in IL a CA judge decided to open the sealed record. Dan Ryan then withdrew from the senate race. If Herman Cain wants to be president the same legal logic applies to their confidentiality agreements.
5 The GOP had a lot of fun with Bill Clinton right? Seems hypocritcal to give Herman Cain a pass here. Herman has some splaining to do
6 As a Cabbie I'm very very careful in approching women who are in my cab. I have to be VERY sure an interest would even be welcome before I even ask if a woman would be interested in pursuing a conversation once she leaves the cab. In 13 years and thousand of women in the cab including some drunk and eager which I always refuse I can count with one hand the number I have had more that a professional interest in.
~Leadfoot
A lot of the Tea Party folks see it as a Clarence Thomas moment for a conservative black man and will rally behind him.
A settlement early in litigation is often a sign of a weak plaintiff's case, and it can be cheaper to give token consideration than filing motions and fighting it out. It happens a lot.
If the consideration is trivial, the NRA might want to consider disclosing the terms since the women breached the confidentiality provision and/or sue them. Sammy Hagar is in the news today because he wrote about an incident with a purported baby momma baby in the 80's in a recently released book. It does happen, and the NRA could get an injunction if it decides to abide and remain quiet about it.
Lead,
I'd like to elect a candidate that could govern effectively. I'm not into a dating service. Your generalization about women thinking long and hard about complaints is wishful thinking. Today the route to wealth is sensitivity about anything including race, gender, sexual preference, religion, or economic status. If someone can be offended they can sue.
Your generalization about a large minority of men behaving piggishly is not justification for casting aspersions. Because Charlie Sheen is a slob does not mean I am less than a gentleman.
The introduction of Jack and Jeri Ryan into the discussion is irrelevant. The relationship between a BJ in the Oval office and a "not overtly sexual gesture" is equally far-fetched.
I've carefully worded my comment on the issue to acknowledge that if there is a problem it needs to be brought forward. But this resurrection of an alleged complaint in general terms against an association of which Cain was an officer smacks of being a political hit-job.
We shall see as it plays out.
Lead Foot, your occupation skews your test results, A. you dont have any experience in a corporate work place.
B. Your exposure is limited to a very small demographic..those who use cabs.
C. In my Occupation as a Systems Engineer, I am in many corporate environments, and I see large numbers of technical and business people I find that men and women in the professional arena tend to be rational well reasoned beings. I find those who claim insult/injury from comments made by others (Both male and female) to be thin skinned opportunists looking for a way to draw attention to themselves.
D. I have NEVER in 50 years as a professional witnessed Men harassing women Once a woman has let it be known she had an objection. I HAVE witnessed two young girls make unjust accusations, get in over their heads and have to expand upon their story in the process ruining the lives of Men and families who were guilty of nothing more than responding in kind to comments made by the women who later complained.
I would NEVER want my daughter to Marry Obama, I prefer she find someone who knows how to live int he real world and earn a real living not being a parisitical community organizer. And where did this Idea that the GOP is not allowed to have as interesting and varied sex lives as Democrats? Only Democrats are permitted to live how they want?
"I claim, without any chest beating, that I can tell a womans' motive, if she is pleasant to me, almost within an hour. I have a pretty clear picture of what she is out to get. They have a better survival mechanism than their brothers, and if, as a matter of fact, this is a world of survival of the fittest, women will certainly survive"
My Wicked Wicked Ways p298
Errol Flynn
Oh, dear heavens, Mr. Foot!
I commend you for maintaining a proper protocol in your taxicab, but equating the charges made thus far that Mr. Cain may have used uncomfortable language or gestures is a huge leap from Bill Clinton's established serial adultery with Gennifer Flowers, et al, and the use of government employees (AR state troopers) as procurers.
A. I Have a wide variety of experience working for corporations. Ever heard of Boeing? McDonnel-Douglas? Wasn't always a cabbie. Car Accident in 97 cut my Avionics career short and rather than apply for disability I became a cabbie. And I can recall a supervisor at Boeing explaining to me why he let woman get away with crap because he didn't want a sexual harassment complaint.
B. I have no idea if Herman Cain is a pig in the workplace or not. I do suspect if he is we'll hear more. This type of thing tends to open the flodgates. However if it is limited to two ladies in one organization that would be very good neews for Mr. Cain.
C. Does anyone have any proof that the two ladies in question violated their confidentiality agreement? I suspect the number of people who are aware of what happenned could be as high as 25 to fifty when it occured in the 90's
D. I didn't mention any names when casting aspersions on the large minority of men who can act like pigs at times... Did I? In fact I don't recall mentioning tailhook at all... did I? And in your case Ed I'll take your word for it. Besides we both know USAF attracted a better sort of gentleman anyway ;-)
E. I mention the Ryan case because any Presidential Candidate who expects to keep anything about their lives a secret is too stupid to be president. For that matter I would include Governor and Senator in that category. You may be able to become a congressman or state house type and get away with that in your background.
F. It's rare that there are witnesses to sexual advances in the workplace. Especially unwanted sexual advances.
G. I hope that the accusations against Herman Cain are limited so we can put this crap to bed and concentrate on the real issues facing our country.
~Leadfoot
Just one small point, Lead. Unless you actually know something about the Tailhook episode it would be good to avoid commenting on it.
But that seldom holds you back, does it.
Many upstanding Naval aviators were vilified based on the accusations of a career-climbing bimbo who had attached herself to a careerist admiral.
Leadfoot, I should not have assumed you had no corporate experience, however you make only reference to cab driving so...I made a small leap. My bad.
The press is hounding him because he doesnt recall what happened 20 years ago precisely.....Im pretty sure that hard pressed MOST people dont remember the details of their life 20 years ago.
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