Joint presser with Cain women could happen as soon as Thursday

Karen Kraushaar, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain and Sharon Bialek

/ Getty Images

A joint press conference with the women who have accused Herman Cain of inappropriate behavior could happen as soon as tomorrow or Friday, a lawyer for one of the women said Wednesday.

Joel Bennett, the lawyer for Cain accuser Karen Kraushaar, who filed a complaint the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s which Cain ran at the time, told CBS News he is working to convince a third woman to go public with her charges.

"As of this time, we have not heard from the other women who have stated that they were sexually harassed," Kraushaar said in a prepared statement released by Bennett.

"We are still hopeful that they will have the courage to come forward, but we completely understand if they choose not to," Kraushaar said, "anyone should be able to report allegations of sexual harassment without fear that their lives and careers will be put on public display and laid open to public scrutiny."

Kraushaar is one of the two women Politico wrote about Oct. 30, when it broke the story that at least two female employees complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain while he was head of the restaurant association in the 1990s. She had initially wanted remain anonymous but agreed to go public Tuesday after The Daily reported her name. The Associated Press last week reported that a third woman had complained about Cain's behavior.

Sharon Bialek, the fourth woman reported to have made accusations, was the first to go public when she said Monday that Cain tried to put his hand up her skirt after a dinner in 1997 where she had sought his counsel for getting a new job after she had lost her post at an arm of the restaurant group a month earlier.

Bialek said on MSNBC Wednesday she would be open to attending a joint press conference with Kraushaar and any of the other women who chose to come forward.

All eyes will be on Cain tonight as he and seven rivals debate on stage in Michigan for a debate on the economy sponsored by CNBC.

[ladyang]

This is reason black men choose white women! They will fall for anything, they can be lied to, they will never question, and nobody will believe them when this kind of thing happens. See how well it worked for Tiger!

[dogsoul]

"anyone should be able to report allegations of sexual harassment without fear that their lives and careers will be put on public display and laid open to public scrutiny."

Now wait a minute... so women should be able to make allegations of sexual harassment about whoever they so choose - and those allegations as well as the alleged perpetrator are open to the full view of the public - but the women should be allowed to remain anomynous? Yet another in a looooong series of hypocrisies aimed at bias against men in our so-called 'justice' system.

[Weirderthanfiction]

Spare me, please.

[conservalandfairy]

Weirderthanfiction-you know all of those women "wanted it". It is all their fault.

[nojello]

The Chicago Media is saying today that Sharon Bialek probably sexually harassed Herman Cain.

[upside2012]

I believe that!! This woman is a known scam artist in the Chicago area!

[Weirderthanfiction]

Is it possible that Sharon Bialek was less memorable to Herman Cain than she was to him?

This whole thing stinks. The surest way to scuttle a likeable, accomplished, charismatic, conservative black man's candidacy is to dredge up the accusation that he may have wanted to have sex with arguably attractive white women. Why this is news baffles me because, by his accusers admission, he supposedly ceased when rebuffed.

Shocking news flash. "Men want sex with attractive women." -and no, we generally don't remember years after the fact. Sorry girls.

By this standard,only eunuchs are suited for public office.

No wonder why we get guys like Mitt and Barack.

[skeeterandbucky]

Sorry but we don't need John "Shaft" for any public office.

[daffy64]

Well I like women too. Butcha know, I've never sexually assaulted one by sticking my hand up their skirt and pushing their head at my crotch.

Are you trying to imply that's acceptable behavior?

[expatriate2]

No doubt? Only in your mind brainwashed by Fox News. How about a little proof before you start making accusations? It might be a bit more noble to recognize that this man, a Republican, has a tainted past and is trying to hide behind the typical conservative coverups of "it was everyone else's fault." Just like you are doing.