Cain calls accusations a "character assassination" against me
Updated: 6:23 p.m. ET
Herman Cain said Wednesday that recent accusations of a 13-year extramarital affair were part of a "character assassination" against him -- and that, as such, he could not say "unequivocally" that "somebody else may not come up" with additional allegations against him.
Cain, in a 20-minute interview with Fox News' Neil Cavuto, said he was still "in the process of reassessing" whether or not to stay in the Republican presidential race, but pledged to have an answer within the "next several days."
"It means I'm reassessing and that's the same as the terminology reevaluating," Cain said, when asked if he was thinking of quitting the race. The candidate said the allegations' impact on his family were the "number one priority" in his evaluation, but that he would also consider feedback from supporters and donors.
"I can tell you right now, it has been overwhelmingly positive for me to stay," Cain said, of the reaction among his supporters.
On Monday, Atlanta businesswoman Ginger White came forward alleging the long-term "very inappropriate" relationship with the former Godfather's Pizza CEO. Cain has said he knew White but has denied that they had affair; his lawyer, meanwhile, released a statement arguing that White's claims of a consensual affair between two adults is not a legitimate news story.
After White's allegations surfaced, Cain told supporters in a Tuesday conference call that he was "reassessing" his campaign. But in a follow-up Tweet on Tuesday, Cain's Twitter account read: "The definition of reassess is: To consider again, esp. while paying attention to new factors. Doesn't sound like dropping out..."
"Will you be here in a week?" Cavuto asked Cain on Wednesday.
"A week from now, I will have made a final decision," Cain replied.
When asked again if he is "in or out," Cain responded similarly: "A week from now, I will have made a decision," he repeated.
Cain also suggested that the charges -- which come on the heels of a handful of accusations of sexual harassment that have surfaced against him in the last month -- were part of a Democratic conspiracy aimed at keeping him from getting the Republican presidential nomination.
"This is about trying to bring down Herman Cain," he said.
"You may not want to admit this, but this is a character assassination on me," Cain argued. "Why? Because I was doing so well. There is no other reason to basically explain it."
"I don't think that it is the Republicans that are trying to knock me out because they want Gingrich to be the top of the ticket," he added. "I happen to think these attacks are coming from the other side - because once I moved into the top tier, I think they became threatened. My star was shining and rising too fast... they wanted to take that shine away."
Cain expressed the belief that someone is "putting [White] up to" leveling the charges against him, but said "we have no idea who it is."
"I was trying to help her as a friend financially, because she was in deep financial problems," Cain said. "I don't know who is behind it but we are gonna try to figure out as much as we can. Because this is a direct character assassination. Pure and simple."
He disputed the notion that a series of early-morning text and telephone correspondences between him and White proved that the two had an affair, noting that it was unclear over what period of time the correspondences took place.
"I talk to a lot of people 61 times," he said.
When asked if he could say unequivocally that no other women would emerge with similar claims, Cain demurred.
"I have worked with and helped a lot of people, male and female. There is no way for me to say unequivocally that somebody else may not come up," he said.
In a second television interview on Wednesday, White told ABC NewsWednesday that "I honestly do not think that he is, in my opinion, would make a good president as far as I'm concerned."
"The funny thing about Herman Cain is that never in a million years did he probably think I would speak out on this," she said. "I came out being very honest and so far I have been absolutely humiliated, embarrassed."
She added that she was "disappointed" Cain had referred to her as a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman."
Earlier this month, two women, Karen Kraushaar and Sharon Bialek, came forward to publicly accuse Cain of sexual misconduct in the 1990s, while he was head of the National Restaurant Association. Two women also made anonymous accusations against Cain for sexual misconduct.
The candidate's standing in the polls has slipped since the accusations first emerged at the end of late October: From the middle of October through the first week of November, Cain was polling in the 20-30 percent range, putting him atop polls of the GOP presidential contenders. Recent polls show him sliding to support in the mid-teens, behind Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Reassessment or no, however, the Cain camp appears to be set on moving
forward with the campaign -- at least for now: the team recently unveiled details about a new ad for the candidate being released in Iowa, and Cain continues to make campaign appearances throughout the U.S. On Fox, Cain emphasized that he would be headed to New Hampshire later this evening.
Special Section: Campaign 2012
Full CBS News coverage: Herman Cain
