(Image Source: WIkimedia)

BY ZACH TOOMBS


With two women making their sexual harassment accusations public, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain struck a defiant tone in a Tuesday press conference. MSNBC has his comments.

“I have never acted inappropriately with anyone. Period.”
“And as far as these accusations causing me to back off and maybe withdraw from this presidential primary race... Ain’t gonna happen.”

But in addition to defending himself, Cain also went after what he sees as the forces behind this recent controversy: the media and what he called “the Democratic machine.” FOX News has it.

“Nine days ago, the media started to beat me up, covering anonymous accusers
- “The fact is these anonymous allegations are false, and the Democratic machine in America has brought forth a troubled woman to make false accusations.”

And, just one day after Sharon Bialek became the first woman to publicly accuse Cain of harassment, an employee at the U.S. Treasury Department named Karen Kraushaar became the second.

Kraushaar left the National Restaurant Association after settling a sexual harassment claim with Cain in the 1990s. After her name was leaked by a number of press reports Tuesday, she told her story to The New York Times.

“She said she did not know whether or how she might tell more of her story but said that she had been warming ‘to the idea of a joint press conference where all of the women would be together with our attorneys and all of this evidence would be considered together.’”

So is Cain’s campaign done for? On CNN, pundits across the political spectrum weighed in on the candidate’s denials and his mention of a Democratic conspiracy.

ERIK ERICKSON, GOP ACTIVIST: “I just don’t think that Herman Cain was able to put this issue to bed today.”

DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: “First of all, if the Democratic machine had anything to say about a Republican nominee, we would love to have Herman Cain as the nominee.”

ALEX CASTELLANOS, GOP STRATEGIST: “This is not a he-said, she said story.This is a he-said, and she said and she said, and then another she said.”

Cain took reporters’ questions after reading his prepared statement. Writing for the Guardian, political columnist Ana Marie Cox says -- in her mind -- the whole thing confirms this isn’t going away anytime soon.

“Cain’s performance only underscored political professionals’ critique of his unpolished campaign – though, not for the first time, that rawness had its appeal: a ‘real’ politician probably wouldn't have taken questions… Cain is not handling this scandal like a typical politician would; he's handling it like a reality television star. But not the kind most people root for.”


Despite recent allegations, Cain still sits at the top of many Republican presidential polls along with Mitt Romney. Those two and six other candidates will meet in Michigan on Wednesday night for a debate hosted by CNBC.