White House hopefuls pitch GOP insiders in Iowa
Published 3:01 pm Friday, November 4, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa — Five presidential hopefuls were set to pitch Iowa’s Republican insiders Friday evening, trying to campaign while maintaining a collective “no comment” on the allegations of sexual harassment that have dogged rival Herman Cain.
The GOP contenders fanned out across the state to meet with supporters ahead of their remarks to the Iowa GOP gala. But they were reluctant to wade into the controversy that clouded Cain’s campaign.
“You won’t find any surprises with me,” Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told NBC’s “Today Show.” As she has all week, Bachmann has refused to address the Cain controversy more directly while meeting with voters in lynchpin state to her political strategy.
With Cain trying to steady his campaign, his rivals were trying to focus on anything except the Georgia businessman.
Sen. Rick Santorum outlined his social agenda during a morning speech to supporters and later visited a gun show. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas planned an afternoon town hall. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry were set to arrive in time for the evening event in the state that has schedule the nation’s first caucuses for Jan. 3.
Cain was skipping the gala, the second such gathering this week that drew the hopefuls to Iowa. Neither would former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney attend. He and Cain had scheduled speeches on the economy in Washington.
None of Cain’s rivals were rushing to criticize — or defend — him against allegations of sexual harassment made in the 1990s by two women who worked with him at a trade group and were paid to settle their claims. At least three women allege that he engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior toward them while he headed the National Restaurant Association.
Over the past five days, Cain has repeatedly denied wrongdoing even as he gave conflicting accounts about what — if anything — he knew about the alleged incidents as well as whether he knew about the financial settlements.