The Liberty Tree

According to news reports the fourth woman accusing Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential candidate Herman “Pizza Man” Cain of sexual harassment has stepped forward; Sharon Bialek told reporters in a press conference that Cain groped her and exhibited “sexually inappropriate” behavior toward her when he was head of the National Restaurant Association.

Bialek said the encounter occurred shortly after she was laid off from the group’s education fund in July 1997; she said she’d approached Cain for help in looking for a new job and had traveled to Washington, D.C., where she had dinner with the then-NRA head.

Reportedly, after having dinner with the Pizza Man, the two were sitting in his car when she claimed he “suddenly reached over and put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals” and moved her head toward his crotch.

“I was surprised and shocked, and I said, what are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend,” Bialek recalled saying. “This is not what I came here for.”

Bialak claimed that when she protested, Cain replied, “You want a job, right?

If what Bialak is claiming is true then Cain is not only guilty of sexual harassment but sexual assault which puts an entirely new spin Pizza Man’s serial behavior towards women.

According to news reports, Bialek identified herself as a stay-at-home single mom who lives in Chicago and who is also a registered Republican; she said she didn’t file a complaint with the NRA in part because she was no longer formally employed by the group–and also because she was “very embarrassed.”

Her attorney, Sharon Bialek, offered sworn affidavits from two friends to whom Bialek spoke shortly after the alleged encounter.

“I was very, very surprised and very shocked,” Bialek said, adding that she had come forward to be a “face” for women who had been harassed by Cain. “I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean. Just admit what you did. Admit you were inappropriate to people … I implore you. Make this right.”

Cain’s campaign has – not surprisingly – issued a statement denying Bialek’s claims.

“All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false,” the campaign said in a statement. “Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone.”

Cain’s effectively backed himself into a corner from where he may not be able to extricate himself; he’s denied everything, then he’s admitted to some of it, then denied it, then said he won’t answer any further questions. Unfortunately for the Pizza Man, presidential candidates don’t get to choose what the news media decides are legitimate questions. He’s running for the most powerful position in our government, and he’s going to have to continue to face questions and public scrutiny regarding these – and probably more – allegations.

It’s all over now for Cain; he’s damaged goods, his campaign is over – whether he somehow wins the GOTP nomination or not – he will never be president, and the likelihood of being selected as someone else’s VP pick is slim to none; but hey, if you can’t be president because you wanted to be a playah – blame yourself.