Herman Cain’s tale is not unique among politicians

I don’t know if Herman Cain is guilty of “inappropriate” behavior toward women employees of the National Restaurant Association but it was dumb of him not to anticipate accusations of some going public when he became a threat to his fellow candidates for the Republican presidential nomination.

That’s where I suspect the tip came to the media of lawsuits brought by women who were paid off to hit the road and shut up about it. I think the Democrats have bought the persistent prediction from many that Cain would never be the nominee, no matter what the polls say. He just isn’t the GOP’s type.

I could be wrong, of course. I was wrong about Bill Clinton. When asked for a quote on his future after Monica I said, “He’s toast.” I hope I’m wrong in thinking women voters have not forgotten or forgiven Newt Gingrich for asking his wife for a divorce while she was in the hospital with cancer. He’s the best one in the bunch to return the country to its previous financial stability and respected position among world leaders.

Actually, I have been the recipient of many tales of alleged philandering and adultery by politicians. A man I knew called me one time to divulge a really messy situation going on in his department and said it needed to be told. I said, I agree so I’ll report you telling me about it. “Oh no,” he said, “I can’t be associated with it. You can just report it.” All I know about it, I said, is what you tell me so either you’re the source or there’s no story. He wouldn’t do it so I didn’t write anything.

At one time, I was offered incriminating pictures surreptitiously taken by one zealous caucus of members of the opposite party dining cozily with persons not their mates. I did not pursue them, with one exception. I privately told one official of the rumors about his activities and the worries voiced to me by his own people as to what it could do to his career if the public knew.

That was a mistake I never made again. Though he denied the rumors, which I assured him I would not print or tell anybody else about, he cut off my accessibility and a friendship of many years withered.

I couldn’t even get him on the telephone. I deduced that he thought I knew who the woman was that he was seeing on the sly but I didn’t at the time. I later learned who it was.

I know some really super politicians who have done marvelous things for the state and nation, who have roving eyes. Knowing they have strayed from the family hearth didn’t affect my relations with them but there are a lot of people who demand more of their public officials than they are willing to give of themselves. Joe Sixpack may like to pinch the barmaid at the corner tavern but he doesn’t want his senator to do it.

Women have to play it close to the vest when working for powerful men. If approached for sex and they say no, they may lose their jobs because the boss fears they will tell. Some of the affairs I know of came apart when the wife who was being cheated on went to her husbands’ boss and demanded action be taken to knock it off.

I never made a big deal out of it when someone in the political arena suggested friendlier relations.

I just said, “That would get us in nothing but trouble.” That solved the problem.

I hadn’t insulted the asker. I still had his ear so I could get a quote out of him when I needed it, which wouldn’t be the case if I got insulted by being asked.

My prerequisites for my government representatives is that they don’t lie to me and they don’t steal from the public. The Supreme Court has ruled it’s OK for them to lie to you.

– Adele

Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville. WA. 98349.