Why is that a problem? As The Atlantic's James Fallows points out, that's a statement that if untrue, can be easily disproven. Chicago radio host Amy Jacobson says she saw the interaction, saying Bialek was "inches from [Cain's] ear" and that it "looked like a tense few minutes." Further, as conservative David Wurtzel notes, if Bialek is telling the truth about Cain upgrading her hotel to a "palatial" room, there's a record of it. The National Review's Jim Geraghty says he's asked the hotel for the records.
Anonymous allegations from the Democrat machine
"The fact is these anonymous allegations are false and now the Democrat machine in America has brought forth a troubled woman to make accusations," Cain said. But not all the allegations are anonymous anymore. After being outed by several news organizations Tuesday, Karen Kraushaar is coming forward saying she is the woman who received a $45,000 payout, Politico's Jonathan Martin reports. She told The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Michael D. Shear in a story published an hour before Cain's session that she's consider "the idea of a joint press conference where all of the women would be together with our attorneys and all of this evidence would considered together." That way, she said, "These allegations can be considered together as a body of evidence." That makes two women not anonymous. And that makes two women not part of the "Democrat machine," either, because Kraushaar is a registered Republican who lives with her husband in Maryland. The couple has donated money to both Republicans and Democrats, campaign disclosure forms show.
Of Bialek, Cain said, "I have never acted inappropriately with anyone, period. These accusations that were revealed yesterday simply did not happen." As for Kraushaar, "the accusations… were found baseless. There was no legal settlement, there was an agreement between that lady and the NRA. And it was treated as a personnel matter because there was no basis to her accusations. Those are the facts. When she made her accusations, they were found to be baseless and she could not find anyone to corroborate her story." Politico's Martin says he spoke to half a dozen sources who knew of Kraushaar's claims. And the National Restaurant Association thought they were worth $45,000.
Not saying it's a conspiracy
"I cannot say that it is a conspiracy," Cain said. "We do not have definite factual proof. We can only look at some coincidences to suggest it that maybe someone is behind this." Cain said he wouldn't "point any fingers or place any blame," which is funny, because that's what he spent last week doing. Cain accused Rick Perry's campaign of leaking the story, and specifically his former consultant Curt Anderson, who is now working for Perry. Cain blamed Anderson, then Cain's campaign manager took it back, then Cain said Anderson was at fault again. Slate's John Dickerson tweets, "What standard of proof is lower? The Cain standard accusing Perry for being behind these charges or NRA standard for harassment payouts?"