Herman Cain

Herman Cain is a businessman, former politician, minister and conservative lobbyist. In 2012, Cain was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Prior to that, he was a former pizza chain executive, a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas, CEO of the National Restaurant Association, and a radio talk-show.

News and Controversies

Run for President

Herman Cain ran for president in the 2012 election cycle. He suspended his campaign on Dec. 3, 2011. According to NBC, his stances on key issues to that election were as follows:

• Taxes and Jobs: called "for the abolition of the current federal tax code, which would be replaced by a nine percent tax on sales, personal income and corporate income."
• Budget: called "for a cap on the level of government spending, and a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution."
• Social Security: called for the privatization of "Entitlement programs"
• Healthcare: called for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act with "free market reforms."
• Environment: promised to "loosen regulations"
• Reproductive rights: said he would veto legislation containing funding for Planned Parenthood. "He also pledged to appoint judges who share his view that there's no right to abortion in the Constitution."
• Equality for LGTBQ persons: states that he "believes homosexuality is a sin."

Cain's campaign came to an end after sexual harassment allegations surfaced from at least four women. The campaign responded to allegations, including on that he had groped a woman and tried to "force her into a sexual act," by stating that they were “bogus attacks.” and a columnist for North Star Writers.<ref=nbc>NBC News Herman Cain Bio NBC News accessed April 15, 2019</ref> Cain is also "Chief Executive Officer and President of T.H.E. New Voice, Inc., a business and leadership consulting company, specializing in keynote speaking and inspirational publications." [1]

Defense of Walmart and Walmart Distancing itself

In 2006 Wal-mart was forced to distance itself from Cain. In an August 22, 2006, Townhall.com column, Herman Cain called Democratic presidential hopefuls and Wal-Mart critics "Hezbocrats, a roaming band of militant guerrillas." He added, "Hezbocrats, armed with nothing more than Katyusha-grade class warfare rhetoric" are "determined to take down Wal-Mart, a company they consider the nation's largest capitalistic oppressor of the proletariat." [2]

In response, Wal-Mart released the following statement: [3]

Herman Cain is not a spokesperson for Wal-Mart. We understand that he has a long-standing column and the views he expresses in that column are his own. Wal-Mart is about creating jobs, providing affordable health care for our associates and saving money for working families.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

Cain spoke at ALEC's 2009 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA on Thursday, July 16, 2009.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Ties to Koch Industries and Americans for Prosperity

In an appearance at Koch-funded political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, Cain decried a New York Times article tying him to the Koch brothers, embracing the brothers friendship and describing himself as "the Koch brothers brother from another mother".

Cain has a number of ties to Koch Industries and Americans for Prosperity:

• Cain’s campaign manager and a number of his aides have worked for Americans for Prosperity (AFP). Mark Block, Cain’s campaign manager who was hired to lead the AFP Wisconsin chapter in 2005, settled a suit in 2001 that accused him of violating campaign laws by agreeing to pay $15,000 and “sit out of politics for three years.”
• Cain has said that he devised his “9-9-9” tax plan with the help of someone who serves on the AFP advisory board.
• Cain held an official position in Americans for Prosperity: Dating back to 2005, Cain led Americans for Prosperity’s new “Prosperity Expansion Project.”
• Cain attended the Koch Brothers’ private biannual meeting in Palm Springs in January 2011.
• During the fight in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) bill curtailing public worker bargaining rights in spring 2011, Cain traveled to the state to support Walker, speaking at a rally in February 2011. The Koch brothers were later found to be major players and funders in Wisconsin’s anti-union push.
• Cain headlined an Americans for Prosperity anti-climate rally in New York in June 2011, to protest New York’s involvement in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
• Cain was a featured speaker at the Koch-funded RightOnline conference for 2010 and 2011.

Contact Details

825 Fairways Court
Suite 303
Stockbridge, Georgia 30281
Phone: 678-565-5335
Fax: 678-565-5338
E-Mail: hc AT hermancain.com
Web: http://www.hermancain.com/

Other SourceWatch Resources

• Economic Freedom Coalition

External links

Biographical Notes

• "Herman Cain's bio", Townhall.com, accessed August 2006.
• "Herman Cain: CEO and President T.H.E. New Voice, Inc.", accessed August 2006.

Articles By Cain

• "Columns by Herman Cain", accessed August 2006.
• Herman Cain, "Hezbocrats Attack Wal-Mart", Townhall.com, August 22, 2006.

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