By SHANNON McCAFFREY
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) - The Cain train has come to a stop.
Republican candidate Herman Cain is suspending his bid for the
Republican presidential nomination to avoid continued news coverage
of allegations of sexual misconduct that is hurtful to his family.
"I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the
continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my
family," Cain told several hundred supporters gathered at what was
to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters.
Cain's announcement came five days after an Atlanta-area woman
claimed she and Cain had an affair for more than a decade, a claim
that followed several allegations of sexual harassment against the
Georgia businessman.
"But because of these false and unproved accusations, it has
paid and had a tremendous painful price on my family," Cain said,
with his wife, Gloria, standing behind him on the stage.
"Now here's why it hurts - because my wife, my family and I, we
know that those false and unproved allegations are not true. So one
of the first declarations that I want to make to you today is that
I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is
at peace with me."
Whether Cain would stay in the race or drop out was the subject
of speculation throughout the week. Even some top supporters who
had spoken with Cain were arriving Saturday unsure what he would
say.
Cain returned to his suburban Atlanta home Friday and met with
his wife, Gloria. It was the first time they have seen each other
face to face since 46-year-old Ginger White came forward on Monday,
and said she and Herman Cain had carried on a 13-year relationship.
Cain has denied having an affair with White. He said the concern
over the toll the allegations were having on his family as well as
a candid assessment of whether his campaign could still attract the
needed support would inform his decision on whether to press ahead.
Campaign volunteers were keeping busy Friday night, tacking up
signs at his headquarters. A contingent of Secret Service agents
inspected the site in advance of Cain's arrival.
"We are moving ahead," said Cain's Georgia director David
McCleary, who said he had talked to the candidate earlier in the
day and describe him as "upbeat."
Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza chief executive who has never
held elected office, rose to become an unexpected front-runner in
the volatile Republican race just weeks ago. A self-styled
outsider, Cain enjoyed strong tea party support from conservatives
who viewed him as an alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney.
But once in the national spotlight, Cain fumbled policy
questions, leaving some to wonder whether he was ready for the
presidency. Then it was revealed at the end of October that the
National Restaurant Association had paid settlements to two women
who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was president of
the organization.
A third woman told The Associated Press that Cain made
inappropriate sexual advances but that she didn't file a complaint.
A fourth woman also stepped forward to accuse Cain of groping her
in a car in 1997.
Cain has denied wrongdoing in all cases.
Polls suggest his popularity has suffered. A Des Moines Register
poll released Friday showed Cain's support plunging, with backing
from 8 percent of Republican caucus-goers in Iowa, compared with 23
percent a month ago.
Fundraising has also fallen off. He issued an email appeal to
supporters on Friday asking for donations, in an attempt to gauge
whether his financial support has dried up.
"I need to know that you are behind me 100 percent," Cain told
backers. "In today's political environment, the only way we can
gauge true support is by the willingness of our supporters to
invest in this effort."
On Friday, Cain urged backers in South Carolina to look past the
allegations.
"There's a lot of garbage on the Internet. There's a lot of
garbage out there on the TV. There's a lot of garbage out there
about me, don't you know? There's a lot of misinformation out
there. You have to stay informed and check out the facts for
yourself," Cain said.
He added: "I'm on this journey for a reason. I don't look
back."
