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Subscribe to RSSAfter Herman Cain exited a restaurant in Coral Springs, Florida on Wednesday a journalist from CBS was struck by a man later identified as a plainclothes police officer. The two then go into an argument filmed by NBC News.
PALM BAY, FLORIDA -- Herman Cain’s surge in popularity has led to an increased security presence on the campaign trail and several reported run-ins with press, the most recent of which happened yesterday at two campaign stops in South Florida.
Cain first stopped at Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana, Miami, where he was swarmed by at least fifteen TV cameras from local and national outlets. After a speech outside, Cain went into the restaurant’s bakery area to shake hands with patrons, as the crush of media squeezed through a tiny single door and cameramen jockeyed for the best shot, occasionally blocked by one of the three bodyguards surrounding Cain.
As the jostling got particularly pitched, one reporter, ABC's Susan Archer, shouted for all the shoving to stop. “Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop it! Stop it! Right now! Everybody chill out! Stop pushing!”
Logistics were equally tight, and the mood equally tense at the second event of the day, a rally outside Wings Plus restaurant in Coral Springs. After the event Cain entered the restaurant, crammed with bodies, to shake hands with supporters.
While he still had a few security guards with him, they did not seem to be enough to hold back the crowds so Cain could make his way through the restaurant, as a few employees from Wings Plus (identified by their “Wings Plus” polo shirts) began asking people to move out of the way. “Make a hole!” one employee yelled to the crowd at one point.
But it was outside the event where the Cain security detail had its most heated encounter with a journalist that day.
As reporters ran outside to cover Cain’s exit from the restaurant and walk to his bus, one journalist, Lindsey Boerma of CBS, was struck by a man who was later revealed as a plainclothes police officer. Boerma said the officer, identified by the Coral Springs police department as Sgt. William Reid, stuck his arm out and clotheslined her.
The two got into an argument after the encounter which was filmed by NBC News.
Reid: you hurt my arm, actually. What's your name?
Boerma: Are you kidding me?
Reid: No I'll need your name because you actually hurt my arm when you ran into it.
Boerma: You stabbed it out in front of me, are you kidding?
Reid: I’ll need your information.
Boerma: No!
Reid: Are you serious?
Lindsey: I’m trying to do a job here.
Reid: You actually hurt my arm when you ran into my arm. Now she’s gotta give me her information.
Boerma: You jabbed your arm out at me!
Reid: You ran into me!
Boerma: Because you stuck your arm out at me twice!
Reid: My arm was there! My arm was there!
Boerma: You should apologize to me.
Reid: You should apologize to me for hurting my arm. You’re not going to apologize to me? That’s not very nice. That’s not very nice.
At this point, Reid approached NBC’s camera, which has caught the encounter on tape. Reid took out his cell phone and said he was filming NBC. “I’ll film you for a little bit, too,” he said. When asked whom he was working for, Reid said, “I’m an independent reporter.” (It was not until after the Cain bus had left the event site that police officers revealed he was an undercover police officer).
According to CBS News, three members of Herman Cain’s campaign team later apologized to Boerma for the incident. Cain spokesman JD Gordon told NBC News that the encounter was “preventable” and that the Cain campaign is “looking into the incidents to prevent anything like this from happening again.”
The Coral Springs police department later said that the Cain campaign had hired four city police officers to protect him at the event. Twelve other officers were dispatched to the scene on city time to help “keep the peace,” according to police at the event.
These are not the first incidents reported involving altercations between Cain’s security apparatus and the media. The New York Times reported a brush-up between a bodyguard and a female reporter at an event in Michigan on Nov. 10th, and a Washington Post reporter detailed an encounter with a guard in Iowa on Nov. 15th.
NBC's Andrew Rafferty contributed reporting.
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Don't y'ALL know Spanky is a troll from Fox news? And Y'ALL keep on feeding the troll. Just think about look at the name close. He or she hasn't been spanked yet today. So he or she comes on here looking to get spanked(by comments LOL).
But anyways, it won't be much longer Cain, won't be in the picture. And that is matter of weeks and he is gone. Then he can go back making pizzas. If he can find people work for him.
"If he can find people work for him."
Yeah, cause there's not enough unemployed or something? Expecting a turnaround miracle shortly? There ain't one until obalmer gets broomed from office....
You wingnuts think it's really funny to not call the President by his real name, don't you?
I have spoken with the officer in question and he assures me he is OK today and will not have to sue the reporter. When I asked him what had precipitated the incident, he responded that he was afraid the reporter was going to ask Mr Cain another question on foreign policy. So obviously an "intervention" was needed.
Liberals Want Cain,,,because he is the ONLY Republican obama can beat at the poles....
Funny, poles show him beating EVERY republiCON running for President.
the Femocrats don't have anyone worth worrying about. Stupid Dimocrats don't even worry that the current POTUS is a Muslim, and they...oh yea like to kill our boys in uniform. Godforsaken heathen Dumocrats...
Did you visit an elementary school to get that post, otter54, or just a preschool??
Brush your teeth and get to bed now, Junior!
Obama saying the Austrians speak Austrian is more correct than asking if what is something in Cuban. Because Austrians speak "Austro-Bavarian" dialect of German. It is not exactly the same as Standard German.
Could you imagine the horrors of a Cain White House? Security beats up the tourists as they make their way around the tour of the famous building. Especially if they are speaking Cuban.
Can you say "cop." You should try to read the article, then post a "cute" comment.
Something like post 50 by JM. Although he doesn't say cop, I can tell he read the article. You, not so much, but then there's more than 5 words...
Sorry MR, the article states that Cain HIRED four city police officers. Which makes them off duty, so they are considered security, not "cops"
No, but I think the pizza party state dinners for the Queen of England would be a new twist.
Yeah raddave, it's not a reflection of the police officer is it now?
What a maroon.
No, it's a reflection of his employer, who at the time was Herman Cain. you ignorant wretch.
raddave, I could see your point if these were herman's personal body guards or even private security, but it was a local cop.
If it is not a reflection of the local police officers attitude towards citizens or women in general, then it's certainly a reflection on the local police department, and if it's not a reflection on the police department, then it is a reflection of police union thuggery, and if it's not a reflection of police union thuggery then all police are jack booted nazi thugs who happen to belong to a union.
But you can be certain it is not a reflection of herman cain.
Since he was not working for the police department at the time and was Herman's personal body guards, because he hired them. If he had been on duty in an official capacity, THEN and only then would it be a reflection on the police department.
LoL, Chicago do you really think that they are protecting a Presidential Candidate? Herman Cain has made it around the Ghetto most of his life I think he can handle himself and a few reporters. His Pimp Hat tells me so!!! LOL!!!
Someone in Cain's camp touched a woman in an inappropriate way ... say it ain't so!! :)
If the reporter was close enough to get strong armed....then she was to close to begin with.
Finally, someone who see it for what it is. Cop should have arrested her for assault.
Jimmy, the cop is nothing but a thug. Defending his actions is tantamount to defending the black panthers walking around asking for black people to kill "cracker babies."
The Herminator is a Black Bully. I noticed it right away. That is why he really thought that he could order these women to do what he ordered. Bullies surround themselves with bullies to protect them. Remember Hitler and his black shirts and SS and Gestapo. That is why Cain was so dismissive of questions about foreign affairs that he did not understand. He is glib and persuasive until you begin to really pay attention. He is a dangerous person and hopefully will be nominated for nothing.
There we go, someone who agrees the cops are nazi thugs...
What a load of crap. The first two incidents reported in this story literally said nothing about Mr. Cains security. They had to do with unrully reporters vs store employees and patrons. The last one was about an off duty police officer, contracting for some extra money, and yes he was wrong in his actions, but you freaks blame Mr. Cain for his personal actions. I am sure the off duty cop saww what the vultures of the media were doing, how uncivilized they were acting, and got fed up with their entitled atitudes.
But all you sheeple would like nothing more than to put this directly on Mr. Cains lap. His camp should not even appologize for this. They did so because they wish to appear gracious and don't want, or need, any more damage to the campaign. They had no reason to appologize, if anything, THE PRESS should appologize for acting like animals, hyenas around a lone lion with a fresh kill.
It is proof that JOURNALISM is DEAD, the are now no more than vicious papratzi scum. And the "reporter" of this story, really? just as bad or worse for throwing the first two incidents into the story to encite the reader, knowing that the reasons for the first two could not be tied to Mr. Cain's security.
Watch out, raddave is going to post soon explaining how it is Cain's fault that an NAZI UNION THUG COP took it upon himself to pick a fight with a reporter. It's probably staged so people like raddave have something to post about.
What a maroon that guy is, can't even read an article and draw a simple conclusion, and to think he's allowed to vote.
NAZI and unions don't really go together, since the second thing the NAZI party did when coming to party to was to ban unions. You ignornant wingnut.
MR - a true idiot. Crawl back under your wrong or mommy's basement, you loser.
Old Herm is cooked...I liked him at the beginning but he just doesn't seem to have the chops to be Pres
Herman and his pimp hat Toast! The pervert can't seem to keep his filthy hands off womens chops!
I've only been in floriduh for a bit over a year (but long enough to see them elect a crook for governor) so take this with a small grain of salt:
Sounds like a typical floriduh cop.
This is newsworthy because...?
A Thug and his posse.
who the union nazi cop?
Or, female reporter who assaulted a police officer. Guess it's how you look at it.
Yeah jimmy, that cop was threatened. Jack booted nazi -- you must be one of them.
Herman Cain: mysogynist, businessman, a Koch brother, a believer of the religion of money (if you aren't rich, then you're stupid). He's a real bully just like the other bully that the republicans are still embarrassed with: Geo. W. and his WMD's.
What was that speech hillary gave again on the floor again about WMD's? What about Bill's several about WMD's in Iraq? Ohh, did we forget?
And, how many countries did Hillary or Bill invaded to get rid of their WMDs?
No, but he did manage to blow up an aspirin factory and kill how many innocents to cover up some scandal of his? Let's see, what other country did bill bomb into the stone age, killing how many innocents? I think it was the same one hillary had to dodge all that sniper fire from...
What country did Bill bomb int to the stone age? If you are talking about Bosnia, there was no bombing into the stone age as you put it. Did Bill claim that Bosnia had WMDs?
Let's see...burly cop, female camera operator. Trained cop, female camera operator. Hmmm wonder which one is the bigger jerk. Those of you who are old enough, do you remember George Wallace's AIP's, he "security?" They enjoyed bustin' heads too. Seems like idiocy has no color boundary. C'mon, Herman. If you expect to run the country, (hopefully not) then you better learn to reel in your goons.
Yeah, you would think a trained cop would know better, right? Oh, wait, that's not the conclusion you drew is it now? Hmmm....
So now Herman is hiring police to have improper contact with women.
Witty, very witty...
Idiot.
?
S. Ulmer, When this clown decided to run he asked for it just like the other REAL Presidential Candidates. He knew he had a past and he knows he full of SH-T!
Why should people be easy on Cain they sure as hell haven't gone easy on enyone else. I would love to know how many outside women Cain has had in his life. He walks the walk and talks the talk with his slick ass. He's Big Daddy Cain!!! LOL!!!
Cain should take his campaign funds and donate them to a good charity. Then leave the race and go home.
If Cain is the leader he claims to be, he'd make sure his campaign knows this kind of behavior is off limits. Needless to say, it ain't gonna happen.
Cain,are you making a satirical film on American politics?Your campaign looks like a Borat film.
Just because you have a camera or a notepad does not make you a reporter. The easiest way to get close to your intended victim is pretend you belong there. What is the difference between a paparazzi and a stalker? Nothing.
Lawrence,
Kind of a stretch, don't you think?
Sorry folks, but I support the guards. I spent 21 years in DC watching how these newshounds act. They will get into a candidates face and push anyone who happens to be in the same area. I have no sympathy whatsoever for them. There is nothing wrong with standing a "respectible" distance to get your "money" shot, or to ask questions. The guards were hired to protect the candidate, not cuddle up to reporters. The policemand should have arrested the reporter for assault.
Jimmy,
So why don't the other candidates have issues with the guards?
Jimmy's obviously threatened by petite women with a pen and paper -- or camera as the case may be.
It's ok jimmy, those widdle women won't hurt woo anymore...
If Gloria lets Big Daddy Cain come home once all the BS comes out. He had better quit while he still has a home. LOL!!! Go Pimp Daddy!!