E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSBy NBC’s Ali Weinberg
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Herman Cain isn’t scared of the media or editorial boards, he said Friday night.
He told reporters here that he sought the Secret Service not to shield himself from the media but because he sometimes felt "a little bit uncomfortable" on the campaign trail, including a New Hampshire situation on which he did not elaborate.
Cain asked for the security and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and congressional leaders approved his request Thursday, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan confirmed to The Associated Press.
"No, it's not because you all are too scary," Cain said to reporters outside the Times-Union Performing Arts Center, where he had just given a speech.
Cain also said he was not afraid of editorial boards, even as the influential New Hampshire Union Leader board canceled a meeting with Cain after the campaign first said CSPAN could not film the meeting and then cut it down to 20 minutes.
Cain reiterated that the meeting was canceled due to a scheduling conflict and that he would do an hour-long interview with an editorial board in the future.
"Look, do you think I'd be running for president if I was scared of an editorial board or scared of the media or anybody? No! I'm not scared to go in front of the media," Cain said.
Of Union-Leader publisher Joe McQuaid’s comments that he doesn’t think Cain is "going anywhere from here at this point, anyway," Cain said plenty of people shared McQuaid’s sentiment.
"The fact that he feels that way, welcome to the club. There are a lot of people out there who feel that way," Cain said.
One thing Cain definitely was not afraid to do was promote his 9-9-9 plan. After his press secretary J.D. Gordon, put an end to the gaggle and Cain began to walk away, he suddenly returned to the cameras and said, "One last thing, please: Jobs, jobs, jobs equals 9-9-9. You knew I had to get that in there, didn’t you?"
Herman Cain has become the first Republican primary candidate to receive Secret Service protection. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Leave a Comment:
No I don't fear them editorial boards. Now, who are they again?
Yeah right is that why he skipped his interview with the most conservative paper in NH?
Cain, it's over, even if you stop shooting your mouth off and pull the old Sharron Angle "strategery" -- You And Gingrich both, it's over. The more you move your lips the more apparent it becomes that you are NOT even close to presidential material.
With reference to President Obama, recently Cain made the statement that: "the nation needs a leader, not a reader."
Cain does not possess the leadership skills to run this country.
If he had read more this GOP/Tea Party candidate would have known- 55 years ago that China had nuclear weapons!
"the nation needs a leader, not a reader."
Cain's statement is absurd!
If a president does not place a high value on reading how would the Command-In-Chief know or learn about Domestic and Foreign policy issues?
Based on the GOP/Tea Party candidates performance in the GOP debates - the Right Wing places very little value on education, truth and facts.
A president should be a voracious Reader.
Relying only on advisers, handlers and using "instinctive politics" to make presidential decisions would be a disaster.
His advisers get their talking points from cartoons and games.
Homer Cain? or Hermann Simpson? Last election it was Palin, that scared off any reasonable person from voting republican, and now they have a host of joke candidates running for the highest office in the land, the republican party is reducing it's brand to represent a cheap inferior product, by promoting and defending such low quality candidates.
Cain is awesome and he would definitely be a better president than Obama. About time we have a man running for prez with some damn balls.
And you live on which planet? Oh, I get it! You were joking! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. You got me on that one! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
I saw a picture of a man last week of a guy who has elephantiasis balls. He even needed a wheelbarrow to carry them around. By Donald standards he with the biggest balls makes the best president.
Somehow I think you need more brains than balls to be president. I guess it does take balls for Cain to admit he doesn't have a clue about the world even current events.
Only if I was looking for a porn star would I be concerned about the ball size and then determine manhood by their size.
So are the republicans looking for a porn star or a president with enough brains to run this country?
How do you know, did you get Cain in your car and try to reach in his pants?
Hey Pizza Man -- nobody cares what you think. You 15 minuets of fame ore over. It's Newt's turn this month.
Too bad the putz Letterman didn't "jab" Obama the way he "jabbed" Cain.
I watched the whole interview, and the schmuck Letterman wasn't "jabbing" Cain. On purpose, he was embarrassing him.
Give me a break, turn on faux anytime of the day and you will find some talking head telling some lie about President Obama. Just like the twisting of the facts of the Americans are lazy statement being taken out of context and even twisting the meaning of President Obama entire statement.
Poor, poor hermie someone picked on him. But the republicans tell outright lies about a sitting president, no problem, right bernie?
Herman's request for Secret Service makes him the only republican to create jobs since Ronald Reagan....He's historical and hysterical....
He has proved he has balls; just ask the women he sexually harrassed. He just hasn't proved that he has the brains.
I asked my wife,"NEWT or CAIN ? She answered ABSOLUTELY...?? She thought I said neuter Cain........
Cain is a joke and a jerk. Arrogant, pompous, and clueless. Has no substance just the backing of the notorious "KOCH" brothers backing him.
And Obummer has substance? Please show us. America can't find it. He has the backing of George Soros. And? The only thing Obummer had prior to this was a big mouth and a staple gun. Why do you forget about his listening to Rev Wright for 20 yrs? That doctrine was one of hate.
Herman Cain sounds like George W. all over again. He didn't place a lot of importance on reading either. Herman will be a robot for the KOCH brothers platform. Deregulate, eliminate taxes for the rich, abolish unions, and pensions. Keeping hitting the middle class and beyond with outrageous fees and taxes while the rich get richer.
keep hitting not keeping.......mistake noted lol
"Cain says he doesn’t fear media, editorial boards"
He is obviously aware of the negitive comments being posted about him.
The only thing he supposedly fears is the boogie-man and "the factions that are trying to destroy him".
I wonder if he meant "media, editorial boards"?
David Letterman used to be funny. Cain is black and he is being smeared by the Obummer Administration who controls all we see and hear it's why they fear him. Basically he's a successful black business man unlike Emperor Obummer who continually apologizes and downs our country and who has absolutely no qualifications to be President. I have more qualifications then our loud mouthed Emperor.
Cain's popularity is a response from white republicans who feel guilty about the way Obama is treated by their media, so they now have found their own black messiah to make them feel better about themselves.
You are a Fool! It's Obummer's media! It's why you only get to see and hear what he wants. You have been taken my friend! Wow you can't see it can you? Whatever Obummer and his media are doing it's convincing people like you to follow. It is what it is.
Oh yeah Fox is the president's media alright, he controls them, he controls everything, he even controls you and Hermann Cain, Ha you are ate up pal. I guarantee you are far more obsessed with Obama than the people you complain about.
Every normal American is afraid of the republican party, where is my secret service protection?
Really? Remember 50% of Wall Street is Democratic as is 50%of America. No you can't make that statement with any validity. Wow you are really close minded. Open up your mind and thoughts and wait until all this media crap is out and then make up your mind. You my friend need to step back and re-think.
We are in financial trouble, with a lawyer/community organizer at the helm who recently attended the G20 sessions in London with 500 staffers and 200 secret service members. Who begrudges Cain the small security staff he needs in light of that? And who says Cain is not qualified when he is a math whiz who has run businesses, made payroll, kept to a budget and turned around a failing business? This administration has not even HAD a budget for more than 2 years, which is unprecedented. This administration attacks Republican candidates because they cannot run on their abysmal record. Are you better off now than you were 3 years ago?
Ha a math wiz that can't do arithmetic, a math wiz that puts an economic plan on a bumper sticker, as if it is as simple as a pizza promotion, If he has such a great mind how come he can't remember anything. It seems as if Hermann is a victim of affirmative action they told him he was a rocket scientist, but as I said he could not even do the arithmetic for his own ridiculous 999 plan that has already been shot full of holes, he had to acknowledge that himself when he started calling it the 909 plan. Hermann Cain is a huge lift for democrats, as he only damages the republican brand with his silly campaign, and poor character traits that constantly need defending by republicans.
Cain is toast. But, perhaps he DOES need secret service protection. Heaven forbid that someone harm him. We'd have riots in every housing project.
Forrest - Your racist, fact-free comments have been read and appreciated for what they are. Thank you. You made my point that this administration has absolutely no successes on which to run. It's just attack, attack, attack.
That's right, I am on the attack, do those attacks sound familiar, I glad you recognize my attempt to turn the republican argument right back at you. You can't have it both ways, and by the way I used Cains and republicans own words and actions as my argument so if they are fact-free then consider the source. Ha republicans have made this too easy, by constantly harping on the president and running candidates that are even less experienced and less qualified. The only republican candidate that has any accomplishment is Romney, he came up with a hell of a health care plan, I wonder why he never talks about that. The fact of the matter is we were attacked and thousands of Americans were killed on our home soil under a republican president, and the republicans could not catch the person responsible. We have not been attacked under Obama's watch and he has collected the heads of the murderous bastards that killed innocent American civilians, now that is just one heck of an important accomplishment, you seem to ignore. I will continue to use the republicans own words and arguments against them, if you think it is racist, or unfair, then look no further than what the republican party has said about the POTUS. Ha I have not yet seen a picture of Cain with a bone through his nose, oh I guess that was not about race, that must have been about Obama's fiscal policy. If it is good for the goose it will be good for the gander.
Herman Cain is a pathetic flyweight who espouses right-wing crackpot ideology, and knows nothing of history, current events or political reality. On top of that, he has been groping women for years and only the most disillusioned among us (his wife, for example) will choose to believe otherwise.
Having said that, I am forever amazed at the number of people--mostly old and white--that find this totally 'not ready for prime time' ego their standard for the presidency of the greatest nation on earth.
Fact: Coach Sandusky has a better chance of being invited to Sesamie Street than Herman 'the one-eyed German' has of being elected to any office.
No sugar coating here, Mr. Bob tells it like it is!