Politics & Government

Cain Says Scandal Behind Him [VIDEO]

Herman Cain in Nashua says it's 'a stretch' to catch Mitt Romney in New Hampshire.

Herman Cain says the scandal is behind him, "As far as I'm concerned."

"There's no new information. No new documentation. No new nothing," Cain said to reporters after speaking in Nashua today.

Before pitching his 9-9-9 plan and the need for a businessman in the White House during his remarks at the podium, he also took head-on the allegations and criticisms of his campaign.

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"I think before I speak," Cain said referring to his 11-second delay in responding to an question on Libya. "And sometimes I have to stop to gather my thoughts."

Cain arrived about an hour late to the noontime event at the Radisson Hotel in Nashua. He made a passing reference to a stop at the Airport Diner in Manchester, where he said reporters there wanted to talk about the scandal controversy, and his recent televised "11 seconds of silence" on a foreign policy question about Libya, rather than talk about what the voters want to hear.

Find out what's happening in Nashuawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Some people want to convict me in the court of public opinion, but the people on the Cain Train don't get off because of that crap – a and I know that's not a politically-correct word," Cain said.

He also reaffirmed his answer to a reporter who asked him whether he really believed the Commander in Chief didn't need to know the details of foreign policy to lead the country.

"And I said 'Yes.' Who knows every detail of every country of every situation on the planet? Nobody! A leader is supposed to make sure we work on the right problem," Cain said. "We need a leader not a reader."

Afterward, Cain shook hands with attendees and signed autographs while fielding some questions from reporters along the way, who asked if he believed the sexual harassment allegations were behind him, to which he said yes.

Cain also said that "it would be a stretch" to catch Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. Second place may be more realistic, given the former Massachusetts governor's lead, he said. 


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