The issue did not come up at all during the 90-minute Saturday night debate with Newt Gingrich, sponsored by a local tea party group. But reporters after the event began asking him about the reports of his inappropriate behavior at the National Restaurant Association — and Cain initially dismissed them, saying, “Don’t even go there.”
An event organizer with the Texas Patriots PAC, Gena Cook, also tried to shut the questions down, saying, “No, no gossip.”
When asked again why he would not answer questions on the topic, Cain still refused to answer, referring the reporters in question to his chief of staff, Mark Block.
“Where’s my chief of staff?” Cain said. “Please send him the journalistic code of ethics.”
Another reporter jumped in asking if he could pose a “good” question of Cain, about his potential relationship with Congress as president.
After Cain answered that question, his staff and event organizers attempted to usher him out of the room.
Finally, Cain stopped, as if he was going to respond to those asking about the scandal.
“If you all just listen for 30 seconds, I will explain this one time,” he said, getting cut off by Cook, who said it was time for him to leave.
Which he did, at one point the former speaker likened President Obama to convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, claiming that the president had not been honest with the public about the state of the nation's social security system.
During the debate -- which was really more of a discussion -- the candidates offered similar views about federal entitlement programs, each promoting plans to shrink the government's role in retirement and health coverage for the poor and elderly, often drawing raucous applause from the crowd of several hundred tea partiers.
There were no tense exchanges or gotcha moments during the 90-minute program. Prompted on occasion to ask each other questions, the candidates instead opted for softballs that offered each contestant opportunities to brag.
Mr. Gingrich, a former college professor, generally showed a greater command of policy, offering more detailed and withering critiques of deficit growth under the Obama administration.
Mr. Cain stumbled on one occasion, when asked to detail how he would restructure Medicare. Mr. Cain paused, looked up in the air, before finally saying, "You go first, Newt."
Larry Lord, a 57-year-old small business owner from Riverside, Calif. said he started off the night favoring Mr. Cain but said he Mr. Newt Gingrich won him over with his debate performance.
"I felt like Cain had a deer in the headlight look a few times," Mr. Lord said.
Many in the crowd described themselves as one-time supporters of Texas Governor Rick Perry who had defected from his candidacy because of what they felt were his poor performances during televised debates.
Mr. Cain ended the debate by asking Mr. Gingrich, "If you were vice president of the United States, what would you want the president to assign you to do first?"
Mr. Gingrich laughed loudly, responding that he had studied the vice presidency of Dick Cheney, who under President George W. Bush made headlines for shooting a fellow quail hunter while on a Texas ranch.
All bout: Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Dick Cheney, Bernard Madoff, Newt Gingrich
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