“Herman Cain’s problem could soon be the Republican Party’s.

“The messy public relations crisis that erupted this week for the GOP’s surprise front-runner on Wednesday turned into a raging vortex that threatened to drag several of Cain’s most prominent rivals into the dangerous crosscurrents.

“Instead of arguing over the relative merits of each others’ tax plans, foreign policy, and views on immigration, leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination have now launched an unseemly game of finger-pointing over who dropped the dime on Herman…

“‘The dysfunction in the Republican Party is great in the short term for President Obama since it allows him to be the adult,’ said Democratic strategist Craig Varoga.”

“There are actually five separate positive qualities mentioned here, each of which could be compromised to varying degrees depending on how the scandal develops…

“He’s someone who many said would be a good neighbor. One would assume that a good neighbor would not sexually harass his other neighbors — but so far, there has been very little detail about the comments or conduct that the women might have found objectionable. However, with at least one of the women wanting to tell her side of the story pending release from the confidentiality agreement, that could potentially change soon.

“He’s not a politician. This has arguably been Mr. Cain’s greatest strength, even if it also the reason that many in establishment circles haven’t taken his campaign seriously. Even the other ‘outsider’ candidates like Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul have held elected office. At a time when politicians are less popular than ever, there’s differentiation for Mr. Cain in not having done so.

“The allegations, of course, would not transform Mr. Cain into a ‘career politician.’ But his responses to them have been, at times, lawerly and political. It may seem to voters as though he’s not being forthright, and that is one of the reasons they despise politicians.”

“Whomever pointed this story out to Politico did the GOP a great service. I can’t imagine what the landscape would look like if Cain had won several primaries, or Heaven forfend, the nomination and then had this drop.

“The fact is that despite Politico’s editorial sleaziness and water carrying for Democrat politicians, they got this story 100% right. The fact is that Cain had ten (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) days to prepare for this story and either couldn’t or didn’t. The fact is that Cain has changed his story at least four times since Monday. If you count the fact that he lied to the guy he’s accusing of leaking the story (no Herman there wasn’t “one” case, there are at least three, and I’m betting some multiple of that are yet to emerge), he’s changed it five times.

“Cain’s sex scandal is a self-inflicted wound from the word ‘go’. If he wants to blame someone and demand an apology from that person he should send Mark Block out to Dollar General to buy a mirror.”

“The Rick Perry Statement on Herman Cain

“It is here. Just interviewed him.”