Whether Herman Cain survives the controversy stemming
from allegations of sexual harassment from his days at
the National Restaurant Association, this is hardly his
first controversy, gaffe, or misstep this campaign.

The Washington Post’s Dan Balz makes that point today,
noting, in part:
“It is understandable that Cain doesn’t have answers to
all the questions that are being thrown at him. He is in
most ways a political newcomer not steeped in the policy
discussions of an experienced politician. But he has now
been in the race for many months. He has debated numerous
times. He has done even more interviews.

“Even if the sexual harassment issue proves to be a
transitory problem — and there’s nothing to suggest it will
disappear quickly — Cain will still need to demonstrate a
surer grasp and an ability to master the learning curve
that all successful candidates master.”

In addition to Cain’s changing or evolving story on what he
did or didn’t know in relation to the sexual harassment
settlements, his parsing of the words “settlements vs.
agreements,” and saying race played a part in the story,
Cain has made a habit during this campaign of backtracksand
stumbles on a host of issues.

For instance, he backtracked and parsed when asked whether
he’d be “comfortable” having a Muslim in his administration.
He said he would impose a test of how much someone loves
America before choosing to hire them, if he believes them.
He denied during a FOX debate that he said communities have
a right to ban a mosque from being built, blaming staff that
helped Chris Wallace prep for the debate for misquoting him.
Yet, it was on Wallace’s FOX News Sunday show where the
exchange originated.

He also stumbled when talking about abortion, indicating he
was pro-choice in some instances during an interview with
Piers Morgan on CNN and then later saying he was against
abortion in all instances, and that he was tired during
that interview because of too much campaigning.

Aside from struggling to explain, especially the sales-tax
component, of 9-9-9, asked about “Occupy Wall Street,” he
said, “If you don’t have a job, and you’re not rich,
blame yourself.” He said at a later debate he was just
talking about the “Occupy” protesters -- not the 14 million
unemployed at large.

He’s invoked race. During this campaign, he said black
voters were “brainwashed” into voting for Democrats and
that he had "left the Democratic plantation a long time
ago.” He has also invoked race heavily in his past writings,
when, for example, in 2005 he wrote of “Separate Water
Fountains” when it came to Social Security.

And then there’s foreign policy. He said he didn’t have
a plan for Afghanistan and would defer to advisers; he was
unaware of the Palestinian right of return; he said China
was seeking nuclear weapons, though it already has them --
he backtracked today, saying he misspoke; he gave that
“Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan” comment about not knowing the
leaders of foreign countries like that fictitious land;
and he said in an interview with Bill O’Reilly that he
would want more ships in the Persian Gulf, even if it
prompted a war with Iran -- “That would be perfectly all
right,” Cain said, which Balz noted, “because I believe
we have a superior capability.”

--By Domenico Montanaro, Political Reporter, NBC News

I'll have mine with pepperoni.
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