"When did you stop beating your wife?" That's essentially what Politico foisted on Herman Cain last night.

Herman Cain is accused of sexually harrassing two women, though no direct nor specific accusations are made, nor are facts presented to support it. There apparently was a settlement in the "1990's" under terms of non-disclosure when he was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association; meaning, no one gets to talk about the settlement, including Mr. Cain, nor the alleged victims, nor the attorneys. (Here is the Politico article.)

So then, how does one "defend" himself after making a confidential settlement? Answer: you can't under these circumstances. And that's why this is a "when did you stop beating your wife?" scenario. There's no way to win and the implication is inherently prejudicial to Mr. Cain.

Attorneys settle cases all the time under confidential terms. I certainly have. The point is of settlement, instead of taking the risks of litigation which is as certain as a crap game no matter how innocent you are, a reasonable party will pay to make it "go away." Does this mean culpability? Of course not! It means that instead of paying attorneys buckets of money to defend spurious claims, you pay to settle. It is the cost of living in this litigious world. And settlements of this type are routine in this country and are happening every day.

I have not made up my mind about any Republican candidate yet. But to hear and read this insinuation of accusations makes my blood boil as Mr. Cain can't possibly defend himself.  I believe his best response is, "under the terms of the settlement, I am not allow to respond."  If his wife Gloria wants to, she probably can respond.  And I'll bet you she says something to the effect that "I stand by my husband." 

And what will the liberal media do with that? As they always have done. Smirk, smile and leave Mr. Cain as another "drive by victim."  This simply has to stop.  It is time to address ideas and not bargained for settlements.  And the only way for this to stop is for conservatives to embrace Mr. Cain, whether we will vote for him or not, and support him in this time of big splash headlines by the media for their own sake.