Can Herman Cain Shake Off Those Sexual Harassment Charges? Easily

It's been less than 24 hours since Politico reported that two different female employees at the National Restaurant Association issued complaints in the 1990s about their then-boss, Herman Cain, and his campaign is scrambling to pick up the pieces. After an awkward "I know you are, but what am I?" response to reporters yesterday, Cain is nowdenying the allegations. Chances are this won't be the end of it. But Cain shouldn't be too worried. From Clarence Thomas to Dov Charney to Kobe Bryant to Dominique Strauss-Kahn to Julian Assange, powerful men faced with allegations of sexual assault or harassment typically follow a 10-step path to redemption in the public eye.

Step 1: Media outlets reveal the accuser's identity. The first step in most public sexual harassment cases comes when the media reveal the identity of the anonymous woman (or women) destroying the man's reputation. Cain said today that he wasn't going to waste time "chasing anonymous sources." But this is the wrong move. Cain should take a cue from Strauss-Kahn: The game changes when all the players are known.