ExpandRepublican presidential candidate, Herman Cain speaks during a campaign rally, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio. He says he'll decide whether to stay in the race after a face to face chat to his wife. Photo / AP
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, his campaign brought low by allegations of sexual misconduct, says he won't decide about continuing his fight for the nomination until he has a face-to-face talk with his wife, possibly as early as Friday.
In the meantime, Cain says he is planning an aggressive campaign schedule across several US states in an attempt to reinvigorate a candidacy that had moved him briefly into a neck-and-neck contest with Mitt Romney, the favorite of the Republican establishment as the party's candidate to challenge President Barack Obama next year.
Despite repeated denials of any wrongdoing, Cain has seen his support and donations dwindle under the weight of allegations of sexual harassment and, early this week, a claim by 46-year-old Ginger White that she had a 13-year extramarital affair with the candidate.
As polls show Obama's approval at record lows, Republicans should be in a strong position to block his re-election and retake the White House. Obama has been hurt by the economy's lackluster performance, high unemployment and the perception of many of his Democratic supporters that he hasn't delivered on political promises.
But the Republican primary contest remains in turmoil.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and venture capitalist, has held front-runner status through most of the early going, but with about a month left before the states begin making their choice of candidate in caucuses and primary elections the contest appears to be a toss-up.
Romney has been unable to entice the support of conservative Republicans and members of its tea party wing. He is viewed as too moderate on issues that determine conservative ideological purity. That has left him vulnerable to a series of challenges, first from Rep. Michele Bachmann, then Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Cain. They have all risen quickly into contention and just as rapidly fallen back as their flaws became evident.
Now, Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, has rocketed past Romney in many polls as Cain struggles with the allegations of sexual misconduct and serious stumbles on important policy questions.
Cain is now saying he is reassessing and waiting until he talks in person with his wife before deciding whether to continue his campaign.
"I am not going to make a decision until after we talk face to face," which could happen as soon as Friday, Cain told reporters gathered at his New Hampshire campaign headquarters Wednesday night.
Cain said he had spoken to his wife only by phone since Monday, the day White went on an Atlanta, Georgia, television station to make her allegations of the long affair. Since then, aides have crafted a packed campaign schedule with stops in several states and prepared to launch a fresh round of TV ads in Iowa, which holds the first nomination contest on Jan. 3.
But many Republican operatives believe Cain's bid is over whether he quits or not.
"I don't see how they walk away from the damage that's been done and emerge as a viable primary candidate," said Rick Wilson, a longtime Republican consultant. "All these things about Herman Cain keep coming out drip, drip, drip, and they're not handling it well. And now conservative Republicans have another place to go: Newt Gingrich."
While Cain has steadfastly rejected allegations of misbehavior, he has countercharged that the allegations are the work of political liberals and the Republican establishment, who are threatened by his outsider appeal.
-AP
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Cain to make decision after 'face-to-face' with wife - World - NZ Herald News
Software on Android phones 'tracking every key stroke' - Telegraph
It is not known if Carrier IQ is in use in Europe, where it might present a serious breach of the Data Protection laws.
A source at a leading mobile operator said his company didn't install it but that he had been investigating whether UK manufacturers had done so and “couldn’t give a definitive answer”.
Carrier IQ said in a statement that it “assists operators and device manufacturers in delivering high quality products and services to their customers … by counting and measuring operational information in mobile devices – feature phones, smartphones and tablets.
“The information gathered by Carrier IQ is done so for the exclusive use of that customer, and Carrier IQ does not sell personal subscriber information to third parties,” it added.
Carrier IQ would not return requests for further comment, but according to US reports it has issued Mr Eckhart with an order to take down its video. There is no suggestion that Google has authorised the use of the Carrier IQ technology.
AFP: Hardline Islamist surge in Egypt polls
Hardline Islamist surge in Egypt pollsBy Adam Plowright (AFP) – 3 hours ago
CAIRO — Egypt is awaiting results on Thursday from its first election since its February revolution which are set to confirm moderate Islamists as the dominant force, but with a strong showing from hardliners.
The Muslim Brotherhood, a moderate Islamist movement banned for decades by Hosni Mubarak, has emerged from the shadows since the fall of the autocrat and has forecast its party will take at least 40 percent of the vote.
The battle for second place had been seen as between secular liberals and hardline Islamists who follow the strict Salafi brand of Islam, with local media indicating the latter might prevail in the new parliament.
"Al-Nur, the surprise of the moment," headlined the independent Al-Shorouq daily on Thursday, referring to the main party of the Salafists whose members follow a strict form of Islam dominant in Saudi Arabia.
Estimates in the press indicated they would win around 20 percent of the vote when results are published later Thursday at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) for the areas that voted on Monday and Tuesday -- about a third of all constituencies.
Millions of Egyptians embraced their new democratic freedoms in the capital Cairo and second-city Alexandria earlier this week in the first phase of multi-stage parliamentary elections.
Analysts warn against reading too much into only the first stage of a parliamentary election that will last until March, but the results will reveal the political trends in a country that has not had a free vote in 60 years.
The prospect of an Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about civil liberties and religious freedom in a country with the Middle East's largest Christian minority, and tolerance of multi-party democracy.
The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party says it strives for a "civil state, defined as a non-military non-religious state... that respects human rights" according to its political programme.
Leaders have repeatedly stressed their commitment to multi-party democracy and inclusiveness, and pledged to ensure freedoms.
The group has been officially banned since the 1950s, but it counts hundreds of thousands of members and is known for its vast network of social and religious outreach programmes, as well as its stand against corruption.
"The Brotherhood beats the drums of victory," headlined the independent daily Al-Shorouk on Thursday.
Al-Nur was initially part of the Democratic Alliance coalition led by the Muslim Brotherhood, but they left to form their own Islamic Alliance, which calls for a strict interpretation of Islamic law in economic and social life.
"The fear is that if the Islamist forces dominate the new parliament, that could lead to an undemocratic system, and one that is authoritarian in the name of religion," said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at the University of Cairo, quoted by Al-Shorouq.
"We don't want to replace Mubarak with a theocratic and authoritarian regime," he added.
Rabab al-Mahdi, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo, said a large Salafist block in parliament "could also expose the divisions within Islamist movements."
"The Islamists are far from being one homogenous group," she told AFP.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged Egypt to continue its transition to democracy "in a just, transparent and inclusive manner."
Last week, 42 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured in violent protests against the interim military regime that took power after the fall of Mubarak.
Pro-democracy activists accuse it of trying to consolidate its influence and many fear the military will prove unwilling to fully hand over power to the new civilian leaders.
The military's new choice as caretaker prime minister, 78-year-old Mubarak-era politician Kamal al-Ganzuri, is set to name his cabinet this week, probably on Friday, press reports said.
The vote on Monday and Tuesday in Cairo and Alexandria and other areas was the first of three stages of an election for a new lower house of parliament. The rest of the country follows next month and in January.
After each round, there will be a run-off vote, and then a further three rounds of voting for the upper house of parliament from January.
It remains unclear how the new parliament will function and how much power it will be given by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces headed by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's long-time defence minister.
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