Herman Cain 'Misspoke' When He Said He Might Negotiate With Terrorists (VIDEO)

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain claimed Tuesday evening that he'd misspoken earlier in the day when he said that he could envision a situation as president in which he'd negotiate with terrorists.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer before the Republican presidential debate, Cain was asked to weigh in on the recent prisoner transfer between Israel and Palestine in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was swapped for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Blitzer put the situation in an American context.

"[If] there were one American soldier who'd been held for years, and the demand was al Qaeda or some other terrorist group, you gotta free everyone at Guantanamo Bay, several hundred prisoners at Guantanamo, could you see yourself as president authorizing that kind of transfer?" Blitzer asked.

"I could see myself authorizing that kind of transfer," Cain responded. "What I would do is I would make sure that I got all of the information, I got all of the input, considered all of the options, and then the president has to be the president and make a judgment call. I could make that call if I had to."

Cain took a different position in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper after the debate, however, saying that he would not negotiate with terrorists. He said that his earlier statement was not reflective of his actual position.

“I misspoke,” Cain said flatly. “It was moving so fast, I misspoke. I would not do that, I simply would not do that.”

Cain went on to say that he wasn't in a position to judge the scenario in the Middle East, and that he had simply intended to convey his belief that you "gotta have all the facts" in such a situation. Cain also made similar remarks during the debate, saying "a responsible decision-maker would have considered everything."

Video above, via Mediaite.

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Comments

[susie1776]

11:01 PM on 10/25/2011

Herman Cain seems to "misspeak" at least once a day.....everytime he opens his mouth, some reporter calls him on it and he has to backtrack.

[wagwag]

02:03 PM on 10/25/2011

Think about this, folks. Maybe, just maybe Ol' Herman is not as much of an idiot as we might think. It could be that he is taking a page from. . . .what's her name?. . You know, the "lady" from Alaska. Sarah! Thank you.

Anyway, I think he (Herman) entered this fray as a joke and suddenly found himself thrust into the spotlight and he liked it. Heck, he even started believing in his own stuff. Unfortunately, what he didn't know (with all his intelligence) was that he actually was the "butt of a joke" being played on him by uber conservatives, like the Koch Bros., et al. By investing a few coins in Cain's, so called, candidacy they get a "two-fer;" (1) he serves as a major distraction from the real issues at hand and (2) he siphons off and dilutes some of the minority vote.

Meanwhile, "back at the ranch," Herman is raking in some serious coins and he will soon ease out the back door, campaign and sucker cash in hand. . . .laughing all the way to one of "America's Big Banks."

[margaritamayhem]

01:17 PM on 10/25/2011

Apparently Cain isn't Able to speak coherently on any issue.

[SteveDenver]

12:22 PM on 10/23/2011

Blitzer bombs on Jeopardy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtY-pIVbc8&feature=related

[Isom Dart]

06:12 AM on 10/22/2011

The next POTUS Mr Cain did not say he would negotiate with terrorist as this article claims, what he said was in order to make the decision, he would look at all the facts. This is actually what Mr. Bush did not do when he got us into the Iraq mess. At least Mr Can would try to make the best decision for america

[SteveDenver]

12:21 PM on 10/23/2011

Mr. Bush and his crew MADE UP the facts, they didn't simply ignore them.

[Mike Rock]

03:54 AM on 10/22/2011

The big similarity among the GOP: all ideas benefit the top 0.01% ... NAME CHANGE: GOP --> OPP (one percent party). Everything else is fringe and wedge.

[Mafiawar4life]

10:51 PM on 10/21/2011

Cain dont have a clue what he is running for does he?This is not student council or God father pizza board of approval we are the public and you can take your behind home with Obama,Bachmann,Perry.

[fgrammit]

02:23 PM on 10/21/2011

each time he back tracks on himself I think of NIXON saying he didn't do it over and over and then finally admitting it. . Im sitting listeniing to nixon lie over and over and when he told the truth I had even less respect for him. I was thinking what a ninniy if he was going to lie hE SHOULD NEVER THERE AFTER HAVE ADMITTED IT . wHY WOULD THE SUPPOSEDLY MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD EVER HAVE TO ADMIT HE LIED. AND MOST OF all why DID HE LIE IN THE FIRST PLACE . ADMITTING IT ONLY MADE ALL OF US LOOK BAD FOR HAVING ELECTED HIM

[fgrammit]

02:08 PM on 10/21/2011

watching the debate i did see some audience participation via side long glances to their partne and some frowns etc. just little things. Maybe they should televise the audience instead of the clowns we would get a clearer picture of how they are or are not suceeding

[fgrammit]

02:01 PM on 10/21/2011

yep he "misspoke" translated to oops i guess i should not have said it but he for ones didnt say he didnt say it. altho the tell tale lip lick was included if you watch. so he said id but he gat told it was the wrong thing to say so he had to change it. acnt believe athing this man says. and they call romney a flip flop lol

[rhnconsult]

01:39 PM on 10/21/2011

I'm thinking this happens to him a lot, "Oh, I thought you said extra cheese".

[Cndnpatriot]

12:04 PM on 10/21/2011

Cain is an idiot.

[SteveDenver]

12:23 PM on 10/23/2011

F&F I'm glad this was posted

[Pastori Balele]

02:49 AM on 10/21/2011

Negotiate with terrorists! Is that what Cain wants? I am glad it's official that Cain is GOP Nominee and there is nothing TEA Partiers, FoxNews and Republicans can do. What a guy to run against President Obama! Cain now says "Jesus Was Killed By A 'Liberal Court". Who killed Jesus - is it not Jews? So Cain is Anti-Jews? Cain bad-mouthed Blacks, Mexicans, OWS and now Jews? I do not know where GOP ticket with Cain as nominee is going. That is why FoxNews, GOP and TEA Partiers are ganging to get Cain out as GOP nominee. I am glad GOP and TEA Partiers are stuck with Cain as GOP nominee.

[tangelan]

11:03 PM on 10/20/2011

When your "misspoken" comments outnumber your real comments then....

[SteveDenver]

12:23 PM on 10/23/2011

You will be crowned Miss Poken!

[Lawrence Grant]

11:48 AM on 10/20/2011

When is he going to come out and say his mis-spoke when he stated that he is qualified to be POTUS?