Rachel Maddow: Herman Cain Lawyer's Comment 'Shocked' Me (VIDEO)

Rachel Maddow proclaimed herself to be "shocked" by a recent, threatening comment made by Herman Cain's lawyer to any potential victims of sexual harassment -- so shocked that she devoted the first part of her Thursday show to the remark.

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lin Wood, Cain's defense attorney, said that any new women who are thinking of coming forward with allegations against the candidate should "think twice" before they do.

Maddow said that, while little in politics actually makes her pause, Wood's comment did. Before she tackled the statement, though, she engaged in a rather chilling, darkly funny bit of Rachel Maddow Theater, employing a car wheel, a man playing a police officer, and a woman playing a woman who Maddow had just run over with her car in a brief skit.

"The vast majority of the people in the street who I drove by have not been hit by my car," Maddow said to the officer by way of an excuse. She compared this to a recent statement by Cain that, "for every one person" accusing him of sexual harassment, there were thousands of people not accusing him of sexual harassment. It was, she noted, "not a great defense."

She then turned to Wood's comment. It was, she said, a "remarkable moment," because a lawyer was telling potential harassment victims to "shut up," and seemingly threatening them with some kind of retribution if they didn't.

Pointing to the heap of abuse that Sharon Bialek, the first accuser to go public, has received, Maddow said that the threat "does not appear to be idle."

WATCH:

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Comments

[sitdownANDlisten]

01:45 PM on 12/01/2011

Rachel Maddow, Go back in your hole. You ugly lesbian.

[LemonLyman]

11:47 AM on 12/02/2011

Smart people intimidate morons like yourself. Go give more money to Sarah and Michele and Herman.

[mataylor16]

12:17 PM on 12/02/2011

Hey, that'll win people over to your point of view....keep it up!

[caloy2x]

03:26 PM on 11/15/2011

Herman was just sayin', I met 16 girls today and none of them are accusing me of sexual harassment, yet.

[deborahjoybrat]

02:10 PM on 11/15/2011

I am one of the thousands who have not accused him of sexual harrassment. But I am not a blonde hoochy mama

[Yorksgal]

02:05 PM on 11/15/2011

The over-riding FACT is that these women were proven justified by the NRA and given compensation - now why would that happen if Cain was not guilty.

And yes, this matters now - Cain has proven himself a liar and a bully. Cain should have been advised that once you start running for POTUS you had better make sure you have no skeletons in the cupboard.

[luvdatbobcat]

02:58 PM on 11/15/2011

"these women were proven justified by the NRA"

Just because it may have been cheaper to settle does not prove guilt.

[RC81]

01:46 PM on 11/15/2011

What does laura ingrham have to do with this?

[Puck68]

02:07 PM on 11/15/2011

Maddow was a Rhodes Scholar and holds a PhD in Politics from Oxford. You highlight your total lack of intellect by characterizing her as an "angry lesbian." How does that reflect on her opinion? It merely shows you to be a dolt. Disagree if you want... that's your right. But do it by making cogent points, or stop wasting everybody's time.

[RepublicanDepression]

11:40 AM on 11/15/2011

Hey Republicans!

Tell us how you rationalize this:

First Cain's employer settles a shocking number of sexual harassment complaints against him.

Then Cain falsely claims there were no settlements.

Then Cain remembers the settlements but denies he harassed anyone.

Then, when he's publicly contradicted, Cain's lawyer THREATENS other victims.

[heapOtrouble]

12:19 PM on 11/15/2011

Don't forget after the settlements, he parts company with the NRA.

[The-JuRK]

10:32 AM on 11/15/2011

I wonder how much horror, outrage and dread Rachel could muster if she'd been on the air when Bill Clinton was groping all those women in the White House...?

[RepublicanDepression]

11:36 AM on 11/15/2011

jurk: "Clinton was groping all those women in the White House"?

1) Prove "all those women"

2) Do you fail to understand the difference between consensual and unconsensual?

3) Are you really uninformed about all the times Maddow has criticized Clinton?

[The-JuRK]

03:39 PM on 11/15/2011

Spoken like a true feminist: wasn't it Gloria Steinhem who said of Clinton, "Well, he may be a philanderer...but he's our philanderer."

[MtnGeek]

11:49 AM on 11/15/2011

You mean the one intern? One? Consensual encounter? You really think that justifies Cain's serial harassment? Your partisanship is showing.

[The-JuRK]

03:38 PM on 11/15/2011

Your partinship is impairing your memory: Kathleen Willey, Jennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, that nurse he raped (he liked biting lips until they bled), etc. He was bringing two women to campaign stops at a time--and neither one was Hillary! "One? Consensual?" You sound mental.

[hanspij]

03:51 AM on 11/15/2011

Come on.Cain is just an other joke that is running for the most importand job this world is having to offer .Wonder when you Americans learn to get a decent president.Obama is doing pretty good but he is having an oposite to deal with.
But when in my country some importand guy send its advicers out with a warning to think twice before making any allegations, than that man is in deep sjit.Special against woman, he better run than. The law proteckt ppl for those things and we take those laws seriouse.It wil only weaken his case.

[RepublicanDepression]

11:42 AM on 11/15/2011

Thank God for Herman Cain!

Nothing can make us appreciate Obama more than the GOP (Greedy One Percent) conservative candidate clown car crackup.

[tooschool]

12:54 AM on 11/15/2011

My goodness! People are so impressed with the most pedestrian of arguments.

Rachel Maddow being shocked at one of Hermain Cain's comments is in of itself shocking. She must spend most of her life in shock. Firstly, he was not making a defense (since he has not been charged with a crime), but was trying to offer an explanation for the allegations. He was simply saying that if he were an abuser of women it would be common knowledge and more people would've called him on it.

These alleged victim(s) should be scrutinized. It's unfortunate but it has to be so since it is so easy to allege these things and ruin someone's life and reputation when the accusations turn out to be false. Let's not pretend it doesn't happen whether or not we choose to believe it as partisans.

In my opinion this whole thing stinks. BTW, I'm not a fan of Herman Cain. The timing is too convenient the victim too unbelievable. Unless more (credible) people come out. I'm not buying it.

[JAT3]

06:44 AM on 11/15/2011

Timing? When were they suppose to say something? He wasn't vetted at all and if that had taken place perhaps we know by know of the the settlements/accusations after all these years...

I knew nothing of HC until he decided to run, so to me is only seem natural to learn more about a person good or bad. This will always be the case with anyone when the digging starts.

[MtnGeek]

11:50 AM on 11/15/2011

So you've fallen for the PR tactics of Cain? That's embarrassing and I personally would not admit it in public if it had been me.

[jgmambo]

10:02 PM on 11/14/2011

They can' t proof a thing, Why are they coming out at this time? Can we say MONEY!!!! ,The left is scare to dead of Cain ( his color to be specific), Satisfaction for them could had come earlier if they wanted it. They are a bunch of opportunist ,greedy for money and 15 minute glory.

[JAT3]

06:49 AM on 11/15/2011

LOL! Why would the Dem be afraid of HC,...because of a darker skinned black man? If thats the case White American should be really scare given all the RACIAL issue against black people then and now!

Sorry HC, is airhead for the political arena and is better offer going back to the business world.
Regardless of when whomever should of came forward. The fact is that there was a settlement that took place. Only the two involved back then know the REAL truth!
And furthermore...the REP have a not so great track record with women, let alone Black people. You really think he'll capture those votes? I bet you can't "proof"(as you say) me wrong!

[jgmambo]

12:25 PM on 11/15/2011

Kennedy,Edward,Clinton have one thing in common ,two while in the white house and one running for it. Abraham Lincoln free the slaves (Remember?) . Did you know that thousand of babies died every year without a choice for life?

[Johnny ElDrama]

09:53 AM on 11/15/2011

too bad they already got their money years ago... p.s check your grammar before you post. it makes all the stereotypes of Tea Baggers come true.

[jgmambo]

12:06 PM on 11/15/2011

I already check on your " grandma" but she is too old." Drama queen".LOL

[somearelost]

04:12 PM on 11/14/2011

Kinda sick of seeing this guy Maddow all the time. Next.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

04:53 PM on 11/14/2011

Not nearly as sick as we are of hearing the same ignorant, puerile "this/that guy Maddow" comment from you lot......

[hpblue5011]

05:24 PM on 11/14/2011

That is why I never watch MSNBC.

[JDShipley]

07:47 PM on 11/14/2011

Trouble digesting partisan points of view based on facts? She's not perfect but she's smarter than the combined GOP intellectual daisy chain.

[AG creative]

03:30 PM on 11/14/2011

Cain reminds me of Bishop Don Magic Juan, the famous pimp.

[KMoore4318]

02:43 PM on 11/14/2011

Hint people Buy a digital voice recorder; Check to see if your phone already has one. Don't be alone with anyone (this goes for both parties); you may want to consider the purchase of mace, pepper spray, or a teaser. While it might be true that the check is in the mail; you cannot go by the promise without a receipt. If people didn't lie, it would be easy to just ask anyone if they did it, or if it happened. For someone to come forward and say she told me too, doesn't mean it's true, it just may mean she lied twice. Sometimes the guilty walk, sometimes the innocent sit behind bars. There are three that know, two of which will stand before the third on Judgment day.

[lemmyk73]

12:22 PM on 11/14/2011

Spin- Rach- that is NOT what the lawyer is saying and you know it. He is not telling potential people to not come forward. He is telling people who are looking to make false accusations to think twice. Focus on Solyndra, the false Iran nuke accusations by this administration, F&F, the economy......

[pleasantlyny]

01:26 PM on 11/14/2011

Who has made a false accusation?

[lemmyk73]

01:58 PM on 11/14/2011

Nobody and none have made positive accusations either. We shall see how it plays out if it plays out at all.

[RepublicanDepression]

12:03 PM on 11/15/2011

lemmyk: "that is NOT what the lawyer is saying and you know it. He is not telling potential people to not come forward. He is telling people who are looking to make false accusation­s to think twice. "

Prove it.

[dpcemker]

12:11 PM on 11/14/2011

Please, this....... Lady...... Is not capable of taking anyone down.

[SaltyWench]

01:51 PM on 11/14/2011

Homophobe much?