YOU KNOW WHAT TALKS – AT 10:34 A.M. ET:  The big question surrounding Herman Cain today is whether the report that he was charged with sexual harassment by two women in the 1990s would damage his campaign.  We do not yet have any polling on this, but one indicator is positive for Cain.  From The Hill: 

Herman Cain's presidential campaign raised one quarter of a million dollars on Monday, just as sexual harassment allegations were flying around Cain and his campaign was put in its most defensive position to date.

"It was one of our best fundraising days ever," campaign manager Mark Block said Tuesday, adding that Cain's economic message and outsider status were clearly resonating across the United States.

Cain said Monday he had never sexually harassed anyone in his life, dismissing a report in Politico claiming that two women who worked for Cain while he headed the National Restaurant Association had received financial settlements in connection with harassment complaints against Cain.

“Done. Move on,” Block said Tuesday at an elections forum hosted by National Journal. “Let's talk about what the American people want to hear about, and that's jobs, jobs jobs.”

Cain also dodged new allegations that have emerged about potentially illegal donations to the campaign from a charity that Block founded. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the campaign owes Prosperity USA about $40,000 for footing the bill for expenses, in possible breach of federal law.

Block said the campaign would respond to the allegations accordingly, repeatedly declining to comment further.

COMMENT:  It is clearly open season on Herman Cain, a status he earned by leaping to the top in the polls.  The fundraising is impressive, probably reflecting anger by his supporters at the sex claims, which are vague.

We await the next polls.  And let's see if anything else comes out about Cain.  As a conservative African-American, he has many built-in enemies who see him as a challenge to their "narrative."  Many media types will help out in trying to discredit Cain.

Voting in Iowa begins in two months.

November 1, 2011