Bill Kurtis Spreads Rumors About Herman Cain's Accuser; Cain Supporters Use It For Campaign Fodder

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Nov 14, 2011 10:40PM

WBBM-TV anchorman Bill Kurtis made some ill-advised comments about Sharon Bialek, one of the women who is accusing (former?) GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment while he worked for the National Restaurant Association. Then, in what Salon editor Joan Walsh calls a "new low," Cain and his supporters are now using Kurtis's comments as an opportunity to "debunk" accusations against Cain on the website CainTruth.

During an interview on "Roe and Roeper" on WLS -- while celebrating "Bill Kurtis Day" -- Kurtis spread some rumors from an elevator conversation about Bialek, a former CBS employee, even going so far as to say Bialek was the harasser. Salon writes:

Apparently CBS’s Bill Kurtis, who should be ashamed of himself, went on Chicago’s WLS Monday and smeared Bialek, who had worked for a CBS Chicago radio affiliate in 2006 and 2007. From what Kurtis heard “on the elevator” at work, Bialek had a “track record” and a “history.” While he wouldn’t specify what this history involved, Kurtis shared this tidbit: “Let’s put Herman or Sharon in the car and say their roles may even have been reversed, given her track record here.” Having already trashed Bialek’s attorney Gloria Allred, Kurtis added, “I really haven’t confirmed it, and I don’t want Gloria to come after me.” But he confided that after the story broke, he wanted to call the Cain campaign and advise them “don’t do anything rash.”

Salon's Walsh goes on to say Kurtis should immediately apologize, and we agree. Conservative radio personality Mark Levin aired Kurtis's comments on his show, adding more crazy conservative comments. Warning: listening to Levin's show below might infuriate... anyone.