NRA Decides Against Endorsing Cain, For Now

The National Restaurant Association looking to distance from Cain controversy

The National Restaurant Association board that GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain once chaired, as he proudly boasts in his campaign, is going mum on endorsing him for president. According to sources at Politico, the NRA board held a telephone conference in October to decide if they'd break with their tradition of non-endorsement of presidential candidates to do so for Cain. The idea was rejected, though.

Politico says the decision may have been impacted by the story they just ran that exposes sexual harassment complaints against Cain when he chaired the board in the 1990s.

Cain said he was "falsely accused" in those complaints, which led to financial settlements and the muzzling of the women in question from talking about the charges. Political analysts are split about whether the charges will stick or if will actually help build his profile.

Meanwhile, the NRA, which finds itself at the center of the controversy, is instructing its current board and staff not to talk about it.