Herman Cain's campaign stuck a finger in the eye of the most powerful conservative voice in New Hampshire on Thursday, blowing off a scheduled interview with the Union Leader newspaper.
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Before Cain's no-show, the campaign had requested the 10 a.m. meeting, scheduled for 60 minutes, be shortened to 20 minutes. Cain also told the Union Leader it would not allow C-SPAN cameras to record the sit-down, as it had the paper's meetings with Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.
The Associated Press reported Cain's meeting with the paper was canceled before Union Leader editorial page editor Drew Cline was aware that the former pizza executive was not coming.
Messing with the Union Leader could have serious consequences for Cain in New Hampshire. The paper's endorsement is the state's biggest prize for Republicans and is seen as a conservative stamp of approval elsewhere in the country.
Cline mocked Cain on Twitter, asking: "If Cain is more than 30 minutes late for our interview, is the next one free?"
Before it was clear that Cain was not coming, the paper's publisher, Joe McQuaid, said he would not conduct a 20-minute interview.
Cain forbade the C-SPAN cameras after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted footage of Cain struggling to answer a question about President Barack Obama's handling of Libya during a meeting there on Monday.
Cain's spokesman, J.D. Gordon, later explained that the former pizza executive was going on four hours sleep and said the episode was not a gaffe because Cain ultimately was able to explain his position.
Epstein adds that it's now official that the editorial board meeting is off, with this from publisher Joe McQuaid:
"I think it's crazy for a guy who want to be a major presidential candidate here in New Hampshire not to take the opportunity for a full-length interview with the state's largest newspaper. The window is drawing to a close and my guys have other things to do," he said. "Gingrich scheduled for for interview on Monday. And it will be televised on C-SPAN. Cain was here earlier but not for a full-blown interview."
McQuaid, asked whether he thought Cain was dissing the Union Leader, replied, "No. It's politics and campaigns. I don't think the guy is going anywhere now anyway."
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