Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain has suspended his bid for the White House.
NPR quotes the Associated Press as saying Cain was leaving the race, "to avoid continued news coverage of allegations of sexual misconduct that is hurtful to his family.
"I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," Cain told several hundred supporters gathered at what was to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters. Cain's announcement came five days after an Atlanta-area woman claimed she and Cain had an affair for more than a decade, a claim that followed several allegations of sexual harassment against the Georgia businessman. "But because of these false and unproved accusations, it has paid and had a tremendous painful price on my family," Cain said, with his wife, Gloria, standing behind him on the stage.
Several opinion polls have shown a steady decline for Cain, after the allegations were first reported. A Rasmussen poll released this morning showed that 51 percent of those surveyed thought that the one-time head of Godfather's Pizza should leave the race.
