A few days ago, Ben Domenech made this statement in his indispensable Transom

One more thing: The timing and nature of this story in interesting. Many staffers were struck throughout the 2008 campaign by how often leaks about certain candidates would come out right before previously scheduled media availabilities or TV appearances, forcing a candidate to immediately answer difficult questions to a horde of rabid journalists or duck the avail and make it seem even worse. Now Cain has this story drop at 8 PM on a Sunday night—whole cloth, with no evidence of investigation beyond calling the people named in the documents—a mere 12 hours before he’s supposed to have a full day of media availability in Washington, DC at the American Enterprise Institute and the National Press Club. I feel like I’ve seen this movie. There are only two candidates running this time who ran then, and I don’t think Ron Paul even has an oppo research arm. Curiouser and curiouser.

Now the story has moved forward. We have a suspect … but no suprise.

Based on a suggestion from a local blogger to look into political donors on the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association for potential ties to presidential campaigns, I have attempted to identify anyone privy to inside information about the National Restaurant Association who also has recent ties to any presidential campaign.

According to the October 2011 FEC report for ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT INC. a gentlemen named Steven C. Anderson gave $1,000.00 on July 14, 2011. FEC search function here.

Steven C. Anderson is the same gentlemen who took over the helm as Chief Executive Officer at the National Restaurant Association (after a brief intermission) upon Herman Cain’s departure in 1999. As CEO it is highly likely he would have been privy to details of litigation and threats about litigation from the immediately previous tenure of Herman Cain.

There is little more than a coincidence between the support for Mitt Romney and the likelihood that Mr. Anderson knows the background of the sexual harassment threats. Nonetheless, watchers of this scandal endlessly pontificate about whether President Obama or a rival campaign is the driving force behind the bombshell story that appeared in the Politico on Sunday

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This really isn’t a surprise. If Obama had the information he would have waited until Cain had the nomination, or at the least some primary wins, to release the information. It is in Obama’s interest to reprise the Clinton strategy of 1996 by dragging out the GOP primary elections and facing a bruised and cash-depleted challenger. Perry has an interest in this as his lost support migrated to Cain. However, there has been no evidence that the Perry campaign is particularly interested or adept in oppo dumps.

During the 2008 campaign I was on the receiving end from emails from the Romney campaign, sent by a prominent Romney supporter how occasionally comments here, headlined “Not For Attribution” and containing all manner of crap on other candidates. So I’ve had no doubts from the beginning who was behind this. The linkage between Cain’s successor and the Romney camp goes a long way towards explaining how the sexual harassment allegations were leaked to Politico.