Nightly News   |  November 04, 2011

GOP, White House frustrated with Cain debacle

“Meet The Press” moderator David Gregory joins Brian Williams to discuss how the sexual harassment accusations are affecting Herman Cain’s candidacy and the GOP field.

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This content comes from a Full-Text Transcript of the program.

WILLIAMS: brings us to David Gregory , moderator of " Meet the Press ." And, David , the question for you on a Friday night having worked the phones

yourself today, two part question: What does the White House make of the shape of the Republican field and the status? And what are Republicans saying about this?

DAVID GREGORY reporting: Well, let me start with that latter point, including insiders within the Cain campaign. They're trying to create this alternative universe for this campaign to operate in where they deflect, they deny, they accuse the media or his rival campaigns of playing dirty and trying to set him up, even raising the specter of Clarence Thomas . That speaks well to the base; it only sharpens his anti-establishment credentials. The problem, though, Republicans have been saying to me today is, 'Is this going to create a cap for him at that 25 percent level of support? Can he get anything beyond conservative support?' As for the White House , Brian , they're frustrated with all this talk about Cain . What they want to see happen is some fire trained on Mitt Romney . They think he's going to be the nominee, and they're still waiting for somebody to really direct their energy against him.

WILLIAMS: And, as I said, 60 days to go before the Iowa caucuses , but just two days to go until we wake up Sunday morning and watch " Meet the Press ." David , thanks. Have a good weekend.