Cain Blasts Democrats Over Fourth Accuser

Defiant US presidential hopeful Herman Cain declared he would not end his bid for the Republican nomination amid successive allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour, calling his latest accuser a tool of the "Democrat machine".

Mr Cain spoke out at a news conference in Arizona, one day after Chicago resident Sharon Bialek became the fourth woman to lodge complaints of unwanted sexual advances.

He denied that he even knew Ms Bialek, saying he watched her announce the allegations at a New York news conference with celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred on Monday.

"I don't even know who this woman is - I tried to remember if I recognised her and I didn't," he said.

"We will get through this," he added, trying to steady a campaign that has made him the leader in an unofficial race to emerge as the principal conservative rival to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney .

A political novice, Mr Cain shot to the top of opinion polls, with disillusioned conservatives flocking to the former pizza chain boss with his tell-it-like-it-is style and outsider image.

However since October 30, Mr Cain has been dogged by accusations from women that he acted inappropriately toward them while he headed the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

And in recent days, the women have started to step forward publicly. The women who have issued the complaints worked for the restaurant trade group.

Mr Cain's political trouble surfaced less than two months before the leadoff contests of the Republican nomination fight in Iowa and New Hampshire to decide their challenger to the Democrat President Barack Obama.

Mr Romney has joined other Republican opponents in urging Mr Cain to answer the allegations amid growing unease in conservative circles.

Asked about the motivations of the women coming forward long after the alleged incidents, Mr Cain said: "The machine to keep a businessman out of the White House is going to be relentless."

Mr Cain said he would be willing to take a lie detector test to prove he is being truthful, but would not do so without a good reason, which he did not define.

He first reacted to the allegations by blaming the campaign of Texas governor Rick Perry but after that was denied he switched blame to Democrats and the US news media.

Mr Cain contended that "the Democrat machine" was pushing the allegations but said he could not point to anyone in particular.

"We can't name anyone - we can only infer that someone is trying basically to wreck my character."