JIM TREACHER: ‘I have in my hand a list of Herman Cain accusers…’ “So we don’t know specifically what Herman Cain stands accused of doing wrong, who’s accusing him, or how to verify any of it. Other than that, this is some solid reporting from Politico.”

I repeat my earlier question: Would Jonathan Martin, Maggie Haberman, Anna Palmer and Kenneth Vogel have put their names on a similar piece, with no named sources, aimed at Barack Obama? Would Politico have run it?

UPDATE: Occupy Politico?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Even the folks at Pro Publica — who are certainly not on the right — aren’t buying this: “Politico’s story on possible sexual harassment by Herman Cain may be the biggest investigative scoop of the campaign season. But it would be hard to deduce that from the facts as published. . . . It is clear from the story Politico posted Sunday evening that reporters made extensive efforts to figure out what happened. But much of what appeared came from anonymous sources whose knowledge appeared to be second-hand or unspecific.”

Like I said: Would Jonathan Martin, Maggie Haberman, Anna Palmer and Kenneth Vogel have put their names on a similar piece, with no named sources, aimed at Barack Obama? Would Politico have run it?

(Revised to reflect that the Pro Publica folks say that they’re not lefties.)

And reader Frank Glamser emails: “You will note that the attack on Cain came after he assumed the lead in polls just as was the case with Perry.” Are you suggesting that we should question the timing?