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Herman Cain has repeatedly criticized the news media for what he calls its obsession with his flubbed answer to a foreign policy question about Libya posed by an editorial writer in Milwaukee earlier this week. His confused-looking pause, stares at the ceiling and ultimately mangled response were captured on video by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and shared widely online. Reporters have been asking about the five-minute outtake ever since.

Mr. Cain’s own prolonged attempted explanation of the moment, however, seems to be making matters worse for him. At a news conference in Orlando on Friday, Mr. Cain’s remarks on Libya – including a suggestion that the Taliban, way over in Pakistan and Afghanistan, are at least partly running the government – raised new questions about his foreign policy qualifications.

Mr. Cain began his statements by criticizing the question as “too broad.” Then he continued, “His question was, ‘Do you agree or disagree with President Obama on Libya?’ What part? Do I agree with the part that we intervened with rockets and missiles? Do I agree with siding more with the opposition? Do I agree with saying that Qaddafi should go? Do I agree that they now have a country where you’ve got Taliban and Al Qaeda that are going to be part of the government? Which part was he asking me about?”

Mr. Cain, whose signature stump speech line on foreign policy is “Peace through strength and clarity,” also said that he was “a bit fatigued.”

It has been a long week of playing defense for the Cain campaign, with the Libya stumble and the continued challenge of sexual harassment allegations against him.

One thing has become clear: Mr. Cain appears much more comfortable and controlled when on stage than when he makes impromptu comments. Mr. Cain sat down with David Letterman for what was touted as a frank talk about the accusations, to be broadcast Friday night. The opportunity gave him a chance to plead his case to a sympathetic ear, and even shift a little bit of blame onto the political culture in the nation’s capital.

“The accusations were found to be baseless,” Mr. Cain said. “Now remember this, in my entire career, no accusations were ever made of that sort, not until I got inside the Beltway in Washington, D.C.”

Mr. Letterman responded, “Well, that’s the way it works.”

Later he added, “I’m no stranger to sexual scandal.”