Moore News

A representative of Roy Moore said Gloria Allred, who has a client charging yet another case of child molestation, is "leading a witch hunt." The good news is apparently she found one.

(Slight linguistic correction to the Moore campaign: a male witch is actually called a "warlock.")

By the way, it's never a good sign when your only defense is to attack the lawyer bringing the charge -- and not the woman weeping on podium as she explains her haunting memory of being sexually molested from when she was a child, which she had told her husband (with her on the podium) before getting married 13 years ago and also told her mother.

Alas, it was not a good day for the same Moore representative, going on to say that the candidate "has always been known as a man of high character.”

My guess is that the concept of "high character" is different in Alabama than rest of the civilized world.  That's because this doesn't explain him being fired twice from the Alabama Supreme Court for ethics and official misconduct.  Nor why a 30-year man would sign a 16-year-old girl's high school yearbook, telling her how pretty she is.  Especially without her knowledge that he was writing it.  Or being banned from a mall back in the 1980s.

We are not shocked by Monday's newest revelation of a fifth victim. After all, Roy Moore himself hinted at this the other day, talking about "if other stories" of child molestation get reported by the "colluding" press. So, it was just a matter of time 

Of course, with all these women now already on the record about being sexually molested when children by Roy Moore, I do have some unsolicited advice for the Moore campaign: it's that they might want to hold off on any other responses to Monday's latest charge of child molestation since it seems there could be even more charges to come from other child victims. They can just save their replies and make one big statement with them all together, rather than try to figure out new excuses each time.

And yes, while some people are trying to decide whose word to take this story, it's worth making clear that this is not a "He said / She said" situation.  It's a "He said / They ALL said" situation. Alongside 30 supporting sources.

One of those no longer undecided is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who on Monday said, "I believe the women, yes."  Okay, it took him a while, but very good to see him say this. Hat's off. While he said he's waiting to see if there would be a credible write-in campaign, there's no word yet if he'd recommend still voting for Roy Moore until then.

And that's the interesting wrinkle in all this.  Oddly, there not only are several scenarios at play here, but bizarrely they could work out pathetically in the Republicans' favor.

One is if they can convince the recalcitrant Moore to drop out and mount a write-in campaign.  If so, a possibility is to back Luther Strange, the state's sitting U.S. Senator who lost to Moore in the primary.  But a more fascinating, if galling possibility is if Jeff Sessions resigns as Attorney General and has the write-in campaign to back him.  Not only would this return him to his old Senate seat (and with seniority), but it would solve Trump's problem of not having to fire him and bring in another Attorney General who wouldn't have to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.  For that matter, this also works for Trump with the Russia investigation even if Sessions loses.

(Replacing Sessions as Attorney General isn't as easy as it sounds.  The Senate has said its not predisposed to confirming a replacement, even with this being a Republican Senate.  However, Trump could put in someone who's already been confirmed by the Senate.  Though it's unclear who that might be.)

Another possibility is if Moore is elected, the U.S. Senate could expel him immediately.  The Republican Alabama governor would then be able to name his replacement -- perhaps retaining Strange or bringing back Sessions.  Or Republicans could up the ante by announcing ahead of time that they would expel Moore, giving cover to Alabamans to vote for him, knowing that he'd never serve, and they'd get a Republican who they like better.

Rachel Maddow postulated this last theory, and while deviously clever, it seems problematic, since I think it would require a hearing and announcement before the Alabama election.  And, like its companion scenario, it requires full faith that Moore will win the election.

Being Alabama, I think it's realistic to think they could indeed elect Roy Moore.  However, we don't know what other revelations will come, and as I said, I suspect others will surface.  And from reports, the race is now tied 46%-46%. In fact, another poll has Democrat Doug Jones up by four points.  But...this is Alabama.  It's all dicey.

But in the end, it's what I said before, and will keep saying, because it's my new mantra.  This isn't about Trump.  It isn't even about Roy Moore at this point.  It's about the Republicans now.  It's on them.