Sen. Richard Shelby told CNN’s Jake Tapper today, “I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore.”
“I’d rather see a Republican win, but I hope that Republican will be a write-in,” Shelby said this morning on CNN’s State of the Union. “I think a lot of people could do that. Will they do that? I’m not sure.” “I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore,” he said. “The state of Alabama deserves better.”
According to Shelby, he voted for an unnamed “distinguished Republican candidate.”
Watch Shelby below.
GOP AL Sen. Richard Shelby: “I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore, I didn’t vote for Roy Moore… so many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip, drip, drip. When it got to the 14-year old story, that was enough for me. I said, ‘I can’t vote for Roy Moore’.” https://t.co/WirsPtfziV
Amid the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, Alabama Republican Roy Moore has told the public on more than one occasion ” I do not know any of these women.”
Now, one of the women who dated Moore when she was a teenager has come forward with evidence that he did indeed know her. And she’s pretty mad he called her a liar.
Debbie Wesson Gibson was in her attic hauling out boxes of Christmas decorations last week when she noticed a storage bin she said she had forgotten about. Inside was a scrapbook from her senior year of high school, and taped to a page titled “Those Who Inspire” was a graduation card.
“Happy graduation Debbie,” it read in slanted cursive handwriting. “I wanted to give you this card myself. I know that you’ll be a success in anything you do. Roy.”
Gibson said that after finding the scrapbook, she was not sure whether to make it public given the threats she received after publication of the original story. Then she heard what Moore said last week, s said, and contacted The Post.
“He called me a liar,” said Gibson, who says she not only openly dated Moore when she was 17 but later joined him in passing out fliers during his campaign for circuit court judge in 1982 and exchanged Christmas cards with him over the years. “Roy Moore made an egregious mistake to attack that one thing — my integrity.”
What made her decision to share the documents easier, she said, was watching and re-watching a video she has on her cellphone of Moore speaking last week and deciding that supporting the women who have come forward was more important than staying silent.
“At 34 minutes and 56 seconds into the video, he says, unequivocally, I did not know any of them,” Gibson said. “In that moment, it changed my perspective. I knew he was a liar.”
Even with the evidence Ms. Gibson has brought forth, it won’t make a difference.
Alabama voters have made it clear they have no problem with electing an accused child molester.
And regarding the age difference? The story has now shifted to indicate such age differences were normal for Alabama 30-40 years ago.
Donald Trump has wholeheartedly endorsed accused child molester Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race to be held in 8 days.
Via The New York Post:
“Just got off the phone with President Trump who offered his full support and said he needs a fighter to help him in the US Senate. I look forward to fighting alongside the President to #MAGA!” Moore wrote on Twitter, adding that the president exhorted him to “Go get ‘em, Roy!”
The White House also released a statement confirming Trump’s endorsement of the former judge.
“The President had a positive call with Judge Roy Moore during which they discussed the state of the Alabama Senate race and the President endorsed Judge Moore’s campaign,” spokesman Raj Shah said.
Moore’s wife also crowed about the president’s call on Facebook.
“Judge Moore just got off the phone with President Trump — we have his full support! Thank you Mr. President! Let’s MAGA!” Kayla Moore posted.
Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!
How far America has fallen, where our accused sex offender President Trump endorses accused pedophile Judge Roy Moore and it doesn’t even feel like a big scandal.
Tan suits. Fancy mustard. These things used to get people up in arms.
President Trump-we see that you, as a person who has bragged about molesting many women without their consent, are supporting the pedophile judge Roy Moore. You have at least 21 accusers between you, and the people of America are taking notes for 2018 and 2020.#NoAbuserspic.twitter.com/RK0iMlPeKL
A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows 71% of Alabama Republicans believe the allegations of sexual misconduct by GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore are false.
In the last month of the special election, several women have come forward saying Moore made inappropriate sexual advances towards them when they were teenagers. The youngest was 14.
More stats from the survey:
• Among likely voters, Moore currently leads his Democratic challenger Doug Jones 49% to 43%
• Among all registered voters, the two candidates are tied indicating the winner will be decided by turnout
• 52% of Moore’s supporters say they are voting for him to ensure a conservative vote in the Senate
• Less than half of Moore’s supporters – 48% – say they are voting for him because they think he’s the best person for the job
• Among Moore supporters, Donald Trump has a 96% approval rating
• 56% of registered voters in Alabama believe same-sex marriage should not be legal
That said, it should not surprise you that Alabama currently ranks 47th in the U.S. in terms of education.
It’s a study in contrasts when looking at today’s campaign ads coming out of the Alabama special election for the U.S. Senate.
First up, Roy Moore’s rather tabloid-esque response to “false allegations” in a “scheme by liberal elites and the Republican establishment” meant to derail his run for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ old seat in the U.S. Senate.
Meanwhile, Democrat Doug Jones’ new ad highlights Moore’s views that preschool is “detrimental to children and our country,” which he expressed in a 2007 op-ed for far-right wing site WorldNetDaily.
The essay was apparently in response to Hillary Clinton’s calls for universal pre-kindergarten classes for four-year-olds.
Compare for yourself – who would you vote for?
Moore, who was twice kicked out of office for disobeying the law and accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct?
Or the other guy, Jones, who successfully prosecuted murderers and the KKK, and stands up for education for your children?
How can we look our neighbors, our parishioners, our colleagues, our partners, or our children in the eyes and tell them they are worth less than ensuring one political party keeps a Senate seat? How can we expect young Alabamians to have faith in their government or their church, when its leaders equivocate on matters as clear cut as sexual abuse?
A vote for Roy Moore sends the worst kind of message to Alabamians struggling with abuse: “if you ever do tell your story, Alabama won’t believe you.”
Or, worse, we’ll believe you but we just won’t care.
To be clear: it’s not only his record on women and children that disqualifies Moore. If we vote for Roy Moore, Alabama will also show that we don’t care about you if you’re gay or Muslim or Catholic. If you’re an atheist or an immigrant. We’ll show each other that we only care about Roy Moore’s definition of Alabama. And that there’s not room for the rest of us.
[snip]
What is disqualifying is the conduct of Roy Moore against women and children. It was disqualifying for his party leaders. It was disqualifying for Alabama’s senior senator. And it should be disqualifying for his state party.
By the various misdeeds, miscalculations and mistakes of its voters and leaders, Alabama has left itself with few options. Alabamians must show themselves to be people of principle, reject Roy Moore and all that he stands for.
There is only one candidate left in this race who has proven worthy of the task of representing Alabama. He is Doug Jones.
For a deep red state like Alabama, this is pretty stunning stuff. I highly recommend you read the entire editorial.
• Well hello there, Jared Techau (above). Fortunately for his Instagram followers, the University of Kentucky grad is dating photographer Brian Kaminski who’s on his gig capturing Techau regularly.
• An organization that delivers meals to people with HIV/AIDS in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico has been without electricity for more than two months.
• A new Fox News poll shows Democrat Doug Jones leading in the Alabama Senate race against embattled Republican Roy Moore 50%-42%.
• A federal judge has declared a mistrial in New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption case due to a deadlocked jury. Republicans were looking for a guilty verdict in hopes GOP Gov. Chris Christie would get to appoint a replacement before he leaves office.
• GLAAD has teamed up with gay songwriter/activist Justin Tranter to create a PSA Calling for more LGBTQ inclusion in music. The video features a wide range of folks from RuPaul to country songwriter Shane McAnally and members of the Los Angeles Trans Chorus. Watch below.
Folks in Alabama began receiving fake robocalls from a “Bernie Bernstein” claiming to be a reporter from the Washington Post offering to pay $5-7,000 for “damaging remarks” about embattled GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore:
“Hi, this is Bernie Bernstein, I’m a reporter for the Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5000 and $7000 dollars. We will not be fully investigating these claims however we will make a written report. I can be reached by email at albernstein@washingtonpost.com, thank you.”
Because how much more east coast/Jewish can you sound than “Bernie Bernstein?”
And do you like that last part stating, “We will not be fully investigating these claims…”
“The Post has just learned that at least one person in Alabama has received a call from someone falsely claiming to be from The Washington Post. The call’s description of our reporting methods bears no relationship to reality. We are shocked and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism.”
More and more Republican Senators are running away from Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters, “I believe the women,” when it comes to the allegations of sexual misconduct by Moore.
It’s also come to light that Moore was “banned” from one shopping mall as he became well-known for looking for “high school dates.”
I have now read Mr. Moore’s statement and listened to his radio interview in which he denies the charges. I did not find his denials to be convincing and believe that he should withdraw from the Senate race in Alabama.
In light of the most recent allegations and the cumulative effect of others, I believe #RoyMoore would be doing himself, the state, the GOP, and the country a service by stepping aside.
If he continues this will not end well for Mr. Moore.
The appearance of grossly reprehensible behavior disqualifies him from service in the United States Senate. If he does not step aside, we need to act to protect the integrity of the Senate (2/2)
The allegations leveled at Roy Moore are disturbing. I have serious concerns about his prior conduct and fitness for office. He should immediately withdraw from the race.
Cops and lawyers among many sources for this one. How much proof does it take, @gop, before everyone walks from Moore? What are you? Where is ur morality, if it ever existed? https://t.co/MkFoJcYLoO
Roy Moore had been banned from a mall in Gadsden, Alabama, because he badgered teen girls, residents of the town, including lawyers and cops, say: https://t.co/2PiK8XzRT8pic.twitter.com/AUxuoFj0nf
And to make matters worse, another woman came forward today accusing Moore of attacking her when she was 16-year-old, and it looks like he clearly knew her as he signed her year book.
Beverly Young Nelson with her lawyer Gloria Allred describes a violent sexual assault at the hands of Roy Moore.
“I was not going to allow him to force me to have sex with him”
“I was terrified. I though he was going to rape me. At some point, he gave up.”
Beverly Young Nelson said Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore wrote a message in her yearbook in December 1977 that said, “To a sweeter more beautiful girl, I could not say, ‘Merry Christmas.'”
A new poll from JMC Analytics shows the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Alabama has surged past Republican Roy Moore in the aftermath of explosive allegations that Moore may have inappropriately touched a 14-year-old girl when he was 32.
The poll shows Democrat Doug Jones now getting 46% support as Moore only received 42%.
When you dive into the details it’s notable that Independent votes have shifted two points away from Moore.
When asked if the allegations of sexual misconduct is affecting their decision, 38% said the allegations make them less likely to vote for Moore while 29% say they are more likely to vote for Moore.
Also, in October, Moore led in male voters by 16 points. He’s now tied with Jones for male voters.
