The GOP has no idea what to do with Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. He has been ignored, endorsed, told to withdraw from the race, and every other option available. One significant person does not want him anywhere near the Alabama Senate seat, however: the man who would be his fellow Senator representing the state of Alabama, Richard Shelby.
Shelby appeared on CNN’s State of the Union this morning, and he had some interesting insights into the Alabama Senate race between Democrat Doug Jones and Republican Roy Moore. He told host Jake Tapper:
“I’d rather see the Republican win, but I’d rather see a Republican write-in. I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore. I didn’t vote for Roy Moore.”
Shelby did not vote for Jones, Moore’s Democratic opponent. Instead, he wrote in a candidate. He did not say who he voted for.
Multiple women have accused Moore of sexual misconduct, including one woman who says that Moore acted inappropriately towards her when she was only fourteen years old. Multiple sources have stated that Moore’s behavior towards young girls was a bit of an open secret in Alabama over the past few decades. Moore has denied all charges against him.
Shelby also told Tapper that Republicans and the state of Alabama all deserve better than Roy Moore.
President Donald Trump steered clear of the Alabama Senate race for many weeks, but recently held a thinly-disguised rally for Moore in nearby Pensacola, Florida. He also recorded a robocall supporting the embattled candidate.
Many power Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), originally said Moore should step aside after the many allegations against him surfaced. Many of those same Republicans have now started to walk back those claims, and the GOP is once again funding the Moore campaign.
Hopefully the citizens of Alabama make the right decision on December 12.
Watch the full interview with Shelby from State of the Union below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS7OSoQFaAw
Featured image via Flickr user Medill DC / CC BY 2.0.
