Kellyanne Conway has been hitting the airways to stump for accused pedophile Roy Moore without coming out and saying that she’s stomping for Roy Moore. She appeared on Fox News and said that Republicans need another yes vote in the Senate to push through Trump’s Ponzi Scheme or what he refers to as a “tax cut.”
That is quite a bit different than the statement White Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short gave last Sunday when he said, “If he did not believe that the women’s accusations were credible, he would be down campaigning for Roy Moore.” It isn’t surprising that the Trump administration is talking out both sides of its mouth. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refused to articulate a White House position on Roy Moore despite being grilled by reporters at the most recent White House press briefing.
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Trump appears to be trying to have it both ways. He can’t come out and publicly support Roy Moore because then Trump’s own background of sexual assault allegations once again becomes a topic of conversation. At the same time, Trump knows that Doug Jones will be a no vote on his tax bill. Trump needs Moore’s yes vote. Jones is also in favor women’s reproductive rights and marriage equality. Neither of which are things that evangelic conservatives support.
One would think that a sitting US president supporting the election of sexual predator would be unthinkable. Trump has his own record of sexual assault allegations. This puts the Republican Party between a rock and a hard place. How can they remain the party of “family values” yet elevate men with histories of predatory sexual behavior?
This is in stark contrast to the reaction on the left regarding the actions of Senator Al Franken, who has been accused of groping two women. Justice Democrats, a group of former Sanders campaign staffers and other prominent voices on the left, have started a petition asking Franken to resign. Representative Keith Ellison is one of the leading voices calling for Franken’s resignation.
“Franken must go. We do not tolerate those who abuse their power,” said Justice Democrats PAC executive director Saikat Chakrabarti in a statement. “Representative Keith Ellison has a proven track record of integrity and fighting for progressive principles.” Justice Democrats believe that the left must hold their own accountable in addition to those on the right.
It remains to be seen how the allegations against Roy Moore will affect the race for one of Alabama’s US Senate seats. According to the poll average reported by Real Clear Politics, Doug Jones leads Roy Moore by 0.2%. This race is really about the heart and soul of this nation. Will enough people put their country over party and refuse to vote for an accused rapist? Will partisanship override morality? These are the questions before us.
