Something to Ponder

Amongst all the things going on today, a Senate race in Alabama is likely not something that most pay much attention to.  But with the razor thin majority that seems to be omnipresent in the Senate, no matter who occupies the White House, every race seems to take on national importance these days.

The Alabama race was interesting a month or so ago when the Republican primary took place.  Trump and McConnell endorsed the guy who had been appointed to replace Jeff Sessions after Sessions became the AG.  His name is Strange.  I know...not a great name for a politician.  His opponent was a character named Judge Roy Moore.  Moore was endorsed by all the far right wing loonies.  He was the Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court in Alabama.  But he's been thrown off the bench...twice.  Once for ignoring a Federal court ruling to remove a plaque of the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Judicial Building.  And again because he instructed State judges to ignore the US Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage.

Now whatever I think about Ten Commandment plaques or same sex marriage, the fact that the Chief Justice of a State Court defied Federal Law should be disqualifying.  At least I think it should.  And this guy is clearly a little right of Attila the Hun.  He shouldn't get anywhere near the US Senate.  But of course...he won.  And whoever wins the Republican Primary is likely to win the seat.  Like...overwhelmingly likely.  Sort of like a Democrat running in California.  It's a lock.

But now some pretty unsavory accusations have surfaced about him dating young teenage girls back when he was in his 30's.  Nothing illegal.  At least it doesn't sound illegal.  But pretty smarmy.  Sort of like a lot of the 'holier than thou' types who get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  And he's blaming everyone else but himself.  There is a pretty good article about it here.  Frank Bruni is a writer I sometimes like and sometimes hate.  But I think he got this one pretty right.

So we'll see what happens.  The Democrats are salivating.  The Republicans are running scared.  The progressives are outraged.  The conservatives are hunkering down.  But not sure how the voters are thinking.  I don't like to think that the Republicans are going to wind up with their already thin majority even thinner.  But personally, I don't want this guy in the Senate.