THIS IS WHAT TOAST LOOKS LIKE – AT 1:09 P.M. ET:  As each day goes by, Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore moves closer to oblivion, whether he realizes it or not.  From The Politico:   

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans say that Alabama Senate GOP candidate Roy Moore is virtually certain to face a formal ethics complaint — which would lead to expulsion proceedings — should he be elected next month.

It’s an outcome that senior Republicans say privately is all but unavoidable after the embattled Senate hopeful was accused of sexual misconduct, including with a 14-year-old girl. The former Alabama Supreme Court justice is refusing to leave the race.

McConnell initially outlined his thinking at his weekly leadership meeting earlier this week. The Kentucky Republican said if Moore is elected, he expects a senator to file an ethics complaint against Moore, according to multiple sources. That process would eventually lead to a vote on expelling him.

One option that McConnell floated during the meeting was for a Democrat, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, to initiate the process by filing the complaint, according to the sources. Democrats are not entertaining that option before the Dec. 12 special election because the party’s candidate, Doug Jones, could win.

On Tuesday, McConnell didn’t mince words about what Moore would be up against if he makes it to the Senate.

“If he were to be sworn in, he would immediately be in a process before the Senate Ethics Committee,” McConnell said at a Wall Street Journal event. “He would be sworn in and be asked to testify under oath and it would be a rather unusual beginning, probably an unprecedented beginning.”

COMMENT:  Privately, the Dems probably want Moore to remain in the Senate, if elected.  He's a great fundraising tool for the Democratic Party, and a serious nuisance to Republicans. 

As we've said here before, it's sleazy to present a man with charges based on alleged events from four decades ago, but Moore's answers to the charges have been inadequate, his party has turned against him, and he's in trouble even if he wins. 

He'd probably be wise to drop out and conduct his battle for exoneration in other venues, like the court system.  He is not winning this fight in the court of public opinion. 

This whole thing is a mess, and an embarrassment to our legal and electoral system. 

Of course, if Moore turns out to be innocent, he will be owed an enormous apology and another chance at public office.

November 15, 2017