Roy Moore, candidate for the US Senate from Alabama, has now been accused by 5 women of sexually abusing them when they were young teenagers.  Others are now beginning to talk about Moore’s proclivity towards young girls and of even being known for preying on them at a local mall.  The guy is a weirdo.  He’s a creep and has no place in the Senate.  However, he’s not the only one, not by a long shot.  Recent revelations about Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and many others have rocked DC and Hollywood, and all of the country in between.  Such revelations are finally bringing this pervasive issue into a national light, and has spawned the #metoo movement, where millions of women have had the courage to talk about their own experience of abuse and harassment.

Perhaps, though, it’s time for us to look outside our own political leanings and how those leanings affect how we see sexual harassment.  Right now, conservative evangelicals and even party leaders are contorting themselves to justify their support of Moore despite his clearly disqualifying conduct.  They’re doing it now in ignoring and defending the abhorrent behavior of the current occupant of the White House.  They also did it years ago when they supported Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court despite courageous testimony by Anita Hill who recounted years of sexual harassment at the hands of Thomas.  He was confirmed onto the Supreme Court anyway, and the damage he’s done to Constitutional law there for decades is clear.

But, here’s the thing; progressives and feminists have their own Roy Moore – and his name is, wait for it…Bill Clinton.  Yesterday, Caitlin Flanagan wrote about this issue in the Atlantic.  Clinton’s philandering and sexual harassment was also well known to all around him and exploded into the public several times with the Jennifer Flowers scandal, the Paula Jones case, and later the Monica Lewinsky affair which occurred IN THE WHITE HOUSE.  In the piece, she reminds us that feminists came to Clinton’s rescue, dismissing his behavior as not criminal, but mere “passes”.  Yes; “passes” where women claimed he them raped in their own hotel rooms and had sexual encounters in the Oval Office.  “Passes” where the evidence against him of serious conduct was much stronger and a hell of a lot more contemporary than what confronts Moore today.  She points to an op-ed piece written by Gloria Steinem in March of 1998, where she defended Clinton’s behavior and actually victim shamed for political gain.

Flanagan calls on feminists, progressives, and Democrats to face their own hypocrisy of supporting Clinton in the face of overwhelming evidence of his shocking conduct, yet condemning others on the other side of the aisle for behavior somewhat less egregious.  She calls for “a reckoning” with Clinton, but even more with themselves and how they contorted themselves to justify his behavior and protect their own political advantage.

It’s a thoughtful, but difficult read.  Perhaps it is time for Democrats to face this issue.  Perhaps we can deal with it more honestly that is being done on the other side.

Roy Moore’s reputation continued to circle the drain today as he was yet again accused on national television of assault on a teenaged girl.  File under It Gets Worse Every Day, now residents of Gadsden, Alabama, Tighty-Whitey Moore’s hometown, are starting to spill the beans about him, some saying they can’t believe that the town’s worst kept secret stayed a secret for over 30 years.  This is what happens when a dirtbag becomes locally powerful; they stay powerful until one person decides that enough is enough and speaks out.  The noise then gets louder and louder, overpowering the bullshit spread by the perpetrator.

Hopefully, what we’re witnessing in Alabama, Hollywood, New York, and other cities is a movement.  Maybe that movement will reach the cancer now infesting our White House.  Maybe if his victims get loud enough, that cancer can be cured through immunotherapy.

Trump has to stop making headlines after I’ve closed down for the night to watch the news and discuss politics and baseball with my Bubba.

But, holy damn cow.

WikiLeaks, twitter, and Junior.  Ain’t we got fun?

Remember how we talked over the weekend about Brett Talley, the unqualified man-child nominated by Cheeto Jesus to the Federal Bench?  Well.  A little detail came out today that he conveniently omitted from his Justice Department disclosure…Talley happens to be married to…wait for it, Ann Donaldson, the chief of staff to the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II.  That’s right, folks – Donald Trump just nominated, and the Judiciary Committee just approved, a candidate for a lifetime federal judgeship who has NEVER argued ANY case in court, has been out of law school for three years, worked in the Justice Department office that determines judiciary nominees, AND is married to a current White House lawyer.

Outside of his obvious profound lack of qualifications, I think I just counted THREE blatant and easily disqualifying conflicts of interest for this nominee.  The corruption and incompetence of this administration is like none I’ve ever witnessed – or even read about.

Breaking News:

McConnell was asked if he believes the allegations are true.

“I believe the women,” he said.

Moore has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Multiple lawmakers have called for Moore to step aside following the reports.

Poor Mitch.  Lose a senate seat when he needs to pass a budget or lose female votes for damn ever.

I *almost* feel sorry for him.

Nah, not even *almost.*  I’m enjoying the hell out of this.

EDITED:  John Cornyn found his in the same place.  He will announce shortly that he’s also withdrawing his support.

Some days I wonder if I should just go back to bed because it ain’t worth it.

Okay, that’s way out there even for Alabama.

Besides – Lawnmower theft?  Isn’t that what happened to Rand Paul?

I didn’t post a picture of the guy because you absolutely do not want to see it.

Thanks to SGrey for the heads up.