By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore is in Washington D.C., but he has ruffled some feathers by not meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, Alabama’s senior Senator Richard Shelby (R), anyone at the White House or with the powerful National Republican Senate Committee. He even skipped the customary lunch with Senate Republican leaders.
Moore has met with ousted White House Chief Strategist Steven Bannon, Congressman Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas, Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky, and Sen. Mike Lee, Utah.
In response to Alabama Political Reporter’s inquiries, a source close to Moore referred us to a statement on the Judge’s campaign Facebook page:
“I refuse to be the type of candidate (or Senator) who immediately conforms to the establishment, caving on the core principles and values I ran on to curry favor from the political elite! I’m running for the U.S. Senate to help change Washington for the better, not become a part of the problem,” former Chief Justice Moore said.
Meanwhile former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was in Birmingham on Tuesday rallying with Democratic nominee Doug Jones.
“The Obama-Clinton machine, led by liberal career politicians like Joe Biden, has declared war on our campaign, and me personally, gunning for us with the same furry they attacked President Trump with in 2016. But I’ve been on the frontline of this fight against the liberals’ all-out war on Conservative values for years, weathering vicious attacks from the most powerful liberal groups and organizations in America. I’m not afraid of the Obama-Clinton machine, and I refuse to back down or cave!” Moore responded on Facebook.
Moore is enormously popular in Alabama, but that has not translated into being able to raise large amounts of money. Moore was endorsed by a lot of Freedom Caucus Congressmen, conservative groups and grassroots conservatives across Alabama; but those endorsements have not helped a great deal with funds for the campaign. Meanwhile, National Democrats appear to be getting behind Doug Jones.
“The way we stop them is by winning elections. We have a real opportunity to take back a seat in the Senate this December in Alabama, where Doug Jones — a lifelong fighter for middle-class Democratic values — is running to take over Jeff Sessions’ vacant Senate seat. Winning this race means having another voice in the Senate to fight back against Trump and sending a message to the entire Republican Party that Democrats can win anywhere. That’s the exact kind of momentum Democrats need to give our candidates the boost needed to mobilize and win in 2018,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said recently.
Moore, however, was able to win the GOP nomination without a lot of money or a lot of powerful D.C. friends; things his GOP rival, appointed Sen. Luther Strange, had in abundance.
“Throughout the Republican primary, our campaign was outspent and outgunned by the political elite who make up the Washington establishment. But those in the Swamp completely underestimated the power and influence of YOU, the best grassroots army of supporters around! Surely, the liberal establishment in Washington will attempt a similar game plan in the general election, but as long as the hardworking, God-fearing people of Alabama remain united, we will triumph over the power hungry elites!” Judge Moore said on his Facebook.
The Republican majority in the U.S. Senate is razor thin at 52 to 48, and the Republican leadership can not afford not to embrace Moore’s candidacy; but the Moore campaign is going to have to find someone who can bridge the gap between the former chief justice and the very establishment Washington forces, who worked relentlessly for the past four months so they would never have to work with Judge Moore.
Moore faces Clinton-era U.S. attorney Doug Jones (D) in the December 12 special election.
(Original reporting by Politico contributed to this report.)
