Alabama Crackpot Roy Moore Visitting Washington

Although there was a Fox poll last week that showed a 42-42% dead heat between Democrat Doug Jones and Nazi Roy Moore in the Alabama's special Senate election December 12, a new Fox poll shows the Nazi way ahead of Jones-- 52% to 41%. Moore is in DC tonight for a fundraiser hosted-- according to Moore's campaign-- by Utah Senator Mike Lee. A spokesman for Lee said the "fundraiser is not on our schedule."

Yesterday Moore was trying to pretend to be an ordinary Republican and not an actual fascist. Sean Sullivan and Dave Weigh reported that it wasn't working. "Roy Moore," they wrote, "arrived in the Capitol to play an unfamiliar role: Republican conformist. By the time he left, he was once again a lightning rod for controversy."

The hard-right former judge made his second trip to Washington on Tuesday as his party’s Senate nominee in Alabama. Unlike the last time he was in town, Moore decided to mingle with the Republican establishment he has villainized on the campaign trail.

He joined Republican senators at their weekly policy luncheon. Most backed his opponent in the primary. He chatted with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), his bitter foe.

Afterward, he refrained from reiterating his criticism of the Kentuckian. Moore also dodged questions from reporters about incendiary statements he has made about a Muslim serving in Congress and gay people, declaring that he was not there to “answer any questions about issues.”

As he made the rounds, some of Moore’s potential future Republican colleagues strained to separate themselves from him. One even attacked him head-on in a speech on the Senate floor.

The visit offered a preview of the headaches Moore’s presence could cause for Senate Republican leaders should he prevail in a Dec. 12 special election to fill the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

...Asked by one reporter whether he still thinks Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) should not be a member of Congress because he’s Muslim, as Moore wrote in a 2006 opinion piece, Moore replied, “I’ll address that later.”

Did he still think “homosexual conduct should be illegal,” as he said in a 2005 television interview?

“I’m not answering any questions on issues right now,” Moore said.

He said he spoke at lunch to McConnell, whom he has vowed to oppose as leader. But as he departed the second floor of the Capitol, he said he was “not going to give an opinion” on that matter at that moment.

Less than two hours later, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a frequent critic of the far-right and President Trump who is retiring at the end of this Congress, used a floor speech in favor of a conservative judicial nominee to condemn Moore.