GOP Created The IVF Ban - And They Have No Way To Fix It

For five decades, most in the Republican Party opposed the right for women to choose to have an abortion. Why? What was their reasoning? It couldn't be that they didn't believe women should have the same rights as men, since the Constitution guarantees equal rights for all citizens. The only justification they had was the belief that life did not begin at birth, but at conception (which meant the embryo was a child and aborting it was murder). But they didn't think that argument through to its logical conclusion.

Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were "children". That's because in the process known as in vitro fertilization (IVF) an egg is removed from a women and fertilized with a man's sperm. This means conception has occurred.

This decision (which was correct if one believes in life beginning at conception) has had a chilling effect on IVF, and IVF clinics have stopped operating in Alabama. IVF is not foolproof and doesn't always work the first time. Many embryos are created so a woman can have a better chance at having a real baby born, and the extra embryos are frozen for future use if the first time results in failure.

But not every embryo survives the freezing and thawing process. If the embryo does not survive the process, has a "child" been murdered? Yes, if the Alabama decision is correct. And even if an embryo survives the process, not all will be used. What about the unused ones. If they are disposed of, has a "child" been murdered? Yes, if the Alabama decision is correct. Are the unused embryos to be kept in perpetuity? Wouldn't that be denying "children" the right to be born?

This is now a mess! The decision, based on life beginning at conception, is going to effectively ban IVF procedures in every state that bans abortion. And the Republicans have stated their desire to ban abortion in all 50 states because of their belief that life begins at conception.

Even most Republicans don't want IVF procedures banned. They know it is the only way for many families to have a child or children. 

How are Republicans going to fix this mess? There is no fix if they truly believe life begins at conception. And if they don't, then there is no reason to deny a woman the right to control her own body.

This is not going to play well for them in the coming election. A majority of Americans already support the right to an abortion, and even more support the right to have an IVF procedure.

Donald Trump has been bragging to his followers that he is solely responsible for overturning Roe vs Wade (which led to abortion being banned in many states). He says he's responsible because he chose three anti-abortion Supreme Court justices. That makes him also responsible for banning the IVF procedure in Alabama (and in many other red states in the future).

The Republicans created this mess, and they have no way to fix it. 

NOAA To Investigate False Statement Supporting Trump

You've probably heard about Donald Trump using a sharpie to change a map regarding the path of Hurricane Dorian. He did it because he was embarrassed about telling Americans that Alabama was in danger of being hit by the hurricane.

He could have just admitted he made a mistake, but his narcissism wouldn't let him do that. Instead, he demanded that Mulvaney instruct Secretary Ross to make the NOAA back him up about Alabama. They had already released an official statement saying Trump was wrong, and they never said Alabama was in danger.

Evidently Ross was effective in his threats to someone at NOAA, because they released an unsigned statement saying Trump was right.

That false statement angered the employees at NOAA. It also upset Assistant Administrator of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Craig N. McLean (pictured). He wrote a letter to NOAA employees, assuring them that the false statement was not official -- and promising them that he would investigate the release of that false statement. Here is his letter:

Dear Colleagues,

The fierce storm we know as Hurricane Dorian has concluded its ferocious path through the Bahamas and along the U.S. East Coast. Many of you have contributed to the excellent science that has underpinned the forecasts and current understanding of storms such as this one, which accelerated quite rapidly in intensity. The storm also presented challenges in track which improved with enhanced observations. We know that our collective work, from the scientists in the aircraft penetrating the storm, to the scientists deploying the glider picket line, to the modelers and folks working the physics of the storms, across OAR and in our CI'S, and across all NOAA Lines, we are working the problem in order to give the NWS forecasters the best tools we possibly can to keep America and our neighbors safe. Thank you. 

During the course of the storm, as I am sure you are aware, there were routine and exceptional expert forecasts, the best possible, issued by the NWS Forecasters. These are remarkable colleagues of ours, who receive our products, use them well, and provide the benefit of their own experience in announcing accurate forecasts accompanied by the distinction of all credible scientists—they sign their work. As I'm sure you also know, there was a complex issue involving the President commenting on the path of the hurricane. The NWS Forecaster(s) corrected any public misunderstanding in an expert and timely way, as they should. There followed, last Friday, an unsigned press release from "NOAA" that inappropriately and incorrectly contradicted the NWS forecaster. My understanding is that this intervention to contradict the forecaster was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political. Our NOAA Scientific Integrity Policyand Code of Scientific Conduct make clear that all NOAA employees shall approach all scientific activities with honesty, objectively, and completely, without allegiance to individuals, organizations, or ideology. The content of this press release is very concerning as it compromises the ability of NOAA to convey life-saving information necessary to avoid substantial and specific danger to public health and safety. If the public cannot trust our information, or we debase our forecaster's warnings and products, that specific danger arises. 

You know that the value of our science is in the complexity of our understanding, our ability to convey that understanding to a wide audience of users of this information, and to establish and sustain the public trust in the truth and legitimacy of that information. Unfortunately, the press release of last Friday violated this trust and violated NOAA's policies of scientific integrity. In my role as Assistant Administrator for Research, and as I continue to administratively serve as Acting Chief Scientist, I am pursuing the potential violations of our NOAA Administrative Order on Scientific Integrity. Thankfully, we have such policies that are independently cited as among the best in the federal community, if not the best. Your NOAA and OAR management and leadership team believes in these policies and principles. I have a responsibility to pursue these truths. I will.

Thank you for your continued excellent work, and your trust. Carry on.

Six Corporations Supporting The GOP War On Women

Six states have now passed bills that would outlaw all abortions. All those states are GOP-controlled, and the laws were passed by Republicans. Those Republicans know that the laws they passed were unconstitutional, but hope that the Supreme Court (buoyed by Trump new right-wing extremist justices) will overturn Roe vs. Wade (which has been the law for nearly 5 decades now).

Most Americans don't agree with these new laws. A significant majority of Americans support Roe vs. Wade, and want to see it remain the law of this land. The Republicans don't care what most Americans want. They represent only a tiny minority hiding behind religion, and wanting to force their own religious beliefs on everyone else. These laws would once again make women second-class citizens who cannot even make decisions to control their own bodies. It is nothing less than a war on women.

What can decent Americans do? All of the normal things -- write to government officials and newspapers, demonstrate for women's rights, and vote the Republicans out of office. And maybe their is something else. There are six corporations who have donated money to the anti-woman Republican legislators. Make those companies know they should not be a part of the war on women -- and if they don't listen, boycott their products.

Here, from popular.info, are those six corporations:

AT&T: $196,600 across six states

Walmart: $57,700 across six states

Pfizer: $53,650 across six states

Eli Lilly: $66,250 across five states

Coca-Cola: $40,800 across five states

Aetna: $26,600 across four states

Warren Blasts GOP State Legislatures On Abortion

Republican legislatures across the country have decided that women have too many rights -- and among these is the right to control over their own bodies and health.

Those GOP state legislatures think that there are now enough right-wing justices on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which has been settled law now for over 50 years.

You have probably heard about the draconian law passed in Alabama, but it's not just that state. Many other GOP-controlled states are taking the same course, and the laws passed by one of those states could well be before the Supreme Court in a few months.

Here is Senator Elizabeth Warren's reaction to this travesty (in an e-mail to Democrats on Thursday):

I want to talk about what happened yesterday in Alabama.

And this morning in Missouri. And last week in Georgia. And in Arkansas and Mississippi in March. And in North Dakota and Ohio in April.

Right now, a woman’s constitutional right to abortion is under attack.

States across the country are passing tighter and tighter restrictions making it harder, if not impossible, to access safe abortion or trying to ban it outright. In fact, most of these restrictions come into place before a woman would even know she’s pregnant.

It’s important to say why this is happening right now: Republicans are on the march to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And thanks to Donald Trump stacking the courts with anti-choice judges, that could be a real possibility.

Access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right — and we’re going to fight this with everything we’ve got.

I’ll have more details on how to fight back soon, but if you’d like to take action today, here are some options:

1. ORGANIZE: If you are ready to organize and take action in your community, you can stay up-to-date on the latest news here: http://www.stopabortionbans.org.
2. DONATE: If you want to help fund local groups on the frontlines of providing reproductive care, consider making a donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds.
3. RUN: If you’re ready to kick anti-choice lawmakers out of office, learn more about running for office yourself here:dlcc.org, emilyslist.org, emergeamerica.org,runforsomething.net.

Thanks for being in this fight,

Elizabeth

Alabama Elects Democrat Jones - Rejects GOP Pedophile

I owe many people in Alabama my sincere apology. I was convinced that the very red state would vote to send a pedophile to the United States Senate. They did not!

On Tuesday, in a very close election, the voters in Alabama rejected Republican candidate Roy Moore and elected the Democratic candidate Doug Jones.

How did it happen? Well, we can thank especially two groups. Black voters went to the polls in record numbers for an off-year or special election to reward Jones for his years of fighting for civil rights. Jones only had a 1.5 point winning margin, which could not have happened without the large turnout of Black voters.

And some Republican voters simply could not bring themselves to vote for Moore (because of his many faults), so they cast a write-in vote. There were enough write-in votes that could have caused a Republican victory if a candidate other than Moore had been on the GOP ticket. The difference between Jones and Moore was 20,715 votes, and there were 22,819 write-in votes.

Here is the final tabulation:

Doug Jones (D)...............671,151 (49.9%)
Roy Moore (R)...............650,436 (48.4%)
Write-in votes...............22,819 (1.7%)

THANK YOU, ALABAMA!

Moral Choice For Alabama Republicans - Stay Home Today

Many decent Republicans in Alabama have a dilemma facing them today. They are die-hard Republicans, who have never voted for a Democrat and cannot bring themselves to do so -- but they have a pedophile (who doesn't believe in the Constitution) running on the Republican ticket. What are they to do?

I understand the dilemma. I am a die-hard Democrat, who has never voted for a Republican (and never will). What would I do if a truly despicable person was the Democratic candidate in a race? I could not vote Republican, but I would not vote for that Democrat either. In an election with other races to be determined, I would leave that race unmarked on my ballot -- and if that was the only race on the ballot, I would stay home. Morality would demand that.

And morality demands the same from die-hard Alabama Republicans today. If you can't bring yourself to vote for the Democrat, I understand. Don't do it. But if you really have the values you claim to have, you shouldn't be able to vote for the pedophile who would trash our Constitution either. You should just sty home today. Isn't that the only moral and decent choice.

Meanwhile, it's becoming impossible to predict what will happen in the Alabama senate race. The polls are all over the place. Three new polls have been released (see below). Two predict a win for Moore, while the third predicts Jones will win. It's anyone's guess as to what will happen.

The Gravis Marketing Poll was done between December 5th and 8th of a random sample of 1,254 Alabama likely voters, with a 2.8 point margin of error.

The Trafalgar Group Poll was done on December 6th and 7th of a random sample of 1,419 likely Alabama voters, and has a margin of error of 3.12 points.

The Fox News Poll was done between December 7th and 10th of a random sample of 1,408 registered Alabama voters, with a margin of error of 2.5 points (including 1,127 likely voters with a margin of error of 3 points).

New Poll Has Moore With A 7 Point Lead In Alabama

It's looking more and more like Republican pedophile Roy Moore is going to win the Alabama senate race. Immediately after the accusations of his sex offenses came out, his numbers went down. But they are now climbing. It seems that Alabama Republicans are taking a cue from their sex-offender president. They are now just acting like they don't believe Moore's very credible offenders.

The chart above is from a new Raycom News / Strategy Research Poll -- done on December 4th of a random sample of 3,200 registered Alabama voters, with a margin of error of 2 points.

Latest Poll Has Moore With 6 Point Lead In Alabama

The chart above reflects the results of a new CBS News / YouGov Poll -- done between November 28th and December 1st of a random sample of 1,067 registered voters in Alabama, with a margin of error of 3.8 points. It shows the accused pedophile, Republican Roy Moore, is extending his lead over Democrat Doug Jones. That lead is now about 6 points.

It looks like Alabama voters have decided that, no matter how credible, the accusations against Moore are "fake news". This shouldn't surprise anyone. Note in the chart below, these same voters think Trump (a serial sex abuser himself) is doing a good job as president (by a 15 point margin). They have experience at denying truth when it doesn't correspond to their wishes.

The Alabama election is not until December 12th, but as of now, it looks like the voters of that state are going to send a known child sex abuser to the United States Senate.

WAPO Poll Has Alabama Race A Dead Heat (I Doubt It)

The charts above are from the Washington Post / Schar School Poll -- done between November 27th and 30th of a random sample of 739 likely Alabama voters, with a 4.5 point margin of error.

The poll has Democrat Doug Jones with a slim 3 point lead over Republican Roy Moore. But with a 4.5 point margin of error, the poll has either candidate with a good chance of winning. I wish I could believe Jones has a good chance of beating Moore, but I don't.

I think there is something that makes the Alabama polls next to worthless. I believe there is a statistically significant portion of voters that are embarrassed to tell pollsters that they'll vote for Moore (the accused pedophile), but they will vote for him when they get alone in the voting booth. If that is true, and I think it is, then Moore will win by at least 5 points (and probably more).

I really hope I'm wrong.

A Second Poll Shows Pedophile Regaining Lead In Alabama

Will the citizens of Alabama send a known pedophile to Congress. Yesterday, I showed you a poll that says that is very likely, since Republican Roy Moore has regained the lead in that senate race. Now a second poll verifies that result.

It is the JMC Analytics Poll -- done on November 27th and 28th of a random sample of 650 Alabama registered voters, with a margin of error of 3.8 points. It shows the voters favoring Moore over Democrat Doug Jones by a 5 point margin (48% to 43%).

GOP Pedophile Regains Lead In Alabama Senate Race

The question on everyone's mind for the last few weeks is what will happen in Alabama. Will that bright red state vote for a pedophile in the Senate race to avoid voting for a Democrat? If this new poll is correct, that seems to be exactly what they will do. Republican Roy Moore has regained the lead in that race.

The difference in the latest poll, according to the pollster, is that many Republicans who said they would not vote after learning of the charges against Moore are now changing their minds and coming back to supporting Moore.

The crazy thing is that most of those Republican voters in Alabama are evangelical christians who claim to be "Family values" voters. And yet, they are ready to vote for a pedophile. When did pedophilia become a christian family value?

The chart is from the Change Research Poll done on November 26th and 27th of a random sample of 1,868 Alabama registered voters, with a 2.3 point margin of error.

The Case Against Roy Moore Is Strong

(Cartoon image is by Nate Beeler in The Columbus Dispatch.)

William Saletan has written an excellent article at Slate.com about the dilemma Republicans find themselves in with a pedophile running on their ticket in Alabama. Many try to ignore the evidence against Roy Moore by claiming it hasn't been proven. That is some rather disingenuous wishful thinking on their part. The case is really very strong. Here's the case laid out by Saletan:

1. The accusers. Moore portrayed his first four accusers as pawns of the Washington Post, which reported their allegations. Since then, five more women have come forward, mostly speaking to outlets other than the Post. With one exception, the nine women don’t know one another. They’ve given their names and answered hard questions, in some cases on live TV, while Moore has stiff-armed reporters. Each woman has told only her own story, but there are hints that they’re just the tip of the iceberg. One recalls Moore telling her, “I go out with girls your age all the time.” Two of the women say they supported Trump. Another says she’s a Republican. A fourth calls herself a devout Christian. Yet Moore and his allies continue to dismiss all the allegations as a liberal plot.

2. Supporting witnesses. One accuser, Leigh Corfman, says Moore seduced her when she was 14. Moore says he never met her, but Corfman’s mother says she was present when the two met. Another accuser, Wendy Miller, says Moore flirted with her when she was 14 and asked her out at 16. Her mother, too, confirms the story, saying she told Moore he was too old to date her daughter. Kayla McLaughlin, who worked at a mall store with a third accuser, Gena Richardson, says she saw Moore pursue Richardson. Two other accusers, Beverly Nelson and Tina Johnson, told their sisters about Moore years ago. The idea that all these girls, their mothers, their sisters, and their friends began coordinating a massive lie decades ago—and somehow conspired to keep it quiet through Moore’s many previous political campaigns, saving it for a special Senate election in 2017—is completely preposterous. And that’s before we get to the many other people in Moore’s town, including a colleague in the district attorney’s office, who have broadly described, in some cases firsthand, how Moore fished for teenagers.

3. Documents. A February 1979 court order supports Corfman’s contention that she was down the hall from Moore’s office on the day she says they met. Moore’s campaign says Corfman’s story about where Moore picked her up for dates can’t be true because she didn’t live where she claims to have lived. But an old police report confirms that she did. (When the Post asked the Moore campaign to document its counterclaim that Corfman lived a mile away, the campaign replied: “We will not respond to anyone from the Post.”) Another court record shows that Johnson was a client of Moore in 1991, when she says he groped her.

Moore’s campaign has attacked Nelson’s story that he assaulted her 40 years ago outside a restaurant. The campaign has questioned whether the restaurant existed there at the time, and Moore’s wife has promoted claims that it didn’t. A 1978 city directory confirms that it did. Moore has also denied allegations by Corfman and another woman, Gloria Deason, that he gave them alcohol when they were underage. Moore says he couldn’t have done that, because the county didn’t permit alcohol sales at the time. This, too, is false: The county had legalized alcohol sales several years earlier, and the restaurant where Deason says Moore ordered bottles of Rose confirms that it served booze.

4. The yearbook. Moore says he never met Nelson. That leaves him to explain why she has a 1977 high-school yearbook bearing the inscription: “To a sweeter more beautiful girl, I could not say ‘Merry Christmas.’ Christmas, 1977, Love, Roy Moore.” Moore points out that Nelson, too, has something to explain: Why, he asks, are the exact date and place where he ostensibly signed the yearbook written below his name “in a style inconsistent with the rest of the yearbook inscription”? That’s a good question. It’s possible that somebody else appended those details. But what’s striking is that Moore doesn’t challenge the inscription itself. He can’t dispute that it bears an uncanny resemblance to his handwriting on other documents. An expert consulted by the Post observes that the script flows without interruption, which would be hard for a forger to do.

At a Nov. 15 press conference, Phillip Jauregui, an attorney for Moore, questioned whether “everything written in that yearbook was written by Roy Moore.” That sounds like an implicit acknowledgment that part of it was. (Nelson’s attorney, Gloria Allred, says she’ll hand over the yearbook if Moore agrees to testify, along with Nelson, under oath. Moore hasn’t accepted the challenge.) It’s also curious that Moore’s campaign, which has dug up old documents bearing his signature, has yet to produce any that don’t match Nelson’s inscription. And the yearbook itself nails down that the inscription was written in late 1977, when Moore was 30 and Nelson had just turned 16. So even if you discount the appended text, we’re left with Moore’s note to a “beautiful girl” half his age, whom he claims he never knew.

5. Confessions. Moore says he first noticed Kayla Kisor, the girl who would become his wife, when she performed at a dance recital at age 15 or 16. That would be around 1977, the same year that three of his accusers, who were roughly the same age as Kisor, say he pursued them. In fact, Nelson was in Kisor’s high-school class. And though Moore told Hannity he did “not generally” date teenagers while in his 30s, he also denied “dating any girl without the permission of her mother,” which suggests that the girls were young. That fits the story told by Wendy Miller’s mother, who says she rejected Moore’s request to date her 16-year-old daughter. . . .

Like anyone else accused of wrongdoing, Moore began with a presumption of innocence. But he has forfeited it. His assertions are demonstrably false. Too many witnesses, documents, and self-incriminating statements have discredited him and substantiated the case against him. You can still plead, as Trump does, that voters should look past the allegations because Moore “totally denies” them. But that’s not a serious argument. It’s an excuse to ignore what Moore did.

Alabama's Sneaky New Version Of The Poll Tax

(Cartoon image from flaglerlive.com is by Randall Enos.)

The South used to keep poor people and minorities from voting by charging a poll tax. That was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. They said you cannot charge people to be able to vote. But the Republicans in Alabama have gone through the back door to re-institute a version of the poll tax (which they hope will keep many of the poor and minorities from voting). Here is Robert Reich's view on it:

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are being denied the right to vote because they are poor. 

In nine states, Republican legislators have enacted laws that disenfranchise anyone with outstanding legal fees or court fines. For example, in Alabama more than 100,000 people who owe money – roughly 3 percent of the state’s voting-age population – have been struck from voting rolls.  

This is unconstitutional. In 1964, the 24th amendment abolished the poll tax, a Jim Crow tactic used to bar poor blacks from voting. 

These new laws are a modern reincarnation of that unconstitutional system, disproportionately disenfranchising people of color. 

Income and wealth should have no bearing on the right to vote. Many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. But they still have a constitutional right to make their voices heard.

Preventing people from voting because they owe legal fees or court fines muzzle low-income Americans at a time in our nation’s history when the rich have more political power than ever. 

These state laws are another form of voter suppression – like gerrymandering, voter ID requirements, and bars on anyone with felony convictions from voting. 

We must not let them stand. 

New Poll Shows Moore Clinging To A Lead In Alabama

The chart above is from the new Raycom News Network / Strategy Research Poll -- done on November 20th of a random sample of 3,000 likely Alabama voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

It shows Republican Roy Moore clinging to a 2 point lead over Democrat Doug Jones, with 5% still undecided. The poll was done well after Alabamans knew about the accusations against Moore of sexual harassment and abuse against teenage girls (some as young as 14). With the margin of error at 2 points, this means the poll has the race as a dead heat right now.

I think it's probably not that close. I think some voters are embarrassed to say they'll vote for a child molester, but will do exactly that when alone in the voting booth. I hope I'm wrong, but I think Alabama is going to send a child molester to the Senate, and probably by a significant margin.

Will Something Similar To "Bradley Effect" Help Moore Win ?

The charts above are from RealClearPolitics. They show the average of the latest polls in the Alabama Senate race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones. Note that the sexual accusations of Moore with teenage girls has caused the race to close dramatically -- and currently the polls average showed the race is a virtual tie (Jones 46.5% to Moore 46.3%).

That means the race, according to the polls, is a toss-up. Either candidate could win. I still have a hard time believing that Alabama will send Jones to Washington. It's a bright red state, and normally a very easy win for any Republican -- even one with the extreme views of Roy Moore.

I think we should prepare ourselves for something like the "Bradley effect" to happen. Back in 1982, Los Angeles' mayor Tom Bradley, a Black man, was running for governor of California. All of the polls showed him with a large lead, as Whites said they would happily vote for a Black man for governor. But he lost. When Whites went to vote their secret ballot, they did not vote as they told pollsters they would.

Could the same thing be happening in Alabama? Many Alabama Republicans are telling pollsters they will not vote for Roy Moore because of his moral lapses (sexual harassment/abuse of teen girls). But they could just be telling pollsters that because they are embarrassed to say they would vote for a child molester just because he is a Republican. But when they go into the voting booth, and no one can see which candidate they vote for, will they vote for the Republican anyway?

I hope I'm wrong, but I think this is a distinct possibility. I think there's a very good chance that Alabama sends a child molester to Congress -- and probably by a significant margin.

Moore Scandal Has Boosted Fundraising For Doug Jones

(The photos above of Doug Jones and Roy Moore are from al.com.)

The following is by Alex Seitz-Wald at nbcnews.com:

The Roy Moore scandal has unleashed a torrent of online donations to Democrat Doug Jones, who was collecting around $250,000 per day in its immediate aftermath, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity. 

Democrats may end up in the unlikely situation of dramatically outspending the GOP in the Senate contest in deep red Alabama now that national Republicans have abandoned Moore. The Republican candidate's bank account had been depleted by a tough primary battle even before nine women came forward to accuse him of sexual impropriety. 

The scandal has super-charged Jones' already robust online fundraising to "Ossoff-level money," as one Democrat put it, referring to failed Democratic congressional candidate Jon Ossoff, who amassed a staggering $30 million in a Georgia special election this year. 

Unlike Ossoff, however, who was matched by an equally massive amount of GOP money, Jones' spending may go unanswered by pro-Moore forces through the Dec. 12 election.

Jones has kept national Democrats at arm's length, and skipped a Washington fundraiser this week. But that hasn’t stopped him from quietly enjoying the fruits of Democratic stars' prodigious email fundraising lists. 

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut raised more than $135,000 for Jones, according to an aide, while the liberal blog Daily Kos raked in nearly $138,000 for Jones since endorsing him just before the before The Washington Post published the first allegations against Moore. 

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia, among others, also recently tapped their online donors on Jones' behalf. 

Jones' campaign did not specifically address its post-scandal fundraising. But in a statement, campaign chairman Giles Perkins said, "We have seen a pickup in fundraising since Roy Moore was nominated and Alabama's choice became clear." 

Moore started October with roughly half as much money in the bank as Jones, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures available, and the cavalry most likely isn’t riding to his rescue.

Fox News Poll Has Jones Leading Moore By 8 Points

The question on every political pundit's mind these days is what's going to happen in the Alabama Senate race. Will the people of Alabama elect a sexual harasser/abuser of teenage girls, or will they elect a Democrat to that seat. Alabama is a bright red state, and normally, the Republican candidate would be a shoo-in. And

Alabama's Republican governor showed her lack of moral character when she said she found Moore's accusers credible, but would still vote for him -- because it's important to her to to have a GOP senator (even one guilty of sexually harassing/abusing teenage girls). Will the Alabama voters make that same choice? They claim to be "values" voters and most are evangelical christians, but voting for Moore would make a mockery of those claimed "values".

Polls have shown they may opt for decency and morality over party ideology. That's what a new Fox News Poll -- done between November 13th and 15th of a random sample of 823 registered Alabama voters (649 likely voters), with a margin of error of 3 points -- is showing. It has Jones leading Moore by 9 points among registered voters and by 8 points among likely voters.

The election is not until December 12th, and things can change quickly in politics -- but right now things look encouraging for Democrats.

The poll showed another odd result (for Alabama). Note the third chart. Both Barack Obama and Doug Jones have a 52% favorable rating -- higher than any Republican. Trump and Sessions tie for second at 50% favorability.

The GOP's Own Poll Shows Moore Trailing In Alabama

The number of accusers saying they were sexually harassed or abused by Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore is now up to nine (with one of them being only 14 years-old at the time of the incident). The question now, of course, is whether this will matter to the voters in Alabama. It seems that many are ignoring the accusations, and continue to support Moore.

But the Republican's own poll shows he is losing support. It is the poll done by the National Republican Senatorial Committee -- the committee responsible for seeing that Republicans get elected to the Senate. In early October, their poll showed Moore with a 16 point lead over Democrat Doug Jones. A couple of weeks ago, that lead was still pretty strong at 9 points.

But their latest poll, done on November 13th and 14th, shows Moore has lost significant support -- and is now trailing by 12 points (39% to 51%).

Does Jones really lead the race right now. I don't know -- it's a small sample (500 registered voters) and probably has a large margin of error. But it is an encouraging sign for Democrats.

Public Wants Moore To Drop Out Of Alabama Senate Race

Will Alabama Republicans, who control the statewide elections, continue to back Roy Moore? Or will they come to their senses and keep this sexual harasser and abuser out of the United States Senate? As the number of his accusers continues to grow, it's sad that we even have to ask that question. Even Republican politicians are troubled, and don't want him elected.

And the general public agrees with them. Only 16% nationally think he should continue his run for the U.S. Senate, while a whopping 60% thinks he should drop out -- a negative gap of 44 points. And that goes for all genders, races and age groups.

The chart above is from a new Politico / Morning Consult Poll -- done between November 9th and 11th of a national sample of 1,993 registered voters, with a 2 point margin of error.

Newest Alabama Senate Polls Are All Over The Map

There have been 5 political polls in the Alabama Senate race since the Washington Post revealed that Republican candidate Roy Moore had sexually assaulted a 14 year-old girl when he was 32 years old (and did the same with other teenagers). Those polls are all over the map.

One has his opponent Doug Jones with a 4 point lead (46% to 42%). A second shows the race tied at 46% to 46%. The other three show Moore still leading with small margins -- 44% to 40%, 48% to 46%, and 51.5% to 48.5% (all within the margin of error).

The election is not until December, and right now, it looks like either candidate could win.

The clear majority of Alabama voters are Republicans and evangelicals -- the so-called "values voters". What will they do on election day? Will they vote for their values or for their prejudices. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's very likely that they'll vote their prejudices.