With Roy Moore scandal, #MeToo movement upends Washington

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article184006851.html

National
With Roy Moore scandal, #MeToo movement upends Washington

By Katie Glueck

November 12, 2017 5:00 AM
WASHINGTON


The #MeToo movement encouraging victims of sexual harassment to speak out has roiled Hollywood entertainment studios and D.C. newsrooms--and with bombshell sexual misconduct allegations surfacing against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, Washington is gripped with uncertainty about the next political shoe to drop.

"There are, across state capitals and in Washington, D.C., members of Congress who have reputations for untoward behavior," said Steve Schmidt, who guided Republican John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign. "I'm sure they're scared to death."

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“The good news is, there seems to be something happening, a real moment across industries where victims of sexual assault are feeling empowered to speak out against powerful men that have gotten away with this sh** for way too long,” said Jesse Lehrich, a Democratic operative. “So if there are other politicians who are guilty of this kind of misconduct—Dem or Republican—I hope they’ll be served their justice too.”

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But the allegations have the potential to upend the 2018 midterms—potentially endangering what should be a ruby-red Senate seat—at a time when Republicans hold only a slim majority in the Senate, at 52 seats, and are defending competitive House seats in a climate that is traditionally rough for the president’s party.

There are historical reasons for Republicans to worry about political implications: for example, during the 2006 midterm campaigns, Republicans faced serious blowback—and ultimately sustained major political damage—as Florida Rep. Mark Foley resigned over sending sexually explicit messages to young male pages.

“In 2006, Mark Foley pawing on the front door of the page residence created a dumpster fire for Republicans and was certainly a factor in the Democratic sweep that year,” Schmidt recalled.

Eleven years later, as Washington Republicans grappled with how to address the allegations against Moore on Friday, Schmidt continued, “it seems, for many, that this is an hour of accountability.”

Lesley Clark contributed to this report.

[Iliyah]

1. And GOPers want to make it easier . . . .

fuck them