Top Alabama news site: Moore ‘grossly unfit’ for office

A top Alabama news site in a new editorial calls GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore “grossly unfit” for office.

“Roy Moore simply cannot be a U.S. Senator. Even if his party and many of its adherents still think it possible, it is unthinkable — for his state, and his country,” the editorial on AL.com said.

The editorial comes as Moore faces sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women and growing calls from GOP lawmakers to step aside in the Alabama Senate race.

The editorial said the “seriousness of these incidents cannot be overstated.”

{mosads}”They should not be parsed with talk of statutes of limitations or whether proof exists,” it added.

“Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a consideration for the courtroom, not the ballot box. When choosing our representative before the rest of the world, character matters.”

The stories from the women who have come forward should not be “diminished” because they are from decades ago, the editorial board wrote.

“We believe these women,” the editorial said.

“In our view, Moore has already revealed himself as grossly unfit to be a U.S. Senator before these revelations.”

The editorial said Moore has been removed twice from his post as state Supreme Court chief justice for his “defiance of law.” It added that the candidate’s opinions on issues such as women’s rights and same-sex marriage “no longer reflect the majority of Alabamians.”

“It’s time that he and his party read the writing on the wall: His candidacy is over. His true character has been revealed. It’s time for the GOP to remove its official support,” the editorial says.

“And since he and his party can’t assure it, the voters of Alabama must.”

The Washington Post reported last week that a woman accused Moore of initiating a sexual encounter with her in 1979, when she was 14 and he was 32. Three other women in the story also say Moore pursued relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

On Monday, a woman came forward to accuse Moore of sexually assaulting her in a parking lot in 1979 when she was 16.

Moore has denied the allegations and said he plans to stay in the race.