The Republican Party might have backed Roy Moore despite his alleged predilection for trawling malls and restaurant parking lots for teenage girls, but not everyone in the GOP is backing the Alabama Senator. Cory Gardner of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said in no uncertain terms that the NRSC does not and will not ever back Roy Moore. That’s a strong statement from an organization dedicated to getting more Republicans into the Senate, not to mention a bold move from a young politician who only recently joined the organization he’s speaking for.
Gardner cemented the NRSC’s position in comments to the Weekly Standard, “Roy Moore will never have the support of the senatorial committee. We will never endorse him. We won’t support him. I won’t let that happen. Nothing will change. I stand by my previous statement.” That’s a reference to remarks he made last month when the Moore mess first began to unfold. Gardner initially released a November statement explaining his stance on the matter:
“I believe the individuals speaking out against Roy Moore spoke with courage and truth, proving he is unfit to serve in the United States Senate and he should not run for office,” he said in a statement. “If he refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate.”
This could have big implications for the 2018 election. Roy Moore was already certain to impact perceptions of the GOP, and the whole country is watching how this particular Senate race plays out. But Gardner’s firm position is a line in the sand that extends all the way into next year, as the NRSC helps raise money for Republican mid-term campaigns. After all, the RNC and NRSC are now split, and that could impact the fundraising efforts of each organization, not to mention a divide on which candidates to whom they donate.
(Via Weekly Standard)