Republican Roy Moore, facing numerous allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, and Democrat Doug Jones cast their ballots in the vote that will send one of them to the U.S. Senate. NBC’s Chris Pollone reports.
That time in 2017 when political testimonials include a brothel in Vietnam and love for your Jewish attorney.
Senate candidate Roy Moore's final campaign event Monday on the eve of Alabama's special election produced a trio of eyebrow-raising moments that caught fire on social media.
Moore's surrogates, speaking from what Al.com described as a barn-style building in Midland City, championed their candidate in sometimes unorthodox ways. Let's roll the tape:
The Brothel Story
Bill Staehle, who served with Moore in Vietnam, recalled from the stage an experience with another officer who had invited the pair to a "private club" to celebrate his last night in the country.
"He took us to this place which turned out to be a brothel," Staehle said. "We walked inside. I could tell you what I saw, but I don't want to. It was clear to us what kind of place this was."
He went on to describe the place.
"There were certainly pretty girls and they were young," Staehle said. "Some were probably very young."
U.S. & World
Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls when he was a prosecutor in his 30s. He has denied all allegations.
Staehle said that Moore told him, "we shouldn't be here. I'm leaving."
Both left in the other officer's Jeep.
"That was Roy - honorable, disciplined, morally straight and highly principled," Staehle said.
The Jewish Attorney
Roy Moore's wife Kayla fought back against claims that her husband was anti-Semitic after suggesting during the campaign that George Soros, a liberal billionaire and Holocaust survivor, was going to hell.
"Fake news would tell you that we don’t care for Jews," Kayla Moore said. "I tell you all this because I’ve seen it all and I just want to set the record straight while they’re all here."
She proceeded to outline the case.
"Well, one of our attorneys is a Jew," Moore said, adding heft to her pronunciation of Jew. "We have very close friends who are Jewish and rabbis and we also fellowship with them.”
Moore earlier noted friendships with black people and touted that her husband appointed the first black marshal to the state Supreme Court.
Steve Bannon's Education Swipe
The pro-Moore barnstorm also featured former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who argued that Tuesday's election is a referendum on President Donald Trump's agenda.
His comments about MSNBC's "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough may have stepped on the message.
Bannon mocked the former GOP Florida congressman by saying that he had gotten into better schools — Georgetown and Harvard.
It turns out Scarborough graduated from the University of Alabama. So did Bannon's guy Roy Moore, who graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law.
Scarborough didn't let the gaffe go unanswered.
Meanwhile, Moore's Democratic opponent Doug Jones held his final rally on Monday. It featured Alabama native Charles Barkley, who also delivered a notable moment on the trail.
"I love Alabama, but at some point we've got to draw a line in the sand and say, 'We're not a bunch of damn idiots,'" Barkley said.
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