Alabama 'deserves better' than Roy Moore, says Republican senator

Richard Shelby, seen here on Capitol Hill, said Alabama 'deserves better' than Roy Moore ( REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein)

Alabama’s senior Republican senator is rooting against a fellow Republican who could become his colleague next week, saying his state “deserves better” than Roy Moore.

“I couldn’t vote for Roy Moore. I didn’t vote for Roy Moore,” Senator Richard Shelby said during an appearance on CNN.

Electing a Republican in Alabama would normally be a foregone conclusion. But Mr Moore’s candidacy has been upended by multiple women accusing him of making advances when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, with some alleging unwanted touching.

Despite Mr Moore’s firm repudiation of those allegations — he has said “I have never engaged in sexual misconduct” — many Senate Republicans have responded by calling the accusers credible and urging Mr Moore to step aside. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, even wrote a campaign check to Mr Moore’s Democratic rival Doug Jones.

Mr Shelby did not go that far, saying “I’d rather see a Republican” and noting that he had written in an unnamed Republican alternative to Mr Moore.

“I understand we want to retain that seat in the US Senate, but I tell you what there’s a time we call a tipping point. So many accusations, so many cuts, so many drip-drip-drip,” Mr Shelby said.

“I think the women are believable. I have no reason not to believe them,” he added. “There’s a lot of smoke. Gotta some fire somewhere”.

Republicans have talked openly about expelling Mr Moore should he win on Tuesday. Mr Shelby did not explicitly reject the possibility.

“The Senate’s going to have to weigh, if Roy Moore wins, his fitness to serve,” Mr Shelby said.

In contrast with Senate Republicans, Donald Trump has embraced Mr Moore.

“We need somebody in that Senate seat who will vote for our Make America Great Again agenda,” the President said at a Florida rally on Friday. “So get out and vote for Roy Moore”.