Welcome Senator-Elect Douglas Jones (D-AL)

Last night the voters in the very red state of Alabama found there moral compass, went to the polls to reject bigotrty and pedophilia who was twice removed from the state bench for outrageous behavior and failure to enforce the law. They elected a real law and order prosecutor, Douglas Jones to replace another bigot, Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions who was deemed unsuitable for a federal judgeship because he was a racist.

Jones won by a narrow but impressive 20,000 plus votes thus far. Despite that fact, Moore refused to concede last night, citing the closeness of the race and would wait until the Alabama secretary of state to count the absentee ballots. The problem there is reality. There may not even be 20,000 plus absentee ballots which would all have to be for Moore to bring the race into less than a .5% difference that would trigger a recount. Either candidate can call for a recount would have to foot the cost if the difference was greater than the state constitutions.

The Alabama secretary of state, Republican John Merrill, has said that he won’t be able to certify the vote until December 26 after all the outstanding votes are counted. He did concede that it would be difficult for Moore to win. He must certify it by January 3. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-AL) has said that he will not swear in Jones this session which ends December 22 and probably not until January 6.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has demanded that the vote on the middle class tax hike be delayed until after Jones is seated. That would make it even harder for the senate Republicans to get the 51 votes needed to pass the bill. They could only afford to lose one vote. McConnell has refused to delay the vote. The GOP conference committee reached a consensus on this toxic legislation earlier today which will now cut taxes even more for high earners.

The biggest losers in this election are Donald Trump and Steve Bannon. Both of Trump’s candidates, Sen. Luther Strange, who currently holds the seat and Moore, were defeated in a state that he won in a landslide. Bannon, who one Republican said looks like a disheveled drunk, has not won an election, other than a primary since Trump won the Electoral College.

The biggest winners are the people of Alabama.