PHOTO: Roy Moore addresses the media and supporters at the Henagar Community Center earlier tonight. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
HENAGAR, Ala — (Video at the Bottom) Judge Roy Moore addressed a standing room only crowd in Henagar earlier tonight. The event drew many supporters from the area and even national television news crews.
Cameras from the Fox News, ABC, NBC, CNN, and many other networks set up in the Henagar Community Center several hours before the event.
The crowd and media were welcomed by Henagar City Councilman Jeff McCurdy. Reverend Kenneth Goggins led the prayer and DeKalb County Chairman for Moore, Tony Goolesby led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance as well as introduced Moore.
Moore was joined at the event by his wife Kayla, his sons Caleb and Roy Jr., as well as his daughter in-law, also named Kayla.
"There is 14 days left until the general election. We're very excited, it's been a very long and enduring campaign. It's grueling at times. We've been ready for the end for a while," began Moore. "I want you to know we have been working very hard. We've been going to meetings, having private meetings, and having other campaign stuff."
Moore then told a story about a man named Oscar Davis, whose middle initial was "D," making his initials O.D.D. Davis grew up being teased and called, "Odd." The man decided to only have his birthdate and date of death on his tombstone, causing people to say, "that's odd" when they walked by his tombstone.
"I picked that one because this campaign has been rather odd," said Moore. "It's very unusual. It's a special election, as we know because of the appointment of Jeff Sessions by Donald Trump when he got elected for the (U.S.) Attorney General's Office. That left a vacancy in the Senate. And as the state law required, a special election had to be called. We went through a great riga-ma-roll on whether the state would call a special election, and they set it at really strange times. They set December 12 as the general election. We've been through a primary with about 8 - 9 candidates."
"This election, It's very important, because it precedes the general elections for United States Senators after Donald Trump got elected. And for some reason in Washington, that's a big deal. They think this is going to have an affect on elections across the country," said Moore. "Why? Because they know there is an established group that does not want to change. They want people who will follow along like they have been doing, and basically not pass president Trump's agenda. That's why we've got cameras lined up along the wall. Thats why we have so many cameras in this small town."
"It's very contested nationally," Moore continued. "We've had senators and representatives across the country make comments about this election. I can tell you from my personal knowledge I don't believe there is anyone in Washington D.C. that does not know about this election."
"Lots of money has been spent on this election. In the primary and runoff alone, over $30 million has been spent on one candidate. That's a lot of money. We didn't raise near that much money, but we were victorious. The Republicans and Democrats both in this election have opposed me. So I'm kind of unifying the parties is a strange way, but they don't want me as a senator. You can ask me why, but I would say CNN put it out most directly," said Moore.
Moore then quoted a CNN report from July 2, 2017 that he read aloud: "The Alabama Senate Race is a test case for the GOP divide. The Republican establishment is at or near panic mode about the upcoming Alabama Senate Race. There is a primary, August 15th, and the establishment favorite is trailing,' said Moore. "Go on down, they say, 'Why is it a test case? Why are they in panic mode? McConnell, who has a narrow 52-48 majority has made it clear that he does not want a 'conservative rebel' in a GOP conference already difficult to manage.'"
"That should give some hint as why they don't want me," said Moore. "They are aware of my past, they are aware that I am difficult to manage. Which means, I've got my own mind. I follow the people. And they don't want that, whether it's Democrat or Republican. They want to do what they've been doing for many years and not getting anything done."
"After that, we've seen malicious, false attacks, which reflect the immorality of our time," said Moore of the recent allegations. "We've seen false and negative attacks, both by the Republicans, and now the Democrat establishment. These things are simply what Alabama citizens generally don't like and they shouldn't like. This is rough politics."
Moore then lamented that his, "wife has been attacked, I've been attacked, my son's been attacked, and my Foundation for Moral Law in Montgomery was attacked."
Moore was referring to the earlier Washington Post report that he had taken a salary from his charity and didn't not report it to the IRS, saying, "I didn't take a million dollars; I didn't even get a million dollars. They recognized that later and came out and said, 'well you didn't get it, but you should have gotten it, and they couldn't pay it, so you could have paid taxes on it."
Moore then addressed the "sexual misconduct" allegations swirling around his campaign after a Washington Post report two weeks ago:
"This hurts me personally," said Moore. "Because besides my wife, my mother, and my only daughter, we have five granddaughters. It hurts to think people would attack your character like that after 40 years. It's a little odd, like the story I told you, that after 40 years of service to this state and this community (50 if you count my military service to my country) never once has this been alleged. Never has any hint been brought about it in the paper," said Moore. "All the time I was a Deputy District Attorney, a Circuit Judge, a Chief Justice, and on two separate occasions It's never been brought up."
"I've been investigated by the District Attorney, the Attorney General, the judicial inquiry commission (JIC), the court of the judiciary, and an many other organizations. In addition, I've been investigated by opposition research in all the races I've run; five state-wide campaigns and three county campaigns. Never before has it been brought up," continued Moore.
He then explained that a JIC investigation in the mid-nineties sent state investigators around Etowah County, asking other attorneys if he had ever done anything wrong.
"These allegations are completely false. They are malicious, specifically, I do not know any of these women," said Moore. "Nor have I ever engaged in sexual misconduct with anyone. As a former judge and prosecutor, I know the seriousness of charges like this, and it should be serious, if it happens. When a young lady is abused, and I've represented many victims in cases such as this, I've seen none that wanted her picture posted on national tv, especially on a political ad."
"This isn't odd at all; it's simply dirty politics. It's a sign of the immorality of our time," said Moore. He then quoted from the Book of Timothy in the Bible.
"This is just a sign of the times in which we live in," said Moore. "Politicians will stop at nothing to win an election. This race particularly has been opposed by tremendous amount of money. I was advised a few days ago that my opponent is getting a million dollars every few days. This is extravagant. This is beyond being attacked for various things."
"Why are they doing this?" continued Moore. "I'll tell you why they are doing this. They are trying to hide the true issues which face the people of this country and this state that they want resolved. It's no different than when the Washington Post brought out the Russian investigation at a time when President Trump is trying to get his agenda passed."
"The people of this country want movement; not false attacks like this. That's exactly what's happening in this case," stated Moore.
"They are going to hide the true issues of immigration, healthcare, taxes, abortion, and transgender rights," said Moore. "They not only want to hide the issues, they don't want my opponent's issues to be revealed; how he stands on these issues. It's completely contrary to the people of this state and this country."
Moore then read aloud an interview of Doug Jones that appeared in The Economist on November 16, 2017: "My opponent was asked this question, 'How can you reassure (Moore's) supporters that you are not out to take away their religious freedom, or their guns, or their culture?' My opponent (Jones) responded: 'I don't know if I can. I think actions have to speak louder than words, so once I get elected, I can try to do it. But look, when you talk about their Christian beliefs and stuff, that's one thing. But when you talk about their culture, I'm not sure what you mean by that. If culture means you have to put down people, if your culture means that you would have to discriminate against somebody, that you would not treat anybody in the same way Christ would do. Then I'm not going to protect that. I'm not going to protect discrimination of any sort, in anyway. Whether it's race, religion, sexual orientation, or whatever. So I'm not going to protect that culture if that's what that culture is,'" said Moore, quoting his opponent.
"Let me put a little translation on that: If your Christian culture does not accept abortion, same sex marriage, sodomy, transgender rights in the bathroom and in the military, then you will not be protected. Nor will your right to keep and bare arms be preserved," explained Moore. Moore then quoted President Obama's quote regarding, those who, "cling to guns."
"If you are against illegal aliens coming across the border, or unfair trade agreements, you are just expressing your frustrations in this culture. I don't believe christians hate anybody. I for one, don't hate anybody, but I do hate sin. I do believe what the Bible says. And I believe for our country, it's historically been true," he said.
"There are vast differences which the people of this state need to know," said Moore. "I voted for Donald Trump. I voted for Jeff Sessions. He (Jones) opposes President Trump's agenda, and has publicly stated he would not have voted for Jeff Sessions. I want to repeal Obamacare. I think it's a bad healthcare system. I want to open up the state borders for a competitive free enterprise system. That's repealing the McCarron-Ferguson Act of 1945."
"My opponent does not want to do away with Obamacare; he wants to enlarge Obamacare, which has already proved to be a failure. As for military readiness, as a graduate of the United States Military Academy, and as a commander in Vietnam; I've seen the military, I know the military. I've got one son at West Point, and I've got another in the military right now, I think I know how to strengthen the military. And it isn't by putting transgender troops in the military or opposing President Trump's ban on transgenders in the military," said Moore, to an applause from the crowd.
"As far as immigration, I support the RAISE Act, that's is Reform American Immigration for a Strong Economy. It would reduce the number of people coming in our country. He would not only fail to vote for that, he would continue the liberal immigration policy we have," said Moore.
"As far as abortion, I will not fund Planned Parenthood. And I will work to overturn Rowe vs. Wade. In my opinion, Rowe vs. Wade is not fixed precedent, it's an unconstitutional decision just like the Dred Scott decision was in 1857. As far as other rights, I oppose transgender rights. There is no right to believe you are a person of the opposite sex or opposite gender," said Moore. "(Jones) was asked about transgender rights in the military and transgender bathrooms under Title IX. His answer on a YouTube video was wrong, wrong, wrong not to protect them."
"There is a big difference between myself and my opponent as to liberal judges. I think liberal judges who put themselves above the constitution that they are sworn to uphold, should be impeached and removed. I'm not being careful about my answers, and I will not be careful with the U.S. Senate. When they are above the constitution they are sworn to uphold, they are violating the rule of law," said Moore, who then quoted Article VI of the Constitution.
"My opponent would allow the constitution to be totally undermined and disregarded, and I oppose that. My opponent was appointed as a Federal Prosecutor by President Clinton (and) was a delegate for Obama. I oppose both Obama and Clinton's agenda," he stated.
In closing, Moore recited the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.
"Those words are true for women, they are true for men. And you will go through that in life; especially in a spiritual battle. It will take all you got, but you just hold on," said Moore. "You can see your words twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools. Or sometimes watch your life ruined, and 'stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask myself why, why am I put in this position. And I'm going to tell you. I have vowed, when I go to Washington, D.C as a U.S. Senator, to take a knowledge of the constitution, and the God upon who it was founded to that seat. They don't want to hear it. Politicians are not out these days to serve, I'm not saying all, there is some good ones," explained Moore. "But many of them are confused by the rule of law. They are confused about the constitution; why it's there, and what it's there for. And they certainly do not know how to talk about morality. That's why we are having dirtiness in campaigns."
"Everybody knows I have not run one negative ad, but I am going to take off the gloves and show the truth in this campaign. I'm a fighter, and I don't hesitate to say that, that's what I did my whole life. I fight not only physically, in karate, in boxing, full contact. I've fought in political arenas, in a different way. Now I'm having to fight a spirtitual battle," said Moore.
"I appreciate your prayers, I appreciate your support, and I appreciate the people of Alabama, and what you stand for. And it's obvious by the cameras, by the attention I'm getting, that there is going to be a change," he said.
"I want to join with Donald Trump, and make America Great Again. And to be great again, we've got to be good again. To be good again, we've got to talk about something politicians don't talk about, and that's morality; the definition of right and wrong. There is only one source in this country, and that's God. If there is no God, then it's about the majority of the people on the United States Supreme Court. And we've got to stop that, because that's not what this country is founded upon," stated Moore
"May God bless you, God bless the State of Alabama, and the United States of America," concluded Moore.
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