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DEMOCRAT DOUG JONES has scored a stunning upset victory in an intense US Senate race in conservative Alabama, dealing a humiliating blow to President Donald Trump whose chosen candidate failed to overcome damaging accusations of sexual misconduct.
The Democratic win, a political earthquake in the most contentious US election of 2017 and in one of the reddest of Deep South US states, is a stinging blow to the president, who gave his full endorsement to Republican Roy Moore after initial hesitations, despite the serious allegations against him.
With 100% of Alabama precincts reporting, Jones won 49.9% of the vote compared to Moore’s 48.4%, a margin of nearly 21,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast, according to figures posted by US media.
Jones, 63, is a former federal prosecutor who shot to local prominence when he convicted members of the Ku Klux Klan who bombed a black church in the 1960s, killing four girls.
The result puts an Alabama Democrat in the US Senate for the first time in a quarter of a century.
“I am truly, truly overwhelmed,” Jones told ecstatic supporters at his election party in Birmingham, where aides and volunteers cheered and hugged.
We have shown the country the way that we can be unified.
Alabama, which Trump won last year by 28 points, has been at a “crossroads” before, and sometimes did not take the correct path forward, Jones said.
On Tuesday, “you took the right road.”
Trump spoke up on Twitter to congratulate Moore on his “hard fought victory.”
“A win is a win,” Trump said. “The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!”
But Moore himself refused to concede, declaring: “When the vote is this close, it is not over.”
Moore signalled he wanted a recount, but Alabama law provides for an automatic recount only if the margin is within half a percent. The current margin stands at 1.5%.
Alabama officials will have between 26 December and 3 January to certify the vote. If no recount is ordered, Jones is expected to be seated in the US Senate in early January.
The loss by Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, shrinks the Republicans’ Senate majority to 51 in the 100-seat chamber, and reduces Trump’s margin for manoeuver to the bare minimum.
By all accounts, it is a humiliating setback for Republicans as they struggle to move Trump’s legislative agenda through Congress and make the case that they are the responsible stewards in Washington heading into crucial 2018 mid-term elections.
‘Vile’ losing candidate
The Jones victory brought an avalanche of Democratic congratulations.
“Tonight, Alabama voters elected a senator who’ll make them proud,” tweeted Hillary Clinton, Trump’s defeated presidential rival.
“And if Democrats can win in Alabama, we can – and must – compete everywhere.”
The Democratic National Committee said Moore’s loss in the conservative heartland sends a “loud and clear” message to Trump and his Republicans.
“You can’t call yourself the party of family values as long as you’re willing to accept vile men like Roy Moore as members,” DNC chairman Tom Perez said.
The race was seen as a harbinger of whether the Republican Party can retain its slim Senate majority next year.
It carries extraordinarily broad implications, and serves as a test of the partisan nature of American politics at a time of acrimonious debate about Trump and his policies.
Last night’s Democratic win is the second dramatic upset by the party in under two months. In November, in a sweeping rebuke to Trump, a Democrat won the governor’s race in swing state Virginia.
Moore, 70, had wanted to bring his Christian religious activism to Washington.
But the tumultuous election was buffeted for the past month with the shock allegations by several women – first reported by The Washington Post one month ago – that Moore assaulted, molested or pursued several teenage girls, including sexually touching one who was 14 years old at the time.
Moore had created a major headache for Republicans. The party’s leaders and members of Congress called on him to step down after the allegations first surfaced, to no avail.
Had he won, the Republican brand risked being sullied by association with the judge, particularly at a time of national upheaval over sexual harassment and the right of victims to be heard.
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A clear failure in procedure here, not government policy. The inclusion of ministerial criticism in this article is bewildering.
Parish pump……
Isn’t the driver suppose to check the carraiges afterwards to make sure stuff like this doesnt happen?
Yeah and when questioned the driver will be absolved of all responsibility at the behest of the union rep.
Do Irish rail have emergency buttons or pull cords for those with a disability in case of distress.
Yes
Emergency buttons in wheelchair ares, end of coaches and toilets but need to be pulled when train is active so it should of being pressed soon after arrival had nobody arrived.
So Irish Rail are now responsible for charging your phone?
Best thing is he had 3 hours beside a plug and didn’t use it!
No they are not, but they are responsible for a full and complete search of the carriages when the service of the train terminates for whatever reason.
@RonanM, did you even read the article? It specifically says there were no charge points on this train. Keep trolling.
I remember once when I was locked on a train, most expensive pints I’ve ever had.
I’d kind of have assumed that with the modern fleet they’d be well equipped to handle disabled passengers, ramps, wide doors, emergency call buttons etc. It seems a serious failure of processes to allow this to happen. The poor guy.
Irish rail are a f****n joke for disabled passengers. I dread going anywhere with them God knows where I’ll end up because I can’t guarantee a ramp will be where I actually wana go.
Good old journal.. yesterdays news today. The train driver didn’t bother walking through the train before locking all doors, turning off lights etc from the cabin. simple as that.
“journal.. yesterdays news today.”
Yet here you are.
The trains have auto shutdown….
Yet here i am Chris… this was the most read topic on breakingnews website yesterday. at least the bus drivers check the bus before locking up, in case you know some disabled person cant get off or someone is fast asleep at the back of the bus. All doors are locked from the drivers cabin. when the train engine is shut down – the doors cannot be opened.
Why you do frequent a site that has old news? Seems kinda dumb.
Christ these comments show an appalling attitude towards people with disabilities. There is a huge level of ignorance on display here, which is understandable if you don’t work with people with disabilities. What troubles me is that people still seem to think themselves qualified to criticise Ger. As someone who both knows the man in question and treats people with his condition every day I can assure you that it is nowhere near as simple as some people have suggested.
Climbing down out of Irish trains is not easy for people with impaired mobility. Walking along a flat aisle with seats all round to lean on is not the same as descending a high step, across a gap and onto a platform without rails. Indeed many people without impairments find some Irish platforms troublesome to use (the big curve in the platform in Kent Station in Cork anyone?)
I ask you all please, for the sake of people with disabilities, consider the fact that you have neither sufficient information nor adequate qualifications before deciding if someone “disabled enough” to have a valid complaint. Many of these comments add insult to a complete stranger who has already undergone a humiliating experience, that is simply not ok.
I don’t know why the guy is asking Ministers why it happened. It’s not as if they personally run the train service.
Someone should do a check of the train when it stops for many reasons, security etc. They obviously failed this time and left this chap for 35 minutes. It is a mistake and I’m sure it was traumatic for the guy. Get over it and move one. No doubt a financial settlement will wipe the trauma away in an instant.
I know this man personally as a friend and this is the THIRD time this has happened to him on an Irish Rail train. He “got over it” as you so eloquently put it, twice previously and Irish Rail never responded to his complaints or acted on them if it’s happened a third time.
He’s well entitled to publicly come out about his experience, maybe now Irish Rail will be forced to act to make their fleet accessible for all passengers. Or at the very least introduce new work protocols/practices to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Agree that a new protocol needs to be introduced for many reasons like this for example or security etc.
But to address a Minister directly is, as a previous comment put it bewildering.
@ shane comer well said , the bottom line is nobody gives a damn anymore! just pay your money and put up or shut up. irish rail and others see no reason to look after the customer, customer service means nothing. however, to be a disabled customer your in real trouble! just watch the bus service and how a wheelchair used is treated……many will pull up and just tell them the bus is too packed to take them …even if it isnt!
shane , i am sorry to say we are a long way off making irish rail and others make their fleet accessible for all passengers, the biggest barrier is you are dealing with people that just dont care!
Complete overreaction by all, its not ad if IE set out to do it, nobody is prefect.
There is emergency escapes if he wanted to get out to…
How would he get off the train without the wheelchair ramp???
What a stupid statement. He wasn’t in Lourdes
Using emergency door would open it and people would see.
Anyway the person can walk, so he could of opened and looked out…
Im not defending IE but mistakes happen, blowing it up to the media is attention seeking.
@ronanm you are a knob. A complete one
Very informative Mile….
@ mike – are you taking the p*ss with your profile pic?
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/597603899680411648/Jzq1vnKf_400x400.jpg
The same way he got out of his mobility scooter and got to the seating area..
RonanM, instead of giving out about something you clearly have no knowledge on; why don’t you just be thankful that you can avail of rail services without having to inform them in advance and then when you do get to use the train spend your time worrying whether there will be someone at the other end to help you get off!
Ah Ronan m , the man is wheelchair bound did you not even read the article ?
Same thing happened to a friend of mine. They were left on the train also ! All the lights went out and nobody came with the ramp , just by chance a worker passed by and told them up at the station office !!! Excuse was they didn’t radio threw from cork to say a wheelchair was on board !
Out of myself I hope
What do you expect from a bruton
Same thing happened to a friend of mine. They were left on the train also ! All the lights went out and nobody came with the ramp , just by chance a worker passed by and told them up at the station office !!! Excuse was they didn’t radio threw from cork to say a wheelchair was on board !
Irish Rail customer service is appalling. I spent 30 mind yesterday phoning Kent station to get time table eventually had to ring Dublin to get it. It rang out 4 times.
Google?
Google hasn’t been invented for some people yet.
Maybe they could post one out to you?
Jesus Tony. Hope it works out for you. Dreadful experience.
Learn how to work da Google on the Internet machine!
Irish rail worker? Surely that’s a contradiction. I seen the Dublin to cork train leave heuston one day before any passengers had boarded because nobody was at the gate to check them on. The train travelled to cork empty. That actually happened believe it or not.
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