Major Alabama Newspapers Call on Voters to Reject Roy Moore

The biggest newspapers in Alabama issued a front page endorsement today of Roy Moore's opponent in the U.S. Senate race in what is an unabashed condemnation.

The editors of the largest newspapers in the state -- The Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times -- published a shared front-page editorial headlined in each, "Stand for Democracy, Reject Roy Moore."

Moore is accused of sexual misconduct with numerous women, including underage girls. He's defended himself by calling this accusations politically motivated, though they were first reported in major newspapers.

"Do not let this conversation be muddled," warned the Alabama editors. "This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders."

The editorial board stood by its own reporting when endorsing Jones, who they call "a moderate Democrat and a strong candidate for all Alabamians."

"As a news organization, we have independently investigated stories of several Alabama woman who have spoken to us and the Washington Post about the abuse they say they suffered at the hands of Roy Moore decades ago.

"The seriousness of these incidents, including one involving a 14-year-old child, cannot be overstated. Nor can the growing number of accusations -- from the women who were at the receiving end of unwanted adult male overtures as teens, to those who say they were physically assaulted -- be parsed with talk of statutes of limitations or whether proof has been recorded on a stone tablet. In the American system, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a consideration for the courtroom, not the ballot box."

Read the complete editorial.