It never ceases to amaze, but Michael Smerconish can't help but favor the both sides are equally culpable argument, no matter what the issue, no matter how lopsided the 'sides' are.

Republican senators Mike Lee and Jeff Flake are mortified by the Roy Moore allegations; both recoiling at the idea that this man would run for such a prestigious office with such an obvious character flaw.

Many Republicans and never-Trumpers have denounced Roy Moore, and the alleged victim, Leigh Corfman, who came forward with this disturbing account, is an admitted Trump voter and lifelong Republican, no less. But Michael Smerconish wants to give these abhorrent Republicans who have either stayed silent, or have been defending Moore the benefit of the doubt?

Here's Smerconish tossing out a gigantic straw-man to describe the left at the beginning of the segment:

SMERCONISH: And now, the latest evidence of our partisan divide—the reaction to allegations about Roy Moore, the current Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from Alabama. […]

On the left, Moore is already being convicted of hypocrisy and much worse. On the right, he's being defended and in some media quarters, the story is largely being ignored. Here's what I find missing, an evidentiary analysis of what's being reported.

Given the passage of time, there will be no criminal,civil, legal determination, but first, allow me a few observations:

First, the source, The Washington Post. Steve Bannon tried to dismiss the story by reminding it was the Post that first broke the "Access Hollywood" tape, but it overlooks that the Post got that story right.

I'd also note that the story carried a three-person byline, representing a commitment of sources and investigation. And "The Washington Post" reports that none of the four women reached out to the reporters. To the contrary, The Post reported that Moore had sought relationships with the women and contacted the women who were reluctant to speak. Only after multiple conversations were they convinced otherwise.

[...[ Yesterday, in an interview with Sean Hannity, Moore said the claims are completely false and misleading. He said he does not know Corfman. He questioned why she waited forty years and until an election was four weeks away, before coming forward.

He said he never knew, never met Corfman. It never happened. That's what he said.

No jury will ever hear these claims, so how is the public to decide what happened?

So he's not convinced because the story wasn't written by one author exclusively? Since when is that a disqualifier? Does he blame these women for not coming forward? Is he seriously that tone deaf? Apparently so. He doesn't seem to care that Roy had a pretty bad reputation for hanging out where teenagers would gather.

Michael Smerconish is a committed-to-the-death both-siderist who won't even admit Republicans are absolutely disgusting, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. The pursuit of truth and journalistic integrity are discarded in favor of keeping the brass happy and securing the big paycheck