Ernst won’t answer basic questions

During much of the Bruce Braley-Joni Ernst debate it felt like I was watching Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. According to The Des Moines Register, Drake political scientist Dennis Goldford found Ernst to be an 'excellent performer,” but her responses were 'platitudes and generalities,” lacking in substance.

Ernst was asked, 'Can you tell us some specific regulations that are hurting our Iowa employers today?” Apparently Ernst couldn't because every regulation she named has never been enacted into law.

Ernst blatantly misrepresented her 'personhood” amendment. Braley correctly cited The Gazette's fact check which determined Ernst's amendment would ban all abortion (even in cases of rape), in vitro fertilization and several forms of contraception. Ernst admitted if her legislation passed she wanted doctors prosecuted, but falsely stated her 'personhood” amendment wouldn't ban forms of contraception. Ernst didn't deny her law would criminalize an effective infertility treatment.

Ernst was asked given her opposition to the federal minimum wage 'what should Iowa's minimum wage be?” Ernst refused to tell Iowans whether she thinks Iowa's minimum wage should stay at $7.25 an hour, or be lowered. Instead of answering the question Ernst restated her anti federal minimum wage talking points.

Ernst is very good at lobbing attacks at Braley from the ridiculous (chickens), to those repeatedly debunked by fact checkers, but she either can't or won't answer basic questions.

Sara Riley

Cedar Rapids