Ernst stands by her supporters

Joni Ernst has announced that she'll be running for reelection to the United States Senate in 2020. With negligible legislative accomplishments, her best hope is to stand by her men: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Wayne LaPierre, and the Koch brothers.

Her support of Trump ties her to his brazen defiance of the rule of law, his unbending vow to repeal the Affordable Care Act, his provoking counterproductive trade wars, his supporting runaway spending on unpopular projects like the border wall, his callously separating migrant children from their parents, his humiliating subservience to Russia's Vladimir Putin, and his ‘falling in love' with murderous dictator Kim Jong Un.

Her support of McConnell, binds her to resisting all progressive legislation, to ratcheting up the national debt, and to packing the higher courts with right-wing ideologues like Bill Barr and Brett Kavanaugh, who would rescind women's rights to reproductive health care.

Her support of LaPierre and the NRA links her to resisting any common-sense gun safety reforms. And, her support of the Koch Brothers connects her to eliminating the minimum wage, to granting needless tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, and to starving our public schools of critical funding.

Yes, that's Joni's return ticket to the Senate - unless Iowans find her politics unworthy of their votes. In that case, make her squeal!

Edward Wasserman

Iowa City