Grassley sounds caution on possible Ernst VP candidacy

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday it's up to Sen. Joni Ernst to decide whether she would accept an invitation if it comes to be Donald Trump's running mate.

But the six-term Iowa senator had some advice for his freshman colleague should she be offered the vice presidential slot by the presumptive Republican nominee.

'I think she has a long, potential career in the United States Senate,” Grassley said. 'I don't know how to measure this, but if she would be a vice president nominee and that ticket would not win, she ought to take that into consideration.”

Grassley said he hasn't talked to Ernst about the possibility of her being Trump's running mate.

'In fact, I've tried to avoid it for the reason that I think it's a very personal thing,” he said during his weekly conference call with Iowa reporters.

Grassley believes Ernst could be an asset because of her demeanor and leadership she's shown in her first 17 months as a senator. Having a woman on the ticket would help because 'the more Republican voices we have of conservative women, or women in general, the better off the party is.”

Her military experience - Ernst served 23 years in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard - is 'something that Trump could use some backup on,” he added.

Ernst isn't the only Iowan worthy of vice presidential consideration, according to Grassley. Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, now President Barack Obama's Secretary of Agriculture, is among the Democrats mentioned as a Hillary Clinton running mate.

Like Ernst, Vilsack would bring something to his party's ticket the presumptive nominee lacks, Grassley said.

'He's as clean … ethically very clean,” Grassley said. 'That sure would make Hillary Clinton look a lot better.”

Picking Vilsack as a running mate would 'emphasize agriculture and, again, that would be a signal that Iowa is very important to carry if you are going to be president,” Grassley said.

Grassley gives Vilsack good marks for his efforts as the U.S. Department of Agriculture chief and said he has been helpful on issues of mutual interest. One of them involved the USDA's discriminatory treatment of black farmers by denying them loans, disaster aid and representation on committees.

'He fully kept his commitment to me,” Grassley said.

Another issue they've worked on is a payment cap of $250,000 from all federal farm programs.

'We haven't been too successful, but he's tried to help all he could,” Grassley said.