Joni Ernst has betrayed Iowa

John Adams said: 'Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” How does that happen? It happens when craven politicians capitulate to autocrats and despots instead of speaking truth to power. Sen. Mitt Romney abided by the solemn oath that he took to render impartial justice. He found Donald Trump guilty as charged by the House of Representatives: corrupting an election to keep himself in office, judging this offense to be the most abusive and destructive imaginable violation of one's oath of office. Sadly, Sen. Joni Ernst not only voted to acquit Trump, but also to prevent a full and fair trial that would have allowed new witness testimony and full disclosure of documentary evidence. Why? It could not possibly have been to prevent exculpatory evidence from coming to light. Clearly, Ernst was shielding Trump from incriminating evidence. In November, Iowans should send a faithful representative to the United States Senate to replace Ernst.

Edward Wasserman

Iowa City