Joni Ernst

Joni Ernst (1970–) is a conservative American senator from Iowa who has been endorsed by the Tea Party[1]. She is proof that Michele Bachmann reproduces asexually.[citation NOT needed]

Ernst, backed by fuzzy patriotic bunting
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Already Ernst has proven herself to fit in as a teabagger, with numerous political gaffes and a number of questionable opinions on many important topics. From what we have seen of her it's safe to say she toes the line on many Tea Party issues, including opposition to gun control, gay marriage[2][3], criticism of Obamacare, and while she certainly is a war hawk, she is not a chickenhawk as she has actually served in the military[4]

Quotes

Before the election Ernst proved she had a loose grasp on the difference between facts and opinions. When a reporter asked her why she felt Obama was not doing enough about Ebola, she called the fact that there was only one infected individual in America an "opinion."[5].

“”OK, you’re the press and you’re giving me your opinion.
—Joni Ernst, Talking Points Memo[6]
  • Other brilliant quotes include her belief in some sort of conspiracy related to Agenda 21.
“”All of us agreed that Agenda 21 is a horrible idea. One of those implications to Americans, again, going back to what did it does do to the individual family here in the state of Iowa, and what I've seen, the implications that it has here is moving people off of their agricultural land and consolidating them into city centers, and then telling them that you don't have property rights anymore. These are all things that the UN is behind, and it's bad for the United States and bad for families here in the state of Iowa.
—Joni Ernst, The Huffington Post[7]
  • She appears to have a feeble grasp of the Constitution, specifically Article 6, despite having sworn to defend it. She supported a law that would allow "local law enforcement to arrest federal officials attempting to implement" Obamacare.[8]
  • She compares cutting spending in Congress to castrating hogs. Though it's doubtful she will support cutting farm subsidies since her family received $463,000 in federal subsides between 1995-2009.[9]
“”"I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm. So when I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork," Ernst says in the commercial. At the end of the ad Ernst concludes, "Washington's full of big spenders. Let's make 'em squeal."[10]

Even though she voted on increased tax and spending bills for infrastructure in Iowa passionately over 12 times. This includes writing a 31 point list of how to do so if the gas tax did not pass. Which she now dismisses as a silly mistake.[11] Now she states she wishes it just came from "other programs" in Iowa that she doesn't identify.

  • Joni believes that Obama has become a dictator that needs to be impeached, or removed from office, and prosecuted for crimes against the Constitution. She can't say exactly what those crimes might be besides regurgitating extremist right-wing points about executive actions and overstepping his powers.[12] No word yet if she made up her mind about prosecuting other presidents doing the exact same actions. Such as former president George H. W. Bush who she proudly displays as endorsing her campaign.
  • And some strange belief that states can nullify laws passed by the federal government.
“”You know we have talked about this at the state legislature before, nullification. But, bottom line is, as U.S. Senator why should we be passing laws that the states are considering nullifying? Bottom line: our legislators at the federal level should not be passing those laws. We’re right…we’ve gone 200-plus years of federal legislators going against the Tenth Amendment’s states’ rights. We are way overstepping bounds as federal legislators. So, bottom line, no we should not be passing laws as federal legislators—as senators or congressman—that the states would even consider nullifying. Bottom line.
—Joni Ernst, The Daily Beast[13]
“”We don't know that there were weapons on the ground when we went in. However, I do have reason to believe there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. My husband served in Saudi Arabia as the Army Central Command sergeant major for a year and that's a hot-button topic in that area.
—Joni Ernst, The Huffington Post[14]
  • And of course we could hardly call her a teabagger if she wasn't a global warming denier.
“”I have not seen proven proof that [climate change] is entirely man-made.
—Joni Ernst, The Huffington Post[15]

Even though she received a resounding endorsement from the State of Iowa Board of Regents president and large dairy operator Craig Lang that she is a great champion of renewable fuels and Iowa agriculture.

To her credit she at least seems to acknowledge She acknowledges that she isn't a scientist and doesn't know with certainty whether climate change is man-made. On the other hand no one is asking her if climate change is real, just what she will do about it.

Given that she has an active Twitter account, this list is likely to get longer and more bizarre as her term progresses. Her comments about castrating hogs making government "squeal" (including the squeal mobile) already feature prominently. [16]

gollark: ?
gollark: They should reach the AP in about 3 days.
gollark: It took a while, but I finished breeding all my BSA dragons.
gollark: I should "help" people by breeding some of my incredibly messy BSA dragons to the AP.
gollark: I just saw and missed a silver in the coast... annoying.

References
  1. http://www.teapartyexpress.org/8097/tea-party-express-endorses-joni-ernst-for-u-s-senate
  2. name=IowaSenate>"The Iowa Legislature Bill Book". Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. Campus Election Engagement Project. October 17, 2014. Bruce Braley vs. Joni Ernst Nonpartisan Candidate Guide For Iowa Senate Race 2014. The Huffington Post. Retrieved: 23 October 2014.
  4. http://ballotpedia.org/Joni_Ernst
  5. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joni-ernst-charles-pierce-barack-obama-ebola
  6. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joni-ernst-charles-pierce-barack-obama-ebola, Talking Points Memo
  7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/joni-ernst-conspiracies_n_6104820.html, The Huffington Post
  8. GOPer Ernst Backed Arresting Feds Over Obamacare In 2012 Survey
  9. Sen. Joni Ernst learned to 'live within her means' — on the taxpayer's dime
  10. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/03/25/republican-ernst-draws-on-experience-castrating-hogs-in-iowa-senate-cable-ad/, Republican Ernst draws on experience ‘castrating hogs’ in Iowa Senate cable ad
  11. http://theiowarepublican.com/2014/ernsts-answer-on-gas-tax-leads-to-more-questions-about-where-she-actually-stands/ In a Republican U.S. Senate debate on Monday, State Senator Joni Ernst said that her vote in favor of a ten-cent per gallon gas tax increase in March of 2013 was a mistake.
  12. http://news.yahoo.com/joni-ernst---impeachment--of-obama-should-be-on-the-table-204439051.html, Joni Ernst: ‘Impeachment’ of Obama should be on the table
  13. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/28/exclusive-gop-senate-candidate-caught-saying-states-can-nullify-laws.html, The Daily Beast
  14. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/joni-ernst-conspiracies_n_6104820.html, The Huffington Post
  15. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/joni-ernst-conspiracies_n_6104820.html, The Huffington Post
  16. https://twitter.com/joniernst, Offical Twitter - Joni Ernst
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