Category: Living in Society

Republicans accused Democrat Theresa Greenfield of lying during last night’s debate on Iowa Press. Democrats accused Republican Joni Ernst of lying. The debate was a brawl, a cacophony of talking points. It was tedious.

Art Cullen, editor of the Storm Lake Times, described the event best, “the senate haggle debate.”

2020 is a change election. After six years in Washington Joni Ernst has not delivered for Iowa and Iowans seem ready for change. In the Washington Post, Cullen framed it like this:

Not long ago, 60 percent of Iowans approved of Ernst’s performance. Now, the same percentage disapproves. They tell the Iowa Poll that Ernst has not done enough for Iowa — a criticism that felled past senators such as Dick Clark, John Culver and Roger Jepsen before her.

History doesn’t always repeat itself yet this is Iowa and it could.

It was difficult to engage in the first ten minutes of the debate. Moderator questions meant little and perhaps the best use of the plexiglass separating people at the table due to the coronavirus pandemic would have been to build a cage like those in WWE events and turn the two candidates loose in it. It would not have been “senatorial” as David Yepsen tried to interject, yet that was the dynamic of the hour.

The Roe question asked by O. Kay Henderson was the expected dud. Not sure why she asked as the positions of the candidates are well known. Both indicated Roe is settled law, something even Supreme Court associate justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett has said. What matters more in the Supreme Court is how Roe v. Wade is viewed as precedent, or if it is even considered when deciding cases that involve late-term abortions and other women’s health issues. From a U.S. Senate candidate perspective what matters is whether one is pro-life or pro-choice. We know the answer because we are beat over the head with it constantly by media that believe conservative religious groups are very important in Iowa politics after Bob Vander Plaats got some judges tossed out.

Another Henderson question was about infrastructure. We delved into my favorite tropes about the gas tax. Regardless of how people use vehicles, or whether they don’t, everyone benefits from well-maintained roads, bridges, airports, seaports and railroads. The gas tax served it’s purpose regarding transportation. However, the formula is increasingly outdated as fuel economy increases, a growing number of travelers use electric cars, and our logistical supply chain has become more complex. Revision of how infrastructure that benefits all citizens is financed requires a bipartisan majority and better reasoning than tinkering with the outdated fuel tax system. Republicans held the majority and couldn’t effectively address infrastructure. It’s time for a change. I couldn’t really listen to this part of the debate.

Last night Theresa Greenfield put the scrappiness in “scrappy farm girl,” one of her taglines. Joni Ernst tried to dominate using talking points that mirrored her campaign manager’s pre-debate release. As expected, both stayed close to campaign talking points and didn’t get caught off guard. However their debate mannerisms made it difficult to follow and overall diminished the effectiveness for less informed viewers.

A majority of Iowans have determined for whom they will vote. There is one more chance to persuade the electorate before county auditors begin mailing ballots on Monday. If the Oct. 3 debate is like last night, few will be convinced of anything. Confirmation bias will rule.

Increased voter turnout caused by the Secretary of State mailing all state voters an absentee ballot request, combined with the fact that Ernst is perceived as not having delivered needed results for Iowans, will steer this race toward Greenfield. Recent polls show the same.

Like many Iowans I’m tired of the debates even though last night was the first of three. It’s time to vote.

Tonight at 7 p.m. Democrat Theresa Greenfield debates her Republican opponent, the incumbent, junior U.S. Senator from Iowa.

Greenfield is expected to be well-prepared for the face off on Iowa Press. She should lay out her plans to make health care more affordable, and to protect Social Security. The link to a live stream is here.

Why didn’t I mention her name? Joni Ernst, the lying liar of the Liardom, may be pathological and I don’t want to get into other possible personality disorders. I want to be as focused as Greenfield is expected to be tonight.

What set me off is Ernst lies about Theresa Greenfield’s position on police reform and systemic racial injustice. Those are both issues requiring our thoughtful attention. By rendering the discussion into hyperbole and outright falsehoods, Ernst preempts any serious discussion or debate.

Epitomizing the distraction, on Sept. 3, Ernst signed the so-called “Police Pledge” from the radical conservative group Heritage Action. Here’s what it says:

A lawful society—free from mob rule and violent insurrection—is not possible without Law Enforcement.

Police Officers have chosen a noble profession. They dedicate their lives to upholding the law and protecting the sacred rights of their fellow citizens. As a profession, they deserve support and respect.

I stand with America’s Police and pledge to oppose any bill, resolution, or movement to “Defund the Police.”

The statement seems reasonable until we realize it is an attempt to rally around our police officers as a political calculation. I mean, who doesn’t like law officers we get to know in our communities? Ernst’s hyperbole and blatant lies about Greenfield obfuscate the issue. Instead of having a reasonable discussion about police reform or systemic racial injustice Ernst distracts us.

What lies has Ernst told? Here is one.

“But I see that my opponent and presidential candidate Joe Biden, you know that path is defund the police,” Ernst said in an Aug. 11 interview with KCAU. “It is encouraging others to rise up against the government.”

At no time has Greenfield, or Joe Biden for that matter, supported defunding the police. Greenfield has been explicitly clear. She does not support defunding the police. Instead, she believes we need real reform with more transparency and body cameras, more civilian oversight and Department of Justice reviews, and better racial bias and de-escalation training and standards, along with other long-term investments to address racial disparities in policing, housing, health care and education, according to her campaign. Greenfield said something similar on multiple occasions.

Here’s another lie:

“My opponent will support a position of dismantling our police, not just correcting injustice as it is out there, but actually getting rid of the police, which is not the direction that Iowans want to see,” Ernst said at the Aug. 26 Spencer Daily Reporter forum.

Nope. Theresa Greenfield doesn’t want to get rid of the police.

Here’s a third lie:

On Sept. 3, Joni for Iowa sent a press release titled, “Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield Denounces Police as Racist.” Three days later, at the Crawford County GOP Tractor Parade, Senator Ernst claimed that Theresa Greenfield said police are “systemically racist – which means that every single sheriff’s deputy, sheriff, every police officer, every trooper up there, she’s calling them racist.”

Theresa Greenfield has never once said that all police are racist. Ernst’s lies falsely manipulate Theresa’s comment on WHO-TV’s “The Insiders” where she said that “we do need to address systemic racism, not only in our policing, but in our housing policies and systems, in education, in health care, in financing, lending, and so much more.”

Like normal people we expect to hear candidates debate issues that matter. Instead of promoting that type of discussion Ernst seeks to distract from her own shortcomings.

Let’s face it, I’ll rarely agree with Senator Ernst. However, I believe that instead of rallying around the police we should address the actual mob rule and violent insurrection going on as conservative Republicans dismantle our government, assault the idea of equal protection under the law, and loot the commons. Here the junior senator seems a willing co-conspirator.

Highly recommend watching the debate. Let’s see if the lying liar from the Liardom can speak any truth.

Thursday, Sept. 24, Second District Democratic Congressional candidate Rita Hart debated her Republican opponent Mariannette Miller-Meeks on Iowa Public Television’s Iowa Press.

Here’s the link. Starts at 15:35.