Ernst faces confrontational crowds at 2 town halls in Iowa

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

DES MOINES (AP) — Republican Sen. Joni Ernst met with confrontational crowds in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids Friday where she was repeatedly shouted down and booed over the GOP health care reform plan, an issue which dominated both meetings.

Protest signs dotted the Des Moines audience, including those which said “Poverty is not a choice,” “Health Care For All” and “Investigate Trump.”

She drew applause at both meetings when she said President Donald Trump should release his tax returns.

However, for much of the hourlong meetings in a packed 1,100-seat auditorium at Coe College in Cedar Rapids and a nearly full 780-seat room at Drake University in Des Moines, she endured shouting and booing.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/iowa/ernst-faces-confrontational-crowds-at-town-halls-in-iowa/article_a7b17d04-f21c-53c3-ba08-797378632ed1.html

[cstanleytech]

1. Ya its easy to say Trump "should" release his tax returns but he isnt required to and she knows

that so its empty of any meaning except as a nice soundbite by her to try and make her seem more reasonable but if she supports overturning Obamacare for this shit bill or kneecapping Obamacare via gutting its funding or the taxes that are used to fund it or doing away with medicaid in its current form then she needs to be replaced.

[world wide wally]

2. She wil vote party line 100% of the time

[dalton99a]

9. They can bet their farm on that

[Bettie]

10. A lot of them already did

on her and Chuckles.

Won't seem so good to them when they lose it all.

[Skittles]

3. GOOD

so tired of these GOP cowards escaping accountability

[rurallib]

4. The World Herald report is so different than the fawning reports

I read in Iowa papers this morning.

I went to the CR event. There was a contingent of probably less than 100 Ernst supporters there.

Some impressions:
- Ernst is very ill-informed for someone making decisions that will affect so many lives

- She obviously hates Planned Parenthood and twisted several answers to that talking point.

- Her main concern about health care besides denying abortions and closing Planned Parenthood seems to be "sustainability." I took that to mean that the insurance companies made money because she never really talked much about about the patient.

- There was one really awkward moment for her when she was asked about her connection with Koch brothers front group Americans For Progress. She tried to sidestep the issue by saying all her contribution info was online. That drew about the loudest round of boos of the event.

- She promised to do an event in Iowa City, Iowa's liberal bastion. However, I noted that no one said a public event. I suspect any public event in Iowa City will be a long time coming.

- Ernst only answered one question directly and that was to say Trump should release his taxes. She went no further on that. Beyond that getting a straight answer was pretty hard.

- I heard from a woman I ran into after the event that there was a large number that were unable to get in. The auditorium was packed 15 minutes before the event.

[JudyM]

5. Thanks for that report, rurallib, gives a good sense of it. Glad you went! We need to keep

standing up, being visible and demanding accountability.

[Bettie]

11. We didn't end up being able to get out there

glad it was full!

[joet67]

6. I pray she is a one-termer. nt

[NCjack]

7. Trumpsters are beginning to see that they were duped. nt

[DK504]

8. Did she run away like last time?

If these people don't wrap their heads around how damaging these elected "representatives" they will end up on the streets.

[Seasider]

12. Joni Ernst is a sad example of what has happened with Iowa politics

Once upon a time, Iowa had a Democrat as Governor, a well respected Democratic senator and it was a state Democrats would win in most Presidential elections. Ernst got in mainly due to the tea party wave that was still around in 2014 and her military background and we all know how conservatives love the military. Rachel Maddow talked about Ernst at length in 2014 with several warning signs such as her frequent refusal to grant interviews with local newspapers and her fringe-right views on the 2nd amendment.

[dalton99a]

14. +1

[Grins]

13. Remember when she was the GOP's newest darling...?

In 2015...? The GOOPers even gave her time to respond to a state of the union address...?

That was then...