On Monday Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) challenged her Democratic opponent Theresa Greenfield to half a dozen debates leading up to November's election. In her video announcement she was dressed in her usual motorcycle outfit with her helmet in hand. She explained that she wants to challenge Greenfield on the issues, but what Ernst wasn't expecting was to be met with insulting and "sexist" tweets about her wardrobe.
Instead of encouraging hearty debate, Justin Barasky, senior adviser for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, could do no better than poke fun at Sen. Ernst's wardrobe.
“we’re losing #iasen, what do we do?”
— Justin Barasky (@JustinBarasky) June 22, 2020
“Dress up as a biker instead of an incumbent Senator and make a process argument about debates like other GOP senators who are losing”
“Great idea!” https://t.co/G3KVKDUIx2
"Oh please," Ernst reacted.
Dress up? Oh, please.
— Joni Ernst (@joniernst) June 22, 2020
I called for six debates on the serious issues facing Iowans, and national democrats respond by talking about my wardrobe. ?? https://t.co/aol0anbyPN
Sen. Ernst is the first woman to serve in federal elected office from Iowa, and the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate. And she happens to love riding her motorcycle. So yeah, she wears leather jackets. What that has to do with debates we have yet to understand.
A few months ago, when Sen. Ernst unveiled her proposal to reform the Violence Against Women Act, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped her in her tracks. What's more, the Senate Majority PAC claimed that domestic violence victims "deserved better" than Ernst.
What's interesting about that remark is that Ernst happens to be a domestic abuse survivor herself, something she's been very candid about.
Ernst hopes to see Greenfield on the debate stage two times a month starting in August.