After Joni Ernst snubbed the editorial board of the Des Moines Register, it's not surprising that the paper endorsed Bruce Braley for senate today.
After a two paragraph pox-on-both-their-houses intro bemoaning the nastiness and obscene cost of the senate race, the editors got down to business:
Despite comparable individual strengths, however, there are clear differences between the two on important issues. Based on those differences, we believe Braley is clearly better suited to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate.
More below the orange squiggle.
Of Ernst, the editors stated:
She has said she would abolish the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education and the federal minimum wage. She suggested partial privatization of Social Security. She calls for nearly unfettered rights to buy and carry weapons. And she would eliminate the Affordable Care Act without offering a serious alternative to provide for those without health care coverage.
The editorial board noted Braley's successful years in congress, working to pass legislation for job training for Iowans, tax credits for families adopting children, and help for veterans. They took this as evidence that Braley, as a senator, would continue to work on issues facing Iowans and the country, and not just ". . . (throw) sand in the gears of not only Congress but the judiciary and the administrative branch."
The nation needs lawmakers like Braley who will work on a long list of unmet challenges this country faces. Among them: dealing with the indisputable consequences of climate change; getting the national debt under control; and taking courageous action to preserve Social Security and Medicare for future generations. Congress must find revenue to build and maintain highways, bridges and other national infrastructure. Education from preschool to post-graduate should be excellent and affordable. The economy should create meaningful jobs and living wages for all, and future generations should have the same economic opportunities as previous generations.
The endorsement concludes by citing Sen. Tom Harkin's important work on civil rights for the disabled and conservation of the environment, and their belief that Bruce Braley will continue to work for these causes as Iowa's next senator