Ernst snubs Iowa newspaper

Senate candidate Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has canceled her meeting with the Des Moines Register editorial board Thursday as the paper works to finalize its Senate endorsement.

“Recent editorials in the Des Moines Register make their position in this race perfectly clear, and it’s one that many voters across our state seem to disagree with,” Ernst campaign spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier in a emailed statement. “With less than 12 days to go, time is precious and Joni wants to spend every minute talking to undecided voters, hearing their concerns, and demonstrating why we need a change in Washington.”

{mosads}Tuesday’s Des Moines Register editorial criticized Ernst for supporting a “personhood” amendment to the Constitution that the paper explained “seeks to provide a fetus with the same ‘right to life’ as the rest of us.” The editorial board called the amendment “too far” and a “political tactic.”

One of the most competitive races of the 2014 midterm elections, Ernst and Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) are neck-and-neck in the polls. Ernst held a slight lead in all of October’s polling.  

According to The Courier, this isn’t the first paper Ernst has decided not to meet with. Editors from the Quad-City Times, The Gazette in Cedar Rapids and the Dubuque Telegraph Herald all told The Courier that she hasn’t scheduled meetings with their papers. Ernst did meet with the Soux City Journal’s editorial board.

In a statement emailed to Politico, the Register’s president and publisher, Rick Green, said that the paper is “disappointed” in Ernst’s decision not to show up, but added that the issue is greater than the newspaper.

“We wanted to discuss the future of the state and allow Joni Ernst to share insights and specific responses to the concerns and questions of Iowans and voters,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that cannot happen.”

Register writers also took to social media to pan the decision. Rekha Basu, a columnist with the paper, questioned whether Ernst was “afraid of newspaper editorial boards.”

“Is Ernst that sensitive to the kinds of criticisms that invariably will come in such a high profile U.S. Senate race? Is she afraid of the scrutiny?” she asked on Facebook. “Would Ernst similarly thumb her nose at the press while serving in the Senate?” 

Opinion editor Randy Evans tweeted asking whether Ernst was “avoiding tough questions.” 

In a call with reporters, Braley campaign manager Sarah Benzing said that Ernst chose to “run away from the press.” 

“You cant just talk to people who agree with you,” she said. “If you want to be a United States Senator, you need to talk to people who have other ideas, try to work with them and try to build bridges, not burn them. ” 

—This post was updated at 5:15 to include a comment from the Braley campaign.