IA State Senator Joni Ernst: A Whole 'Generation' Relies On Government For 'Absolutely Everything'

[big_dog]

Joni Ernst, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in her state, argued a whole generation of people relies on government for "absolutely everything" and added that it would take "a lot of education" to cut people off of that dependency. Those comments, made by Ernst in 2013 the Des Moines Conservative Breakfast Club, were highlighted by Democrats on Thursday.

In the audio Ernst said a "generation of people" has been created that relies "on the government to provide absolutely everything for them." Ernst added that "it's going to take a lot of education to get people out of that. It's going to be very painful and we know that."

She pointed out that the Affordable Care Act would exacerbate this problem. "We’re looking at Obamacare right now. Once we start with those benefits in January, how are we going to get people off of those?" she said. "It’s exponentially harder to remove people once they’ve already been on those programs."

The audio was published by Radio Iowa. Ernst is running against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) in the race for U.S. Senate. The TPM Polltracker average gives Ernst a 3.5 point lead over Braley. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joni-ernst-generation-rely-absolutely-everything

[valerief]

1. What a fuckin' waste of oxygen. Government can't work with shits like her in it. nt

[pscot]

2. If she's referring to the get

of agri-business millionaires she's right on.

[MFrohike]

3. She's right

It will be painful to cut the rich off of the government gravy train. We'll just to have to suffer through it.

[Maedhros]

5. You mean these folks, Joni?

?w=300&h=246

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/matt-taibbi-on-the-tea-party-20100928

Scanning the thousands of hopped-up faces in the crowd, I am immediately struck by two things. One is that there isn't a single black person here. The other is the truly awesome quantity of medical hardware: Seemingly every third person in the place is sucking oxygen from a tank or propping their giant atrophied glutes on motorized wheelchair-scooters. As Palin launches into her Ronald Reagan impression — "Government's not the solution! Government's the problem!" — the person sitting next to me leans over and explains.

"The scooters are because of Medicare," he whispers helpfully. "They have these commercials down here: 'You won't even have to pay for your scooter! Medicare will pay!' Practically everyone in Kentucky has one."

A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can't imagine it.

[Drahthaardogs]

6. Oil compnies, factory farmers, government contractors...

Leave her alone. She speaks the truth.

[Historic NY]

7. Republicans gave up on Lincoln I guess.........

"government of the people, by the people, for the people"

[jwirr]

8. Joni - we are the government. And you sound just like Herbert Hoover did in 1929.

[Kingofalldems]

9. How about posting what the Democrats think?

[Downwinder]

10. Those are the people Ernst used to call Mom and Dad.

[moondust]

11. Koch puppet. n/t

[socialist_n_TN]

12. As several others in this thread have alluded, it's called the Reagan generation......

of capitalist pigs.

[madinmaryland]

13. Sadly, there are enough people in Iowa that believe her comment that she could get elected.

[msongs]

14. especially all those welfare farmers and ranchers in Iowa who will vote for her nt

[daredtowork]

15. Lets start by taking everything away from Ernst

Then ask her to go get what she needs "from the government".

Make her prove her point.

Maker her go and get that government gravy train.

Just where is that spigot of money? Where are all of those "programs" people have become "dependent" on?

Other than Social Security, I don't think there's much of anything left that fits that description.

Let's see how Ernst survives even a few DAYS in the real world.

Hypocritical B.S. won't make a roof over her head, won't pay an electric bill, won't get her a ride on a bus, won't buy her a can of beans.

Do not let this kind of ignorant, lying fanatic govern the country. Please.

[Johonny]

16. Remember the best way to educate people out of that is high education costs and draconic loans ;)

I thought they were going to lower taxes and magically create jobs and people would work. Now they are saying the reason it isn't working is that "we" are to lazy to get all them jobs Republicans made with their phantom job program. The only thing is the unemployment rate keeps going down. It is almost like Americans want to work despite them telling us we don't. It is almost like Americans don't need any of this "education"... they JUST NEED FUCKING JOBS. Who votes for dickheads like this? People wonder why I don't respect Republican voters at all.

[Cha]

17. Keep her out.. she'll only try to screw up our Government like these guys..