U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday morning that she is firm in
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Hugh Hewitt: Now I have been calling this frequently online the new McCarthyism, because McCarthyism is the taking of a very serious charge that’s been proven in other contexts, in that case originally, treasonous conduct against the Rosenberg’s, perjury by Hiss, and assigning it to the Hollywood screenwriters. That’s McCarthyism. This McCarthyism is taking people like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby and their horrible crimes and attributing them to Brett Kavanaugh. And I think people need to stand up and say this is hysterical, and it’s deeply unfair, Senator.
Joni Ernst: It is. It is absolutely unfair. And it is absolutely ridiculous. If you look around the Senate, you can point fingers here, too, at members that have admittedly had bad behavior in their past, which probably surpasses any accusation that has been leveled at Brett Kavanaugh. So I think people should tread very lightly on the things that they are throwing at this respectable man and his family. They don’t want it to come around fivefold against them in the future. So we just need to do a better job here in the United States at teaching our children what is appropriate behavior, what is not appropriate behavior, and then of course just doing better as a society. But for other members to kind of laugh about what they did in their college days and then point the finger at Brett Kavanaugh and say you are not qualified to serve on our nation’s highest court because you drank beer in high school or college, you know, shame on you, they had better start thinking twice about what they’re doing.
Hewitt: Now Jeff Flake, who I have campaigned with and for and I believe to be a fair and decent man, he actually had good faith in the Democrats. He’s been proven wrong, of course. They did not use this to wait for the FBI report. They immediately moved the goal posts. Have you got any sense when the FBI is going to finish and therefore a motion for cloture filed? Do you have a timetable?
Ernst: I do think that we will see that this week. I think the FBI is probably winding down as we are speaking with their witnesses. And I know that our Leader is very intent on getting this voted on this week. So as soon as we can receive the report, I do think it is important to review the information in the report for the supplemental investigation. We need to know that for our constituents just to be able to verify, you know, everything is okay. If everything does check out, then we move forward and have this thing wrapped up. But I would anticipate, as the Leader has stated, that he wants to see it done this week.
Hewitt: Have you heard any, I have heard that possibly the FBI report will be done today and cloture filed tonight. Have you heard that?
Ernst: I have heard some semblance of that, but again, I would hesitate to say that on a national program. I just think that we have to make sure that we are going through the report, that we’ve had time to absorb it, make sure that we’re able to push back to our constituents that everything is good to go, and then we move forward.
Hewitt: Do you expect at this point, at this point, obviously with the report to review, that you will be voting for Judge Kavanaugh?
Ernst: I will unless there is something that surfaces in the investigative report, you know, the supplemental report, that would corroborate Dr. Ford’s testimony. Unless that happens, I plan to support Judge Kavanaugh.
Listen to the full interview here.