DES MOINES – A liberal Iowa political group is calling for a pro-gun right-wing Senate candidate to apologize for saying recent shootings in California were “an unfortunate accident”.
Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement today, calling on State Senator Joni Ernst to apologize for characterizing the recent shooting at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as an accident in last night’s US Senate primary debate:
“Joni Ernst was presented with a simple question during last night’s debate: in light of recent shootings, including most recently at the University of California Santa Barbara, would she change a recent campaign ad where she points a gun directly at television viewers?”
“Not once did Ernst offer her condolences to the victims of the shooting and their families. Instead, she quickly bragged about her endorsement from the National Rifle Association, eager to score political points on a question asked about a tragedy.”
“Her statement represents hyper partisanship at its worst. Ernst should apologize immediately and retract her callous characterization of the murder of six people as an accident. Her statement does a disservice to the victims, their families, and does not reflect the compassion and values of Iowans.”
The National Rifle Associate has endorsed Ernst, saying “Joni Ernst has consistently opposed all attempts to restrict gun rights and has been a true friend of the Second Amendment. She is one great example of NRA moms all across this country fighting for our freedoms. She’s the only candidate in this race with a proven record of defending our rights. I urge all NRA members, gun-owners, and sportsmen in Iowa to vote for Joni Ernst in the June 3rd Republican primary.”
