In another attempt to represent Iowa in a respectful manner, newly elected Senator Joni Ernst was given the opportunity to present the official GOP rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 20. 

Standing in front of a green screen, Joni Ernst appeared to be trying to make viewers feel as if she was addressing them from Iowa, the Iowa state flag clearly visible in the background. Ernst, now a U.S. Senator, was obviously in attendance for the President’s speech in the nations capital. 

President Obama laid out a clear agenda on specifically what his administration was going to do over the next two years. Joni Ernst on the other hand felt the need to make sure that everyone in the country got to know her, regardless of if they were willing to listen or not. 

One of the most important issues discussed that evening was the proposed bill regarding the construction of the Keystone Pipeline. 

President Obama has warned that this project will not bring any viable employment especially once construction of the pipeline is actually complete. 

Joni Ernst continued to trick Americans into thinking this was a benefit to the country, insisting that not only would this project bring significant employment, but that it would have minimal environmental effects. 

Of course it is an obvious fact that the structure of a steel tube itself pumping oil from one place to another isn’t necessarily harming the environment, but Ernst forgets that the substance that is being pumped through that steel tube will eventually end up having detrimental effects on the environment. Not to mention that it is not even American oil, it is Canadian. It turns out that Barack Obama doesn’t hate America after all! 

Ernst likes to throw out a lot of topics on the table, but then she doesn’t finish her course. She talks about stagnant wages, but I did not hear her explain why she then has voted against a minimum wage increase in the state of Iowa. 

In another desperate attempt for the Republican party to pretend they know what the “real” American is going through, Ernst delivered us a Sarah Palin-like one liner that was crafted to ensure it touched the lives of average people across the nation. Ernst informed us that her family did not have much but the sweat on their brow, so when it would rain she would tie bread bags to the outside of her shoes in order to protect them. 

Again, instead of giving us an answer, let alone an honest answer, Ernst stayed on script and pretended to act like she was qualified to give the address to begin with; after all she had already served 17 days in the Senate up to this point. 

Most of the impractical and downright partisan policies that are most likely to be presented and passed in Congress throughout the next two years are likely to be vetoed by President Obama. 

Until then, let’s hope our elected leaders actually think about their constituents and address the problems that are occurring throughout the country. Most importantly, let’s hope our elected leaders think about what they are going to say before going on national television, especially when they are representing the home state of yours truly.