Jacobs says Ernst is ‘firing blanks’ in new ad

Businessman Mark Jacobs’s (R) campaign is going after Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) in their crowded Senate primary.

{mosads}In a new ad, Jacobs mocks Ernst’s latest ad, which was shot at a gun range, saying she’s “firing blanks” when she says she’s looking out for Iowans.

“In politics people do strange things to get elected, especially when they’ve got something to hide,” the ad’s narrator says as images from Ernst’s ad appear. “In the state Senate, Ernst voted to raise the gas tax and tax Internet purchases. Ernst skipped votes dealing with elderly abuse and human trafficking and missed 103 more votes this year when she didn’t show up for work. Joni Ernst: When it comes to protecting Iowa, she’s firing blanks.”

Ernst has emerged as the front-runner in the race despite Jacobs’s big spending and her weak fundraising, and this is the first time he’s put money behind ads attacking her.

Ernst has missed a number of votes in the Iowa state Senate to campaign, though some of them were because she was on National Guard duty.