Senator Joni Ernst and the Republican caucus have learned a new word, ‘woke,’ and by golly they’re gonna use it.  

In her recent piece in The Kalona News she used it five times in reference to President Biden. She complained that Biden created a rule that allowed financial institutions to invest in “woke” corporations instead of going for the absolute top dollar. Presumably the corporation could be slaughtering baby seals with clubs and Senator Ernst would be fine with it. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with investing in socially and environmentally conscious companies. I guess it would be woke to criticize Jared Kushner for obtaining a 2 billion dollar loan from Saudi Arabia shortly after publicly defending the Crown Prince who ordered the dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi for criticizing the Saudi government in the Washington Post. Show me the money baby! 

And I guess it would also be woke to notice that in the defamation trial of Dominion voting machines vs Fox News, texts, phone calls and emails all show that from Tucker and the rest on up to company head Rupert Murdoch, they all knew Trump LOST but knowingly gave inveterate liars and conspiracists a platform on the nation’s #1 cable news shows. 

Immediately after the election they tried telling the truth, that Trump LOST, but discovered they were losing viewers. So they brought back the lies and misinformation that still goes on today. Show me the money baby! 

They value money and power more than their own integrity. And chances are, if you keep the channel tuned to Fox, you have never even heard about how you were lied to. And it would no doubt be woke to mention that Fox concluded that the Republican base preferred, even demanded, to hear the lies. 

With respect, Senator Ernst, please wake up!

Tom Jacobson

Riverside