Jacobs removes ‘AWOL’ attack on Ernst from website

Iowa Senate candidate Mark Jacobs (R) has removed an attack from his website that Iowa state Rep. Joni Ernst (R) has gone “AWOL” for missing votes in the legislature.

{mosads}Ernst has been accusing him of attacking her military experience with the term, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) weighed in Tuesday morning to agree.

“Mark respects Joni Ernst’s military service and all of those who serve our country,” Jacobs spokeswoman Alissa Ohl told The Hill in an email.

But while Jacobs is shedding the term, he’s staying on the attack over her missed votes. A local report from the Cedar Rapids Gazette found in March that only ten percent of which were due to her National Guard duties, while most of the rest were because she was on the campaign trail.

“Bottom line: Joni’s absence from the Iowa legislature is inexcusable,” Ohl continued. “And what’s worse, the Ernst campaign knowingly mislead Iowa voters by trying to use her National Guard service as an excuse for missing the vast majority of votes. But, as the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported, of the 117 votes missed only 12 of the votes she missed were due to National Guard service. Joni owes Iowans an apology for not showing up to work.”

Jacobs, a self-funding businessman, has dominated the airwaves in the race. But Ernst has the backing of much of the GOP establishment, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and the Senate Conservatives Fund.