Senator Tom Harkin says Joni Ernst is as 'good looking as Taylor Swift'

Outgoing Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) ended up just slapping himself with a backhanded compliment he made to Republican candidate Joni Ernst last week.

"I don't care if she's as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers, but if she votes like Michele Bachmann, she's wrong for the state of Iowa," Harkin said at a Story County Democratic Party barbecue, BuzzFeed reports.

Ernst, who's running for the Senate seat Harkin is giving up, was ready with a retort this morning on Fox News: "If my name had been John Ernst attached to my resume, Senator Harkin would not have said those things."

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