Today In Republican Responsibility & Accountability

Iowa Intoxication Info:

Gretchen Hamel, a campaign spokeswoman for Joni Ernst's U.S. Senate campaign, was arrested on Oct. 29 for operating while intoxicated and resigned the morning after the incident.

West Des Moines police found Hamel passed out behind the wheel of her vehicle after crossing lanes and driving her car over a curb on the 6100 block of Beachtree Drive at about 10:30 p.m., according to a police report.

An Ernst campaign aide on Thursday said that Hamel resigned the morning after the incident.

"This is a personnel matter which we will not discuss in the press. We wish Gretchen nothing but the best and appreciate her efforts," said Ernst campaign manager Jon Kohan in a statement.

I'm sure the people of Iowa appreciate her efforts to drive over any or all of them because she won't lose consciousness in a motel room instead of behind the wheel.

A bit later: Oh my goodness gracious, look at the rest of the story:

The driving offense was not the first in Iowa for Hamel, who is a Washington, D.C.-based political strategist.

At 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 13, Hamel crashed her Ford Explorer into a sign post at the intersection of 142nd and Meredith streets in Urbandale. She was in the passenger seat when Urbandale police arrived. She claimed a man named "Robert" was driving the vehicle and "took off running" after striking the post, according to an Urbandale police report.

"Hamel later admitted that she lied and that she was the one driving the vehicle," the report states.

Hamel blew a .164 on a preliminary breathalyzer test but wasn't arrested "because she wasn't operating the vehicle when officers arrived," the report states. She told officers she had had three drinks but had not eaten anything.

Hamel was charged with failure to maintain control of her vehicle, and having an invalid driver's license and expired car insurance.

Capt. Rob Johansen of the Urbandale Police Department said officials are investigating whether all details of that incident were included in the officer's report.

"I would say we missed an opportunity to make an arrest," Johansen said. "We had an admission and I don't know if there was a witness or other things that should have been taken into account. I think based on what was written in the report, the first question that came to my mind was, why wasn't she arrested?"

After the second incident, Hamel refused medical care after a West Des Moines emergency medical services arrived. During field sobriety tests, the officers noted she was "swaying" and lost her balance during a walk and turn test. The officer stopped her from completing another test, where she was asked to stand on one leg, fearing her safety.

Hamel told officers she was driving home from a girlfriend's house and was heading back to her apartment on Prairie View Drive. Based on the position of her car, officers asked if she was heading toward the Jordan Creek mall, to which Hamel affirmed.

"I had to explain to her that her residence was the opposite direction she was heading," the officer wrote in the report.

Redundant, but: Lying & dangerously criminal Republican. And typical consuming sheep; gets blotto & heads for the mall on alcohol auto-pilot. We're circling the drain, people!