Iowa GOP Senate candidate takes on military sexual assaults, armed with personal story

As a combat veteran who served in the Iraq war, Iowa Republican candidate Joni Ernst knows first-hand how difficult it is to fight a war on two fronts.

Yet, that's exactly what Ernst is doing as she battles a seasoned Democratic rival, Rep. Bruce Braley, for the state's open Senate seat -- while locking horns with her former bosses and some in her own party over the reporting of sexual assaults in the military.

"This will not be an easy challenge," Ernst said recently at a campaign event. "I understand many in my own party in Washington will oppose this plan, as will many in the military and the Pentagon. However, this should not be a partisan issue, and as a woman in uniform, I know we must act now."