Stephen Moore, visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, stands for a photograph following a Bloomberg Television interview in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, March 22, 2019. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images The proposal by President Donald Trump to put conservative economic pundit Stephen Moore on the Federal Reserve board hit a stumbling block weeks ago with the disclosure of his contentious divorce and a federal tax lien, which came on the heels of criticism of his nomination by a range of economists. Now, Moore's past humorous writings, which make pointed jokes about his then-jobless spouse, and about Hillary Clinton, Democrats and AIDS, have come to light, raising the prospect of even rockier waters for Moore in his bid to join the central bank.<doc-sep>"Oh, Stephen Moore?" Ernst said when NBC News asked about his nomination. "I am going to make a comment there: Very unlikely that I would support that person." Ernst also said she has told the White House about her concerns with Moore. Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, said she likely will not vote for Moore and also said she does not believe he currently has the votes to win approval in the Senate. President Donald Trump's plan to name conservative pundit Stephen Moore to the Federal Reserve Board could be doomed to failure, as a number of Republican senators were cool to his bid Tuesday because of his past sarcastic writings about women and other issues. Ernst's chilly view of Moore came shortly after fellow GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters that Moore being named to the Fed will be "a very problematic nomination." Tweet Moore, who has echoed Trump's criticism of the Fed for hiking interest rates last year, cannot afford to lose four Republican senators' support if he hopes to survive the nomination process. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the chamber. Trump's other recent Fed pick, businessman and former presidential candidate Herman Cain, recently dropped out from contention after it became clear he lacked enough Republican support in the Senate to win approval. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., gave a tepid response when reporters asked him about Moore, whose nomination has yet to be formally submitted to the Senate. "Well, we're happy to receive nominations when we get them, there are a lot of people who are being considered for all kinds of positions that are not yet nominated," McConnell said. "And if he is nominated we'll cross that bridge when we get there." The choice of Moore for the central bank has been controversial from the start because of concerns he would be too apt to do what Trump wanted on the Fed board, and because of his track record on economic predictions. On Tuesday, Moore told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that declining earnings among men is the biggest challenge facing the economy. His bid has come under more fire in recent weeks with disclosures of his having had a $75,000 income tax lien, being found in contempt of court for shorting his ex-wife on more than $300,000 in a divorce settlement, and writing humor columns about women. In one column, Moore said women should not be allowed to referee men's basketball games in the NCAA tournament, and in another said that if women earned more than their husbands if could "be disruptive to family stability." Sen Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said, "I think his statements definitely" are of concern. ""So we'll have to see — if he gets nominated and then what he says before the committee," Capito said. "It's hard to look past some of those" writings, she said. Ernst also had mentioned Moore's writings on Tuesday. "I'm not enthused about what he has said in various articles," Ernst said, according to the Bloomberg news service. "I think it's ridiculous." "It looks like drip by drip," Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said of the stories about Moore, Bloomberg reported. Shelby also said he thinks Moore's nomination has "some problems." Sen Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, said, "If he is nominated then I will visit with him."" "Of course his comments are something that are not good and you can guarantee, big guarantee, absolutely without fail, if I visit him that would be a topic of discussion," Blackburn said.The GOP has a three-seat majority in the Senate, but every Democrat and independent are likely to vote against Moore. Moore could win confirmation if only three Republicans voted against him — given Vice President Mike Pence's power to break a tie, 50-50 vote — but his bid for a Fed seat could be doomed if four GOP members come out against him. WATCH: CNBC's full interview with Stephen Moore<doc-sep>Despite the GOP advantage in the Senate, Moore and Cain are far from the only Trump nominees Republicans have tanked because of their writings or questions about their qualifications. At least five judicial candidates failed to advance after GOP senators raised objections, and Cabinet nominees such as Ronny L. Jackson for Veterans Affairs and Andrew Puzder for the Labor Department also stepped aside after it was clear there was no support for them in the GOP-controlled Senate.<doc-sep>Democrats hailed Mr Moore's withdrawal. "The only thing less funny than some of Mr Moore's tasteless, offensive, sexist 'jokes' was the idea that President Trump would even consider him for a seat on the Federal Reserve," said New York's Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate.<doc-sep>
Stephen Moore, erstwhile nominee for the Federal Reserve Board. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images This morning, Stephen Moore told reporters his nomination for the Federal Reserve Board would not be pulled. “I’m all in,” he told Bloomberg News. “My biggest ally is the president. He’s full speed ahead.” Like most Moore predictions, this quickly proved to be completely wrong. By lunchtime, Moore was out. Moore’s nomination came about when Trump-administration economist Lawrence Kudlow recommended Moore, his co-author, close friend, and partner in extreme voodoo-economics wrongness. Trump impulsively announced the pick. Moore’s total lack of relevant expertise — he has admitted, “I’m not an expert in monetary policy,” which is like applying for a job at an auto plant by boasting you’re bad at assembling cars — did not doom his nomination. Nor did his record of dogmatic and comically misguided economic claims. Rather, his nomination was deep-sixed by a combination of misogynistic writings and behaviors. Moore was accused of flagrantly cheating on his wife, whom he mocked publicly as a “loss leader” who “doesn’t have a job” and reportedly stiffed on child support. He also fantasized in his writings about picking up a younger and more attractive partner. His columns included rants against women’s sports and proposed that women not be allowed to officiate or even sell beer at basketball games. Moore explained he was joking, which is true in a sense, but the joke is clearly a hyperbolic version of his actual beliefs. Moore’s statement to President Trump announcing his withdrawal begins, “I am honored and grateful you asked me to serve on the Federal Reserve Board,” which makes it the first such notice in memory to quote Luca Brasi. Moore piously added that he could not bear the pain an extended nomination fight would create for his family. “The unrelenting attacks on my character,” he writes, “have become untenable for me and my family, and three more months of this would be too hard on us.” His poor family — they’ve already been through so much, what with his adultery and denial of child support! The lesson for Trump is that he probably can stack the Federal Reserve Board with partisan loyalists and party hacks — provided he has the patience to vet them first.