No election season ever seems to go by without at least one political candidate putting their foot in their mouth, soon followed by the form letter apology that is meant to smooth over the feathers of their offended constituents.

Bruce Braley, a U.S. Representative for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District who is running for the Senate seat that will soon be left vacant by Sen. Tom Harkin, was certainly careless with his words when speaking at a private fundraiser in Texas. The incident, which is on video, shows Braley saying the following:

“To put this in stark contrast, if you help me win this race, you may have someone with your background, your experience, your voice, someone who’s been literally fighting tort reform for 30 years in a visible and public way on the Senate Judiciary Committee or you might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because if Democrats lose the majority, Chuck Grassley will be the next chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

Politicians often sit on committees that do not directly relate to a degree that they have obtained, and the Judiciary Committee is no exception. In this instance, Braley certainly gives the impression that a lawyer would inherently be a superior choice to that of a farmer for a Judiciary Committee chair.

Besides the fact that Braley has insulted nearly every Iowan by snuffing the idea that a farmer could be capable of leading the Senate Judiciary Committee — a committee that Grassley not only already serves on but is a ranking minority member of — he also seems confused as to who exactly he would be representing in the Senate if he were to win the election in November.

The fact that Braley made these comments to a room of potential donors in Texas alongside the words “your voice” should be discouraging to many Iowans as his constituents. Braley’s remarks seem to prove that he is out of touch with Iowa values, as well as the simple fact that we are the people he is hoping to represent. He is working to continue to be our voice, not the voice of trial lawyers in Texas.

To add salt to the wound, Braley released an apology statement that appeared less than sincere, filled with examples of his own background and connections to farming. If this is an attempt to make the farmers of Iowa feel better, it certainly shouldn’t. Trying to say how he is just like all of the individuals he has just offended is not the wisest method for saving face. 

It seems to be the norm that politicians today assume potentially damaging comments at a private event can be quickly reversed with a few well selected words. 

Iowans don’t need to hear that Braley has “tremendous respect for Iowa farmers” after he has degraded them to a room full of donors. They need someone that will show that respect through their actions everyday and everywhere. Not only that, but words that a politician believes they are saying in private — although no words are truly private these days — seem to have that much more of a sting, since they are filled with more honesty than a public slip of the tongue.

Iowans deserve a representative that is prepared to understand and work tirelessly to promote the values and needs of his or her constituents. Not for donors in another state.