The seldom-heard word “panoply” is defined as “a full suit of armor,” or “a magnificent or impressive array.” Given the facts of Tuesday’s panel discussion “The Truth: Lean Finely Textured Beef,” then, Iowa State University played host to a panoply of supporters of the beef industry’s practice of processing the trimmings of beef cuts and including them with ground beef.

The “panel discussion” was much more an instance of message politics than an attempt to actually discuss the controversy or issue as Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Rep. Steve King, professor in animal science Jim Dickson, Janet Riley of the American Meat Institute and Nancy Degner of the Iowa Beef Industry Council delivered their facts and pronouncements.

“Dude, it’s beef” was the sermon of the day, according to the T-shirt Branstad wore over his dress shirt.

During the forum, a crowd of 450 protestors, spectators and supporters anticipated the panelists’ “discussion.” The event seems to have violated the instructions Degner gave to her audience of about 300 people, for instance, when she instructed them to be rational, not preach and have a conversation about the use of lean finely textured beef.

In our opinion, the forum smacks more of a pow-wow summit between industry and political leaders to coordinate a message in which they have an interest than it looks like an honest attempt to talk to the opponents of “pink slime,” figure out what they are concerned about and determine a proper course of action.

Branstad looked more like a plug for the beef industry than a politician interested in the health of his state’s citizens. The fact that Branstad has received more than $150,000 in the past two years should provide some sense of how he sees his interest.

Jobs are important, to be sure, but his responsibility — and the responsibility of every elected official — is to the voters. Those voters, incidentally, are people, not companies or industries. The debate about the use of “pink slime” is more about the quality of our food supply than it is about waging a publicity campaign against a particular part of the economy.

Reynolds said it best, however, when she said the beef industry’s panoply of supporters were there “to support [students], to support the beef industry and production agriculture and to make sure you [students] have jobs.” Any honest discussion is apparently gone with the wind.

As Iowans consider whether Iowa is to be an agricultural state or a quality agricultural state, it is our hope that public figures will converse with us instead of delivering a messianic message of one-sided facts.