The Republican contender for the congressional district that will, for the 2012 election and beyond, include Ames made a bold move while we were all on Spring Break. That man, Rep. Steve King, challenged the Democratic Party’s candidate for his seat, former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, to six — that’s right, six — debates.

That offer is in sharp contrast to King’s previous four elections, in which he did not debate the other candidates for his office. We wonder about his motives.

In the wake of tea party Republican successes and the failure of moderate candidates of both parties to gain or retain office in the 2010 elections, congressional Republicans at the very least seem to pursue an increasingly bold agenda through their budget cuts and proposals. That agenda also appears to be for the purpose of political propaganda stunt-performing rather than a real starting point for discussion.

As one of the more controversial Republicans from Iowa, King is a part of that. While some of you (and us) may have met and spoken with him and found him to be a nice enough man, it cannot be denied that some of the things King says seem calculated to produce an incendiary effect rather than conversation.

Conversation, however, is his job. It is the job of every government official, elected and appointed, alike. Each officeholder interacts with other officeholders when brainstorming, creating and implementing policy.

Christie Vilsack has a long exposure to politics. Her husband, Tom Vilsack, served two terms as governor of Iowa and is now the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. She is, in a casual phrase, sharp. And King’s potential constituents — the people interviewing him for a job from now until Nov. 6, when they cast their votes — deserve to see him interact with his peers.

Vilsack is, after all, his equal. That should be remembered at all costs and hazards, especially in our electrified, polarized political climate. The idea that members of Congress should write their legislation in isolation and only set foot in the House or Senate chamber for voting on bills according to party discipline is absurd. Challenging candidates and members of other parties should not be excluded from discussion by reason of their different party identity.

Campaign events and fundraisers are wonderful opportunities for politicians to articulate their basic beliefs and fire up their core constituencies.

But as soon as he takes his oath of office, King will — like all the other officeholders in the country — have to interact and make deals with his peers. The constituents at his fundraisers and events who already agree with him will be no help when he has to confront the other members of Congress.