Rep. Bruce Braley (D., Iowa) has a long history of making elitist comments in Congress.
Republicans have blasted the trial lawyer-turned-Senate candidate for committing what they call a series of out of touch gaffes on the campaign trail this year. He called Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) a "farmer from Iowa who never went to law school" at a January fundraiser, remarks that hit a nerve in the farmer-heavy state.
Braley’s record of elitism goes back much farther. At a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing in 2009, he questioned the credentials of Sally Pipes, president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute.
Despite authoring several books and articles as a noted health care expert, Braley repeatedly peppered Pipes with questions about whether she was a "health policy expert," whether she had an "advanced degree in economics," and whether she was a "scholar."
At one point, Braley questioned whether Pipes even had a resume.
"Do you have a listing of your publications, a listing of your appearances?" he asked. "Some people do this as a way to let people they’re speaking before know what the content of their background and expertise is."
Pipes noted that her full biography is on the institute’s website.
Republicans also released audio on Monday where Braley describes how he talks to Iowans in "terms they can understand" during a 2011 radio interview.