A Republican state lawmaker in Idaho is in trouble for claiming to be an expert on female reproductive issues because he works with cows.
“I have milked some cows, spent most of the time walking behind the line of cows, so if you want some ideas on repro and about women’s health, I have some definite opinions,” Rep. Jack Nelsen is new, a retired regular. farmer, said earlier this week when he introduced himself to the State House Agriculture Committee, according to the Idaho State Journal.
Infuriated by the response, Nelsen later apologized for his comments, which he admitted were “inappropriate.”
“The women in my life have taught me strength, resilience, integrity, hard work, joy, and love. I truly respect women, and their right to choose their own health care,” Nelsen said in a statement Thursday. He said the comments were “completely missed,” adding: “I’m embarrassed … I’m sorry.”
Just hours before the apology, the Idaho Statesman newspaper singled out Nelsen in an editorial for making the state a “laughter.”
“Not only are his comments offensive and embarrassing, but strange, given that he just introduced himself to the House Agriculture Committee,” the editorial said. “This is how he chooses to introduce himself, by comparing women’s health care to cow milking?”
It is particularly worrying because the country may consider more restrictions on women’s reproductive rights in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision last year that jettisoned the right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade, the editorial noted.
“It’s scary to think that someone like Nelsen, who thinks he’s an expert on ‘women’s health’ because he ‘spends a lot of time walking behind a line of cows,’ will have a seat at the table when it comes to deciding the matter.” the editorial lamented.
It “would be nice if someone like Nelsen would demonstrate a bit of humility and decency, and not paint himself as an expert in women’s health care – which they certainly are not,” the editor added. “It would also be better for him to keep his mouth shut, stop insulting women and save Idaho from national embarrassment.”
The paper updated its editorial following Nelsen’s apology. But the editorial board wasn’t so sure.
It “appreciates” Nelsen’s apology. But it also noted that he was simply following “a playbook that has proven successful in the past: Say something stupid, apologize sadly and then continue to vote in a way that is consistent with the underlying stance he’s expressing.”
Check out the full editorial here.