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Bruce Braley, Iowa Democrat, Apologizes After Comparing Basketball Loss To 'Trail Of Tears'

Dem Apologizes After 'Trail Of Tears' Tweet
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FILE - This this Oct. 29, 2010, file photo shows U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, in Dubuque, Iowa. Braley on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 became the first Iowan to announce plans to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tom Harkin after 30 years. Braley, a four-term House member from Waterloo, announced his plans in an email to potential supporters. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) became the latest politician to make a Twitter gaffe on Thursday night when he analogized the feelings of Iowa State University basketball fans to the forcible relocation of Native American nations in the 1830s, known as the Trail of Tears.

"It's official. Ohio State is the luckiest team in the tournament. #TrailOfTears," read Braley's tweet.

The Trail of Tears hashtag created a stir amongst Braley's followers, who found it racist and insensitive. The tweet was hastily deleted and replaced with an apology.

"The 'tears' I was referring to were the tears of Cyclone fans. I have removed the tweet & apologize to anyone who was offended," Braley said.

The Iowa State Cyclones were bounced from the NCAA tournament in dramatic fashion on Sunday by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Another narrow Buckeye win over the University of Arizona on Thursday night in the Sweet Sixteen prompted Braley's tweet.

Braley, who intends to seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in 2014, isn't the only congressman to make a racially obtuse comment this week. Republicans in Congress have been doing damage control since Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) referred to Latino farm workers as "wetbacks" during a radio interview Thursday.

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Before You Go

Senate Majority Leaders Through The Years
Harry Reid (D-Nev.)(01 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 110th-112th Congress (2007-present) (credit:(JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images))
Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) (02 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 108th & 109th Congress (2003-07) (credit:(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images))
Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) (03 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 107th Congress (2001-03) (credit:(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) )
Trent Lott (R-Miss.) (04 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 105th & 106th Congress (1997-2001) (credit:(LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images) )
Bob Dole (R-Kan.) (05 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 99th & 104th Congress (1985-87, 1995-96). Dole resigned from the Senate in June 1996 to focus on his presidential campaign. (credit:(RICHARD ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) )
George Mitchell (D-Maine) (06 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 101st-103rd Congress (1989-95) (credit:(PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images) )
Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) (07 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 95th, 96th & 99th Congress (1977-81, 1985-87) (credit:(AP Photo/Dennis Cook) )
Howard Baker (R-Tenn.)(08 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 97th & 98th Congress (1981-85) (credit:(AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi) )
Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) (09 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 87th-94th Congress (1961-77) (credit:(AP Photo/Eddie Adams) )
Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas)(10 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 84th-86th Congress (1955-61). Johnson resigned from the Senate in Jan. 1961 to take on his new role as vice president. (credit:(AFP/AFP/Getty Images))
William Knowland (R-Calif.)(11 of19)
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(Pictured right) Senate Majority Leader, 83rd Congress (1953-55) (credit:(AP Photo) )
Robert Taft (R-Ohio) (12 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 83rd Congress (1953). Taft died on July 31, 1953 and William Knowland was elected to take over on August 4. (credit:(AP Photo) )
Ernest McFarland (D-Ariz.) (13 of19)
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(Pictured standing, far right) Senate Majority Leader, 82nd Congress (1951-53) (credit:(AP Photo/Henry Griffin) )
Scott Lucas (D-Ill.) (14 of19)
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(Pictured front row, left) Senate Majority Leader, 81st Congress (1949-51) (credit:(AP Photo) )
Wallace White Jr. (R-Maine)(15 of19)
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(Pictured far left) Senate Majority Leader, 80th Congress (1947-49) (credit:(AP Photo) )
Alben Barkley (D-Ky.) (16 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 75th-79th Congress (1937-47). (credit:(AP Photo) )
Joseph Robinson (D-Ark.) (17 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 73rd-75th Congress (1933-37). Robinson died on July 14, 1937, and Alben Barkley was elected a week later to take over. (credit:(AP Photo))
James Watson (R-Ind.) (18 of19)
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(Pictured second from right) Senate Majority Leader, 71st & 72nd Congress (1929-33) (credit:(AP Photo))
Charles Curtis (R-Kan.) (19 of19)
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Senate Majority Leader, 68th-70th Congress (1923-29). Curtis resigned from the Senate in March 1929 after being elected vice president. (credit:(AP Photo) )
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