Why Demand Apologies?

I was reading the Talking Points Memo by Josh Marshall this morning, and apparently some Republican State Representatives sent out letters stating the "‘secular evolution science’ is the Big-Bang 15-billion-year alternate ‘creation scenario’ of the Pharisee Religion." Of course Marshall goes on to mention how the ADL found out about the letters and the State Representatives apologized or something.

My question is this: Why demand apologies? What is the efficacy of that?
Rather than demand an apology, just use idiotic statements like this against those people in an election. Seriously, that statement about the Pharisee religion doesn't even make sense, and surely someone who believed that shouldn't appeal to all the voters of their district. So rather than get an apology, wouldn't it be better to just to beat them over the head with it next election? To some extent apology demands legitimate the person who made the offensive comments. Apology demands are like saying "Well, recognizing your worth as a person, I know you didn't meant to say what you said, so apologize for it and we can all get along."

Well, frankly, I don't recognize the worth of a person who says something as offensive, ignorant, and theologically wrong as calling science the "Pharisee Religion". I don't want an apology because I don't recognize that idea that people who say things like that have a valid place in political discourse. They should be forced to wallow in their stupidity and steadily pushed from the mainstream of American politics.

This all relates to to the Tim Hardaway business somehow, but I am not sure how yet.