Next time, maybe reading the witness list beforehand might be a wise idea.
A new member of Congress is the butt of Twitter jokes galore today after he appeared to repeatedly treat two senior State and Commerce Department officials with Indian surnames as members of the Indian government.
“I'm familiar with your country; I love your country," Florida Republican Curt Clawson told Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar, witnesses at a hearing at a subcommittee hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The cringe-worthy moment(s) were flagged by The Cable.
Clawson continued to refer to “your country” and “your government” in his statements to both U.S. officials, at one point asking for “ask cooperation and commitment and priority from your government” in investment rules.
"I think your question is to the Indian government," replied Biswal, who serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State. "We certainly share your sentiment, and we certainly will advocate that on behalf of the U.S."
Here’s some more, from The Cable: “During the hearing, [Clawson] repeatedly touted his deep knowledge of the Indian subcontinent and his favorite Bollywood movies. None of his fellow colleagues publicly called him out on the oversight -- perhaps going easy on him because he's the new guy.”
Clawson is brand new to Congress; he won a special election in June to replace Rep. Trey Radel, who resigned after pleading guilty to cocaine possession.