In case you missed it last week, newly installed Florida Rep. Curt Clawson's first major contribution to the national discourse was an extended conversation with two United States government officials appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in which he was convinced, apparently by names and the skin color of the two witnesses, that they were probably from India.
So the good representative of the people, apparently without ever once looking at the witness list or bothering to consider what he might more properly ask those witnesses who his committee had hauled up to brief them about things, took it upon himself to foster better relations with the country he figured they were probably from:
Clawson: I am familiar with your country. I love your country. And I am hopeful with the new change in regime that the future and the land of promise and the land of opportunity of India can finally become so...
[...] So, just as your capital is welcome here to produce good-paying jobs in the U.S., I’d like our capital to be welcome there and there to be free enough capital so that both sides are on the same territory. And I ask cooperation and commitment and priority from your government in so doing. Can I have that?
Biswal: I think your question is to the Indian government and we certainly share your sentiments, and we certainly will advocate that on behalf of the U.S. government.
Clawson: Of course. And I’m asking your opinion of how they view….
Biswal: Like I said, I think we have heard a lot of positive signals, a lot of positive intentions. And we will be engaging both through the state department, through the commerce department, through our USTR, through our treasury department to make sure that we are engaging on those issues and looking for the concrete steps forward.
Clawson: Okay, let’s see some progress.
The unfailing politeness of the poor witnesses as Rep. Clawson trundles along his merry way may be the best part.
Clawson has since apologized, but consider all that needed to happen in order for that exchange to have transpired. Clawson didn't know who his witnesses were. He knew the hearing was supposed to be about India—good on you, fella—but had no specific idea what he should be asking them or what they were here to say. He didn't bother to listen while the witnesses were introduced specifically as being from the State and Commerce departments. He just looked up and, apparently, said "huh, them folks ain't white. I guess they're furriners. I'll ask them about that."
Clawson is the representative elected to replace Rep. Trey Radel, aka Florida's Rob Ford, aka the guy who (eventually) resigned after being busted for cocaine possession. There are no indications that Clawson is also riding the white pony, but you have to wonder if the people of his Florida district are taking these elections very seriously.