Rep. Curt Clawson: the future of Republican leadership?

“I am familiar with your country, I love your country,” Clawson said to Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar, addressing fellow U.S. citizens who hold high-ranking positions in the State Department and Commerce Department, respectively.

“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,” he told Biswal and Kumar. “I ask cooperation and commitment and priority from your government in so doing. Can I have that?”

As reported by the Foreign Policy website:

(http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/07/25/exclusive_freshman_congressman_mistakes_senior_government_officials_for_foreigners)

The two officials, Nisha Biswal and Arun Kumar, are Americans who hold senior positions at the State Department and Commerce Department, respectively. Although both Biswal and Kumar were introduced as U.S. officials by the chairman of the Asia and Pacific subcommittee, Clawson repeatedly asked them questions about "your country" and "your government," in reference to the state of India.

Curt Clawson is a retired Floridan businessman who ran (and won) a seat in the US House of Representatives. He capitalised on his record as a turn-around specialist.

He did an admirable job as CEO during his 2001 to 2012 tenure at Hayes Lemmerz International Inc., guiding the firm through 2 bankruptcies and handling the reduction of health care and pension plans cost for retires to $75 million from $250 million. It has been reported that at the time of the last bankruptcy Hayes Lemmerz’s pension plan was roughly 46% underfunded.

More about this at this link:
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140626/NEWS/140629870/former-hayes-lemmerz-ceo-wins-u-s-house-seat-in-florida#

“Curt’s ability to lead a company and emerge from bankruptcy to save the company and save JOBS is what will make him a great leader in Congress,” said David James, a Clawson spokesman.

Maybe so... but will it make him more aware of just who sits before him at future House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee hearings?

Here is a link for the video of Mr. Clausen addressing the two US Government employees:

http://vimeo.com/101737613