For a veteran senator who landed in the wrong committee hearing — and proceeded to question a witness no less — being a good sport helped move past the blunder.
Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN) turned up at an appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday and began to compliment a witness on his prompt response to a letter Coats sent, according to the Washington Post. But the witness, of course, didn’t know anything about that, and someone soon slipped Coats a note saying that he was at the wrong hearing.
“Well, this is the first time this has ever happened to me, but I hope it’s not a precursor of what might happen,” Coats said.
“You’re always welcome in our committee,” Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) assured him.
“Well, thank you,” Coats said. “I saw some familiar faces and I thought this is where I should be.”
Coats later quipped in a Thursday tweet that “the Russians” must have messed with his schedule:
I think the Russians have been messing with my schedule. But I never miss a chance to tout IN’s talented workforce http://t.co/uV0h5nnZXI
— Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) April 3, 2014
The Washington Post has video of the awkward exchange.
