Here's video of a moment in the Senate on Wednesday that might as well have come from the brain of Armando Iannucci: Indiana GOP Sen. Dan Coats' accidental appearance at a subcommittee where he was not supposed to be, delivering an opening statement that had nothing to do with what everyone else in the room believed they were gathered to discuss.
Coats, who served in the Senate from 1989 to 1999, then returned again in 2011, took his seat at a subcommittee hearing and delivered a recitation of a letter he had written concerning the National Guard in his home state. As people throughout the room were no doubt quietly wondering to themselves what the hell was going on, Coats received a message from a staffer.
“I just got a note saying I’m at the wrong hearing," he announced. "Well, this is the first time this has ever happened to me," he added.
Folks who were actually supposed to be in the room took Coats' mess up in good humor. "You’re always welcome in our committee," said New Mexico Democratic Sen. Tom Udall.
The next day, after the video had received the greater attention it so richly deserved, Coats tweeted about the incident, joking that it was possibly the result of foul play from foreign agents.
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You can watch Coats' proudest moment below, via the Washington Post:
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