No, Rep. Bentivolio, 'American Somolia' Is Not a Place

Mondays in Congress are typically pretty boring affairs. Many members haven't made it back to D.C. yet, and there's normally not much really going on. All of this makes it all the more head-smacking when a member of Congress manages to turn an introduction for a one-minute general speech into, well, this:

 

That would be Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, not only butchering the pronunciation of Del. Eni Faleomavaega, but also tripping all over the territory Faleomavaega represents: American Samoa. Del. Faleomavaega is the man who takes over at the end of the clip, visibly confused by the episode.

Bentivolio is a freshman Republican from the Michigan district previously represented by Thaddeus McCotter, who was dubbed "The Strangest Congressman" by National Review and was known for running for president and writing a bewildering television script. Bentivolio, as The Hillpoints out, is known for owning multiple reindeer and dressing up as Santa Claus. So maybe there's just something in the water.