McClellan Asked About Bush Singing National Anthem In Spanish
McClellan Asked About Bush Singing National Anthem In Spanish
From a ThinkProgress commenter to the White House Press Briefing in just three hours. CNN’s Ed Henry is on the case:
HENRY: Scott, on Friday the president firmly said he believes the national anthem should be sung in English. Kevin Phillips, the Republican analyst, wrote a book called American Dynasty. And in there, he claims that, during the president’s 2000 campaign, he did sing The Star Spangled Banner in Spanish at some Hispanic festivals, various campaign events.
Are you aware that you recall that from the 2000 campaign?
MCCLELLAN: No, I don’t.
HENRY: Do you think that that would be counter to what the president laid out on Friday?
MCCLELLAN: I don’t recall that, and I’m not going to try and speculate on something I haven’t looked into.
More on this story coming shortly.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
64 Responses to “McClellan Asked About Bush Singing National Anthem In Spanish”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
When do we get to start making fun of Tony Snow?
McClelland is done. Stick a fork in it.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:13 pmDayum...
He didn't lie!!! Okay, well he didn't say anything, but I guess he's gotta read, retract, spin, dodge, then answer!!!
Or was that retract, dodge, read, spin, then answer!!!
Or answer, dodge, spin, retract, read!!!
Can somebody help me!!!
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:14 pmWhen is Scotty leaving? Best for him to pack up and go before his foot gets stuck in his mouth forever > lol.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:15 pm"Are you aware that you recall that from the 2000 campaign?"
what kind of english is that?
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:17 pmScotty just wants to go home now.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:18 pmMCCLELLAN: I don’t recall that, and I’m not going to try and speculate on something I haven’t looked into.........and tommorrow that information will be classified and and if you ever print anything on this topic you will be imprisoned for hating America.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:18 pm#2 - I think it goes like this:
You get your "retract" in,
you get your "dodging" out,
You read your "talking points" and then you "spin" them all about.
You do the "white house" shuffle and you say you "can't recall",
Then resign and you take the fall!
(Sung to "Hokey-Pokie", with a Texan accent.)
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:20 pmNew questions to ask the Press Secretary:
"Are the people who are a part of this administration brought in for their sheer talent for lying through their teeth, or was there a class they had to take?"
"How often do you cry yourself to sleep?"
"Are the words 'truth' and 'lie' even used in the Oval Office? Or just words like 'believable' and 'gullible?'"
"Each time President Bush lies to the people, does he get a little orgasm or a really big one?"
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:24 pmI knew I forgot something...
Thanks DEM SOLDIER!!!
You forgot:
refer to the log,
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:24 pmpuff your neck like a frog...
Can you hear it???
SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB
SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB
SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB SNOW JOB
Do the WAVE EVERYBODY!!!!
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:26 pmThis whole thing pisses me off. Bush told the press that the anthem should be sung in English, not Spanish, without giving any reason. This country does not have an official language! Why should it have to be sung in English? And if people argue that it shouldn't be in Spanish because Spanish is spoken by illegal immigrants from other countries and isn't the true language of the United States--where the hell did we get English? From ENGLAND! We don't have one true language that comes from the United States! (Native American languages come from this country, of course, but this is never mentioned in the language debate.) And why hasn't this been mentioned in any of the articles discussing this issue that I've read? Check the CIA Factbook for proof of our lack of an official language.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:30 pmI would rather have Jeff Gannon, the escort/hooker, be the new press secretary instead of Snow man! Jeff would flirt with all the male reporters and show off his abbs > lol. At least the press briefings would be more interesting with a real whore doing them!
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:31 pmAh, the joys of a selective memory.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:32 pmThe times they are a-changin': Then - georgie was looking for the Hispanic vote; Now - he's tring desperately to save a failed presidency ... Bush's posture on issues is blowin' in the wind
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:33 pmIs this really news worthy information? Seems kind of petty to me..
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:36 pmClare...
C'mon, we ARE talking about BUSH here! I mean, his intelligence level would rival that of my daughters' and when has he demonstrated ANY type of managerial skills that would lead you to believe that he has a clue about what he is saying...This is about control and political pandering and regardless of the rules, he (BUSH) does not support the Constitution! In fact, he wipes his ass with it every chance he gets!
The man cannot even put together a common phrase, nevertheless utter anything meaningful that would exemplify diversity and understanding of cultures to which he governs. He ONLY sung it in Spanish when he needed votes! The HISPANIC populous fell for it, so I offer them no consolation!
So I tell them, DO NOT walk out or protest now! You had your chance and just because he offered Gonzales a position, many hispanic citizens (including my neighbor) took the bait! BUSH IS AN IDIOT! I know it, America knows it, and the WORLD knows it!
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:38 pmJames - it goes directly to the hypocrisy of the administration, not to mention the "flip flopping" ... remember when a Dem changing thsir mind based on facts was "flip flopping?" Bush can't have it both ways, and can no longer fool most of the people. The American populace has awakened to his schtick.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:39 pm#15
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:42 pmEverything this president does is petty. That's how all of the news stories break about him. Petty revenge, petty grudges against world leaders, petty contempt to others who think differently, killing Richard Petty.....well not yet anyway.
Or was it Tom Petty?
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:43 pmI guess this just proves that Bush hates America since he sang our national anthem in Spanish.
Right-wing hypocrits caught red-handed AGAIN.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:44 pm'Selective memory' yes, but in a much bigger way. These Repugs love to talk about the way things used to be, and how recent progressive inititiatives are trying to destroy the fabric and traditions that make this country great. However, more times than not, they don't realize that their over-romanticized notions of the good ol' days are not accurate.
Example 1 - Bush and Alexander go on record saying the anthem is supposed to be sung in English only, but the US govt since 1919 has provided Spanish translations of the anthem.
Example 2 - outrage at the alleged recent 'War on Christmas' when early Americans actually outlawed the celebration as pagan - the whole celebration of Christmas as we know it is a relatively recent development
Anybody got more....?
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:44 pmhee hee ... yesterday was monday AND rainy here... a particularly blue day for me...
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:45 pmthanks so much for the chuckles here! don't stop now!
I've got to say that this issue is completely meaningless next to the real question of what to "do with" the millions of illegal immigrants in this country. But it is hilarious to see the president puff out his chest and then gets caught with his pants down. Which is the party that stands for nothing again?
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:45 pmOh...did you say something snotty?....the press here has a really good poker game going on right now. Just write it down, and we'll go over it later. Helen Thomas:
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:49 pm'ROYAL FLUSH!...I win.
MCCLELLAN: I don’t recall that, and I’m not going to try and speculate on something I haven’t looked into.
The Real McClellan: Shut the F*ck up, Ed Henry. Who do you think I am?
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:51 pmScotty has left the building...
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:52 pmThe Chimperor has no clothes!
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:58 pmThe whole "national anthem should be sung in english because it's our national languageas one nation under god" thing is horsesh*t base-pandering tripe used to COMPLETELY DISTRACT otherwise sane people from the original issue that was hovering two inches in front of their face. You're left with the residual odor and no substance.
Proof: congress is discussing deporting 12 million immigrants, but the white house is discussing what language to sing the baseball theme song.
When Bush finally departs the mortal coil and wisps his way to heaven, I expect the big man to meet him at the gate and say "ARBUSTO, NO MAS!" before he descends to his fiery doom.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:58 pmDamn - Colbert could have nailed Bush on that too!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:00 pm"Scott, can you tell us how stupid President Chimpy is? Or maybe you can't comment on that ongoing investigation either."
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:01 pm[...] see the post @ http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/02/mcclellan-bush-spanish-anthem/ En: Immigration, George Bush, Republicans, Right-wing hypocrits — May 2, 2006 [...]
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:02 pmFACT CHECK:
U.S. Government Commissioned Spanish-Language ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ in 1919
The right wing is up in arms over a new version of the Star-Spangled Banner written in Spanish. Last week President Bush stated that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English.†Yesterday Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced a resolution requiring the Star-Spangled banner to be sung only in English:
That flag and that song are a part of our history and our national identity. … That’s why in 1931 Congress declared the Star-Spangled Banner our national anthem. That’s why we should always sing it in our common language, English.
In his press release, Alexander said the Star-Spangled Banner has “never before…been rendered in another language.â€
But in 1919, the U.S. Bureau of Education commissioned a Spanish-language version of “The Star Spangled Banner.â€
The State Department’s website also features four-separate versions of the anthem in Spanish.
It appears xenophobia isn’t part of the American tradition.
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:04 pmHey, c'mon, don't disparage your daughters now, I'm sure they've got a much higher intelligence level than Dubya!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:04 pmuh oh - it looks like a member of the press gaggle (more likely, a diligent scrub intern trying to score points) went trolling on the internet for - you guessed it: RESEARCH. Or, perhaps more likely, they're tracking Media Matters and Think Progress because these two sites catch these clowns in more lies and tall tales than a fiction writer.
OOO - now you'll see the parrots at Pravda berating anyone who asks tough questions as being "mouthpieces for liberal bloggers like Think Progress".
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:05 pmI just know there are pictures out there! If not a video!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:10 pmGet it to your nearest reliable organization for immediate release to America!!!!!!
Be an honest to God real life Patriot!!!!!! We wanna see Dubious the Decider crooning..........
Bush was for speaking Spanish before he was against it. When he was for it, it's because he benefited from it.
Just how much did Bush spend on Spanish-language advertising in 2000? In 2004?
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:13 pm#7 Democrat Soldier - Good one. LOL.
#8 bobcat_grad Can we add to your list, "Is there any truth to the rumor that the Vice President sleeps in an underground bunker atop a huge pile of Halliburton cash?"
By the time Scottie does any kind of checking and learns what a hypocrite the president has been on this issue, he'll simply declare that "The American people have moved on," as he frequently does when he's had enough of being questioned about his inaccuracies.
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:17 pmDamn - Colbert could have nailed Bush on that too!
Comment by Flamethrower — May 2, 2006 @ 3:00 pm
Fortunately for Bush, Colbert only had 20 - 30 minutes to speak...
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:19 pmWhen your ass stinks, someday you're going to smell it.
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:21 pmDistorting the Present!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:23 pmGo ScotBot!
Forget Hail to the Chief, the new WH theme song is "Let it Snow"
Oh the war is going frightful
But spinning can be so delightful
And since McClellan had to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
It doesn't show signsof stopping
There is more need for mopping
Polls have never been so low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
when they finally see we're right
and we calmed the likes of Hannah Storm
Colbert will always be a fight
just make him wish he wasn't born
The truth is slowly dying
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:49 pmAnd, while the press keeps buying
we'll have to keep up the lying, so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The American people have moved on...
Is that the 33% that are for him or the 66% that are against him that have moved Scotty?
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:50 pm#7, that's perfect!!
Did McClellan follow up with, "Are you that Colbert fellow?"
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:53 pmit has come to my attention that you liberals are trying to distort history again. the president is doing america's work and part of that work is developing a coalition of singers who will not sing the anthem in spanish. as you will note, the president has yet to ride a burro onto an aircraft carrier that has the sign 'not in spanish, not on my watch' banner.
so, the mission is far from accomplished, but, we are making progress day-by-day in the fight against spanish. it is just like you, liberal media, to mis-state the facts....
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:55 pmAYE CARAMBA!!
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:56 pmIronically that whole debate gave a member of the germanparliament the idea of having the german anthem translated into other languages, like turkish - the turks being the largest minority in germany.
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:03 pm[...] Do we need any more evidence? We’ll have to stay tuned to ThinkProgress to find out. Check it out here: Think Progress » McClellan Asked About Bush Singing National Anthem In Spanish [...]
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:18 pmWhat absolute bullshit: "I’m not going to try and speculate on something I haven’t looked into."
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:33 pmNobody's asking him to speculate, just to answer a question: does the past contradict the President's recent statement. It's too true that his job has been and is to simply stonewall every single press query. Why do they bother? What would happen if nobody asked a question, if they just sat there, silently, when he opened up the floor?
I like the guy in the background grinning his old butt off.
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:15 pmThats worth a million.
I thought Bush would be singing this in nazi german
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:34 pm[...] Spanish shit hitting Texan fan: “National Anthem Sung In Spanish First Bush Inaugural”, “McClellan Asked About Bush Singing National Anthem In Spanish”, “Candidate Bush Would ‘Sing The Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish’ At Hispanic Festivals”, “FACT CHECK: U.S. Government Commissioned Spanish-Language ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ in 1919″, New on Swoon: “Hole In The Scene”, “What I Did In The 90’s” [...]
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:38 pmchange national Anthem to
America America über alles,
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:45 pmÃœber alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält,
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt -
America America über alles,
Ãœber alles in der Welt. :|
Don't you think it's time for a constitutional amendment requiring that the Nat'l Anthem ONLY be sung in English???
(joking)
Almost as insane as making burning the flag illegal!!!
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:05 pmI personally do not care if our anthem is song in Spanish or Swahili > lol. But Emperor Bush is being a hypocrite on this issue by saying it must be sung in English, while in the past he pandered to hispanics on singing it in Spanish! It is the same as the American Flag issue > Bush wants our flag protected against those who might dishonor it, but when he visits Mexico he waves their flag at events with President Fox?! Americans are getting tired of politicians, like Bush, doing one thing while saying the opposite!
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:27 pmDid McClellan pick Colbert to get back at Bush?
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:58 pm"MCCLELLAN: I don’t recall that, and I’m not going to try and speculate on something I haven’t looked into."
Why bother? Remember how good it turned out when you "looked into" whether anyone in the White House was involved in the Plame leak?
May 2nd, 2006 at 9:06 pm#48- What a reporter says, and what Scotty HEARS, are not always the same, depending on Scotty's willingness to give an answer, or an evasion.
May 2nd, 2006 at 10:01 pmWe got to get this tape & c&l it . Priceless
May 2nd, 2006 at 10:12 pmThe WH press corps asking questions without knowing the facts? same old sh@# just a different day. please see TP update UPDATE: The National Anthem At Bush’s First Inaugural
May 3rd, 2006 at 12:10 amUPDATE: Contemporaneous media accounts (see here for example) report that Secada was singing “America the Beautiful,†not the national anthem. The story from Cox News below, reporting that Secada sang the national anthem in Spanish, appears to be in error.
More on this story coming shortly.
For what possible purpose ?
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:38 amStick an advert on the front page if all you want to do is take up a few lines with something pointless.
[...] The Washington Post – in an article headlined “Administration Is Singing More Than One Tune on Spanish Version of Anthem” – picked up on President Bush’s hypocrisy on singing the national anthem, reported by ThinkProgress yesterday. An excerpt: The Center for American Progress, a liberal group run by Clinton chief of staff John D. Podesta, posted on its blog a reference to Bush singing the anthem in Spanish. In his book, “American Dynasty,” Kevin Phillips wrote that Bush “would drop in at Hispanic festivals and parties, sometimes joining in singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ in Spanish, sometimes partying with a ‘Viva Bush’ mariachi band flown in from Texas.” [...]
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:55 am[...] Many people know that the national anthem is under attack. If you don’t, shame on you. The Illegal Mexican Immigrants, or IMIs as we should call them, demand that the national anthem be recognized by the rest of the cool Americans (US, heh heh, get it?). The underlying problem is still that the IMIs move into the US and expect us to have people ready to speak Spanish to them. [...]
June 15th, 2006 at 11:52 pmantonio banderas movie
Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts..
March 16th, 2008 at 10:39 pmGay Sex Gay Sex Videos Black Gay Men
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm