McClellan then explained that Bush was not even aware that Spanish is, like, a whole different language
The White House is denying that Bush ever sang the Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish — because he's "not that good" with the language. But has he ever tacitly endorsed the singing of the national anthem in Spanish? By, say, hiring somebody to do so at his first inauguration?
From the Cox News Service report of January 18, 2001:
A racially diverse string of famous and once famous performers entertained Bush, soon-to-be First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President-elect Richard B. Cheney and his wife, Lynne, who watched on stage from a special viewing area. Pop star Jon Secada sang the national anthem in English and Spanish.
And speaking of traitors, there was also an early warning that a certain someone couldn't be trusted.
Seated in the audience, Retired Gen. Colin L. Powell, flush from his Senate confirmation as Secretary of State, sang along as Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., original members of the pop group The Fifth Dimension, performed " Let the Sun Shine In."
Fucking hippie.
Update: According to a commenter, Cox News got the wrong song. Damn you, Nexis.
Comments
Unfortunately, Cox News Service seems to have got it wrong; it was "America, the Beautiful" that Secada sang, according to every other contemporaneous account. However, we do have this, from Kevin Phillips's American Dynasty, p. 47:
Posted by: theophylact | May 5, 2006 10:11 AM
The Phillips account is the one that the White House denies.
Posted by: radosh | May 5, 2006 10:14 AM
Just as an aside, during the Nixon regime, the 5th Dimension was invited to the White House and chose to sing their musical version of the Delaration of Independence.
The story goes that some in the administration saw this as inappropriate and dangerous. You know, lines like:
>>That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Pretty revolutionary stuff, eh?
Anyway, Nixon eventually signed off on the performance, deeming it "patriotic."
I wonder if Bush would.
Posted by: The Velvet Blog | May 5, 2006 12:51 PM