Woodpile Full Of Wedges

by digby

This is exactly the kind of thing the mainstream media should be interested in playing.

Bush’s highly-scripted 2001 inaugural ceremony actually featured a rendition of the national anthem sung in Spanish by Jon Secada. From Cox News Service, 1/18/01:

From Cox News Service, 1/18/01:

The opening ceremony reflected that sentiment. 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.

Apparently, Secada singing the anthem in Spanish was a regular feature of the Bush campaign. From the 8/3/00 Miami Herald:

The nominee, his wife Laura, erstwhile rival John McCain and his wife Cindy joined Bush on a platform where children sang the national anthem – in “Spanglish,” Secada explained.

I have sent this Think Progress link to every reporter I can think of. If they could run the tape of Monica in trhe beret on a loop for two years, they can show Bush sitting there smiling at Jon Secada singing the national anthem in Spanglish a time or two.

This, my friend, are what sharp political wedges are made of.

By the way, Bush supporter Jon Secada appeared at the 2000 GOP convention and even sang in Spanish (although not the Star Spangled banner.)

If you recall, the whole 2000 GOP convention had an strong Hispanic theme to it:

They brought plenty of props and a sea of signs. The signs read: ”Our Final Answer” and ”Giddyup” and ”un nuevo dia.” They gave the place a homey, grass-rootsy feel. But they weren’t really homemade.

Each afternoon, convention workers came by and dropped the hand-painted placards on the seats. They were all made in the same place and, judging by the lettering, by the same small group of people.

I seem to recall the hunky George P Bush wowing the wingnuts with his totally awesome bi-lingual speech, too:

George P. called George W., “a good man, un hombre de grande sentimientos, who loves his family and his country.”

As he concluded his brief remarks, he exhorted the cheering delegates with a message that combined family and country: “Now is the time to restore a sense of honor and decency to the White House. We can do that by electing my uncle the next president of the United States. Que viva W! Que viva Bush! Que viva los Estados Unidos.”

Oh my goodness. Who let the “illegal alien” into the Bush family?

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