More on the Anthem: Bush hypocrisy

Think Progress has this

But 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:

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.

This morning, ThinkProgress revealed that, according to Kevin Phillip’s book American Dynasty, Bush himself sang the national anthem in Spanish. Looks like Bush’s conviction that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English” was something he acquired very recently.

Senator Lamar Alexander, along with Senator Frist, Senator McConnell, Senator Stevens, Senator Isakson, and Senator Roberts has introduced a resolution affirming that statements of national unity, including the National Anthem, should be recited or sung in English. In the press release for Alexander states that never before has it [the national anthem] been rendered in another language."

This, of course, is false. See my previous post on this.

Meanwhile, in Germany

A Green politician has triggered a debate by calling for an official Turkish translation of the German national anthem to symbolize how multicultural Germany has become.