Most people that post here with angry comments about articles seem to be posting about something in their heads and not what's on the screen.

brianhoxie and Brian (possibly the same person there...)

No one is saying it is to become the official version. No one is saying you or your kids have to sing it in another language. Why do you care if someone sings it in another language? You write as though someone's trying to make you do something different or (heaven forfend) learn something! Nothing could be farther from the truth. If they really want to sing a song about a batle in the mostly forgotten War of 1812 in Spanish, more power to them.

That was before we started wars with Mexico and Spain, maybe they'll forget that we did.

War Room's tone suggests just the sort of head-scratching, we-gotcha-but-we're-stunned-at-the-irony attitude that indicates how little you understand the president. Look, it's very simple. The president has demonstrated over and over that the rules are different for him. While other folks might be asked to sing the national anthem only in English, the president himself can sing it in whatever language he likes. Whether it's warrantless spying, signing statements on torture bills, or the national anthem, there's one way for regular folks, and one way for the president. It's as simple as that.

It's absurd the Republicans are focusing on this issue and it's great that Bush is on record opposing Spanish-language versions of the US national anthem.

According to Kevin Phillips, Bush sang the US national anthem in Spanish during the 2000 presidentential "election."

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/02/mcclellan-bush-spanish-anthem/

This type of rant on Salon.com is what irks me about anti-republicans (not all dems) today. It seems that they figure out whatever they can to slam the Bush administration, regardless of what it is about and spin it as negative.

Fact is, English is our only recongnized language in this country. Until spanish becomes one of those languages, the national anthem should be sung in English.

A while ago my kids played a cassette tape my white-bread, WWII-vet dad, who died in 2000, had recorded with them about ten years ago, when they were very small. Daddy prompted my son through the pledge (they'd just learned it in kindergarten) and then dazzled the children by reciting it himself in Spanish, a feat that was clearly a relic from his high-school class back in the late 30s. It never occurred to any of us to question the patriotism of this recitation; in fact, the opposite occurred to me: "God, they were so indoctrinated back then that even Spanish class was devoted to reciting the stupid pledge of allegiance!"

PS: it was interesting to note that the word "Dios" was not part of Daddy's memorized version, since of course that hadn't been added when he learned it.

The reason it's an issue now is because illegal aliens, who are criminals, are trying to blackmail us into giving them rights. It's deeply offensive.

Ethay Arstay-Angledspay Annerbay

Oway aysay, ancay ouyay eesay, ybay ethay awn'sday earlyway

ightlay,

Atwhay osay oudlypray eway ail'dhay atway ethay ilight'stway

astlay eamingglay?

Osewhay oadbray ipesstray andway ightbray arsstay, o'thray ethay

erilouspay ightfay,

O'erway ethay ampartsray eway atch'dway, ereway osay allantlygay

eamingstray?

Andway ethay ockets'ray edray areglay, ethay ombsbay urstingbay

inway airway,

Avegay oofpray o'thray ethay ightnay atthay ourway agflay asway

illstay erethay.

Oway aysay, oesday atthay arstay-angledspay annerbay etyay

aveway

O'erway ethay andlay ofway ethay eefray andway ethay omehay

ofway ethay avebray?

Don't forget the Jimi Hendrix version, my personal favorite...

I am of the same opinion with the War Room on the issue of the national anthem in Spanish. I don't care. With a war, high gas prices, many people having no health insurance, etc., going on, I think there are more important things on which to spend my energy. Here's the key issue for me, for all those who are complaining--do you (presumably native-born American) even know all of the national anthem (in English)? Can you sing the entire song? I think it's more of an issue that many English-speaking Americans don't even know the whole song. According to a survey I saw this week, 61% of respondents didn't know all of it (the first verse, that is). I know I don't. I learned the French national anthem in a high school French class and can sing that a lot better. Instead of a Congressional resolution demanding the anthem be sung in English, how about demanding that every one must learn it before they finish elementary school? That makes more sense to me as a native-born American and third-generation native of the nation's capital.

It never ceases to amaze me how elitist and un-American our very own prez sounds when casually talking about anything from brush clearing to "matters of national security" and now to what the "national language" should be. Never mind how hypocritical it all is coming from this guy.

I remember in elementary school, my 3rd grade teacher broke out a chalkboard sized world map that highlighted each country's official language, religions and currencies, along with the style of ruling government. The US didn't have any official language or religion and many of us asked why this was. "Because we're free to choose whatever language we want to speak or religion we want to practice and therefore the government doesn't demand that you believe in any one religion or learn any one language. We wouldn't be as free as we are now if they did" was the repeated answer. This has always stuck with me and as a result instilled great pride within for my country, this simple statement of our nations' freedoms held in contrast with what the majority of the worlds' were. As young as I was, I understood what I was taught and it made me proud to live here.

So despite our leaders' best efforts at converting us all to white Jeezus saved English speakers, it's a little known fact apparently there IS no official language in this country. If someone wants to sing, record and distribute our national anthem in Swahili, Elvish, Spanish or any other language they have the protected right as a citizen of this country to do just that. Yet after seeing this excuse for leadership, our blue blooded prez who hails from a state where English is increasingly spoken less than Spanish, sounds off on why our national anthem is for English speakers only, I began to wonder where exactly do I live nowadays. Physically, I'm no more than 60 miles south of where that 3rd grade class was and yet these times make it feel like I'm in a different hemisphere all together.

Bush's comments sounded more like someone who never left Mammy's back porch nor bothered to get educated on what principles this country stands for before assuming a role as leader of anything. To see the comment at the end of this WR entry stating he has sung our nation's anthem in Spanish to court voters actually caused heart palpitations.. There is no low too low or too depth too far down the rabbit hole for this kind of lead balloon leadership. It takes Colbert cajones or vast swaths of ignorance to think comments such as this would go unnoticed and not contribute to the ever widening rift between the uninformed and uneducated leadership and the rest of us. I'm not sure I've got it in me for two more months of his un-American tyranny, never mind 2+ more years!