Posted on 05/19/2006 1:24:24 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
HOUSTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has long opposed making English the country's national language, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Friday, the day after the Senate voted to do so.
The vote came in an amendment to proposed legislation overhauling U.S. immigration law and directed the government to "preserve and enhance" the role of English. Opponents said it could affect the status of some multilingual services offered by government organizations.
Adding to the confusion, the Senate also adopted a softer amendment calling English the "unifying language" of the United States. Senators take both versions into negotiations over a final bill with the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gonzales did not directly address Bush's position on the controversial amendment because the Senate has not yet voted on the whole bill. But he said that Bush has in the past rejected such efforts.
"The president has never supported making English the national language," Gonzales said after meeting with state and local officials in Texas to discuss cooperation on enforcement of immigration laws.
He said Bush has instead long supported a concept called "English-Plus," believing that it was good to be proficient in more than one language.
"English represents freedom in our country and anybody who wants to be successful in our country has a much better chance of doing so if they speak English," Gonzales said. "It is of course a common language."
But, Gonzales said, "I don't see the need to have laws or legislation that says English is the national language."
While visiting Arizona on Thursday to press his plan to send up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border spoke of the need to unite Americans.
"We've got to honor the great American tradition of the melting pot," Bush said. "Americans are bound together by shared ideals and appreciation of our history, of respect for our flag and ability to speak the English language."
Intervening in a recent furor over a Spanish-language version of the national anthem released by Latin pop stars, Bush said that the "Star-Spangled Banner" should be sung in English.
The United States currently has no official language and the amendment was showing signs of further inflaming an already incendiary issue, with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada calling it "racist."
President Bush speaks alongside Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington March 16, 2006. Bush has long opposed making English the country's national language, Gonzales said on Friday, the day after the Senate voted to do so. (Jason Reed/Reuters)
WTF?
The reason Bush is so unpopular is that he's governing from the left.
Well, this should be interesting......
The new touchy feely Teddy Kennedy approving pc Bush is revolting.
Cuz he has such a hard time speakin' it.
I'm starting to oppose Bush more and more these days.
Now taking predictions for the final post count of this thread.
Did you happen to catch any of Rush today? He spoke very harshly about the leadership that we have today. It was not kind.
Bush needs to git a grip. He refuses to listen to the American public. Is he that blind and deaf, or is it he simply doesn't give a rat's @$$?
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
"Well, this should be interesting......"
Yeah. I'm going to start speaking only French.
On second thought, that might get me in trouble...
If Clinton was the first black president, W is the first Mexican President..
Ridiculous!
What a revoltin' development.
Ouch. Good one!
Nothing to see here. Move along. Bush opposes abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research. That's all conservatives should care about.
Now that's something I would have never thought I'd say.
Never trust a Yalie. Look at how out of touch his father was. They truly are elitists.
it's part of his strategery to outfox Fox.
How about an over/under on 350 posts?
This is such a no-brainer I can't believe this law isn't already on the books!
No need to read any further. No need to worry about Hillary in 08, we'll not be a country long before then.
I'll guess 248 posts..
This thread says the opposite....MSM covering the bases?
"White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday that President Bush supports both measures."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1634969/posts
He's probably still PO'ed at his SAT verbal score.
I really am stunned.
President Bush seems to be finding new ways to disappoint his base on a daily basis.
Borders, Language, Culture.
What part of that is hard to understand?
Can we all say "Speaker of the House Pelosi"?
Baffling. Absolutely Baffling, that he would say anything at all, especially with the mood in the country concerning this issue (illegal Mexicans) at this time.
Racist? Since when is a language spoken by many different people of all races, racist? Reid is a complete moron. President Bush is taking one step forward and two back with every issue that comes up.
I have said many times that there are two parties now. The evolutionary marxists (republicans), and the straight out commies (dimoRats). I don't give whit about who disagree's with me. If anyone can actually show me real progress onthe conservative front from our lifetime political congress critters, you may have a leg to stand on.
Why is it after 200+ years of being a Nation that we want to now have an official language? We survived Germans, Dutch, Swedish, Italian etc with English intact, so why cant we survive Spanish?
"The great American tradition of the melting pot."
Go to any big city, say, Chicago, and you got your China-town, German village, Lithiuania-ville, Polish-town, etc.
Stray to far from your own `comfort zone' and you'll get your butt kicked. The `melting-pot' theory was debunked in sociology studies years ago. More like a Swansons TV dinner.
I would bet over 350, unless other threads provide the vent for anger over this. Heck with it, I'll say over 350. I'm usually wrong about stuff like this, which is why I don't gamble.
What leadership? Oh, you mean POTUSofAmexico Fox?
The President needs to stop kissing the butts of illegals and Vicente Fox and start listening to the people who elected him!
Having two languages in a country is a recipe for division, or do we want to follow the example of Belgium? I bet if you opened a business which stated we will deal exclusively in English, customers would flock to it (no more Numero Dos para Espanol etc). What's the matter with English being the official language?
OTOH, if English is NOT the official langauge, why is Spanish the other option? Why not Vietnamese? Or Chinese? Or Gaelic or Italian?
No need to read any further. No need to worry about Hillary in 08, we'll not be a country long before then.>>>
So we havent been a country the last 200+ years without an official language?
Minimum - 500
Ouch. Good one!
I support the President MOST of time, but oppose his stance on immigration and ANYTHING to do with Mexico.
"it's part of his strategery to outfox Fox."
The network or the Mexican president? ;)
275-300, several removed posts, and maybe 2 suspensions.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
I feel exactly the same and I voted for him twice.
LOL! You always put it into perspective....:)
Moving along......
Sounds like a good tag line.
Hell... lets just all start speaking French! :\
Flip-flopping like Kerry.
Against a fence. For a fence. Against increasing border safety. Now for it. For now. At least til the bill gets to his desk.
Of that there is no doubt! Why Republicans want to join him in his moron-osity is what is mystifying!
PING!
"White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday that President Bush supports both measures."
I also saw that report, that W supports both proposals. So what gives? Is the AG backstabbing the Pres?
you should use that for a tag line.
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