Posted on 02/03/2005 9:25:35 AM PST by kjfpolitical
WASHINGTON - Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, the first Cuban-American elected to the U.S. Senate, on Wednesday apparently marked another first: delivering the first Spanish speech on the Senate floor.
Martinez, a Republican from Orlando, was speaking in favor of President Bush's nomination of White House counsel Alberto Gonzales as the new U.S. attorney general. Gonzales, a Mexican-American, would be the first Hispanic to hold that post.
After praising Gonzales in English as a qualified public servant and a role model for Hispanic-Americans, Martinez switched to Spanish and addressed all "those who came to America to create a better life."
"Judge Gonzales is one of us," he said in Spanish. "He represents all of our hopes and dreams for our children. Let us acknowledge the importance of this moment, for especially our youth.
"We cannot allow petty politicking to deny us this moment that fills us all with such pride."
It was the new senator's first floor speech since he was sworn in last month, and it came during Republican debate on Gonzales' nomination, to a mostly empty chamber. Martinez sought permission to use Spanish beforehand, then gave the English translation for the Congressional Record.
Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, one of a handful of Republican leaders there to hear it, congratulated Martinez when he finished. "I'm sure that this is not only the first time we've had a bilingual first speech in the Senate ... (but) you could not have picked a more important topic," McConnell said.
The Senate is expected to confirm Gonzales' appointment today, despite opposition from many Senate Democrats who say he once advised the Bush administration that torture may not always be unlawful.
Kerry Feehery, Martinez's press secretary, said the senator used Spanish to underscore the importance of Gonzales' nomination to Hispanic-Americans. "It's a historic moment for the Hispanic community and we shouldn't lose sight of the barriers it's breaking," she said.
While Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose wife is from Mexico, and President Bush frequently speak Spanish to connect with Hispanic audiences and potential voters, Martinez's speech appears unprecedented in the Senate.
Associate Senate historian Don Ritchie said the Senate has had several other Hispanic members, "but we don't have anything in our files that indicates that either of them ever used Spanish in their speeches on the floor."
Last year, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., used a Native American language when introducing a bill, and guest chaplains have said prayers in both Chippewa and Sioux, he said. In the 19th century, senators frequently used Latin phrases but never delivered speeches in Latin.
Ritchie said it is difficult to know exactly what has been said over the past 200 years: Remarks delivered in a foreign language generally don't show up in the official proceedings, simply because those who record the floor debates can't transcribe them.
In place of Martinez's Spanish remarks Wednesday, the unofficial transcript says simply, "Speaking in Spanish."
Univision, the Spanish-language TV network, and CNN en Espanol carried the morning speech live, as did C-SPAN. Feehery said she doubts Martinez will give many bilingual speeches on the Senate floor, "but if it's an important issue to the Hispanic-American community, both in Florida and nationwide, he will."
I'm sure you are looking forward to the day when a rep from the Detroit area delivers the first speech in Arabic, right?
I suppose it's now OK for any Senator to use whatever foreign language they may know of, to conduct official business on the Senate floor, in any foreign language they deem appropriate. Like the U.N.for example.
Maybe it's time to bring in the interpreters and headsets into the Senate and Congress, just so no one feels left out. That way, we too can conduct our business as the U.N. does.
Maybe it's time to bring in a couple of wide screen TV monitors into the Senate, to broadcasting what is being said in 20 different languages. Since so many of our govt business forms are now in foreign languages, it seems only fair.
Look at it this way, Joe: it gives you something else to b*t*h about.
Your reply wasn't responsive to my post. You're sure that Gonzales repudiates La Raza's agenda and is against an open-borders policy?
Perhaps you should actually READ the post before you reply, eh?
Live with it.
I don't reply to post that are FOS; so far, you've not posted one factual sentence. It's all been wild accusations with no foundation, mostly unfounded diatribe and misinformation.
Can you name one of them?
My post was a question to you. You insinuated Gonzales does not back the Laraza open-borders agenda. I asked you point-blank if that was the case. You don't respond. Are you telling us Gonzales, as AG, will work diligently to enforce the immigration laws and put an end to illegal immigration?
One would certainly be welcome to. It's a political statement, which is what the Senate floor is used for, politics. It's a lot more dignified than Harry Reid reading his history of Searchlight, Nevada.
Oh great. Now I am opposed to immigrants. I am a first-genertion myself. Your depiction is both wrong and vulgar.
Could you explain in very general terms what Tancredo's anti-immigration agenda is?
He said under oath that he would enforce the laws of this country.
What's so hard to udnerstand?
You do know the CONGRESS makes the laws, right?
Ever been to Miami?
"He said under oath that he would enforce the laws of this country."
So, despite La Raza's endorsement, we can expect Gonzales to actively support border control?
"What's so hard to udnerstand? You do know the CONGRESS makes the laws, right?"
You do know the ATTORNEY GENERAL is supposed to enforce the laws and that it is illegal for immigrants to enter the country who have not received permission to do so, don't you?
What's so hard to udnerstand about that?
Immigration is not even the part of the DOJ anymore. That is under Homeland Security.
Take it up with Michael Chertoff, if he is confirmed.
http://www.usdoj.gov/dojorg.htm
http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/DHS_OrgChart_2004.pdf
FGS, give it a rest; you're parsing well enough to make Bill Clinton jealous.
And besides, the president is entitled to who he wants as AG; so far, he's done pretty well without your input.
Pesky facts!
I'd rather hear a Senator praising the vote in Iraq in Arabic than Ted Kennedy denouncing the President in an incoherent rage in English. Frankly, I might understand more of what the Arabic-speaker had to say, and I can't speak a word of Arabic.
"And Old Kennedy ... sDJrhwaoihgoisdh .. asihgahngjkrg .. ZXJFGKSGAOSRHGAOSGS!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Texans pride themselves on NOT speaking the "correct" version of English, don't they?
Exactly.
Good move.
Ixnay on the anishspay on the enatesay oorflay.
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