Mel Martinez Defends Gonzalez in Spanish on Senate Floor

St. Petersburg Times ^ | February 3, 2005 | WES ALLISON

[cyborg]

I am less than impressed and hence we disagree.

[cyborg]

It was not always so. My mother's citizenship booklet was printed in ENGLISH ONLY.

[Veto!]

It also makes the libs look like idiots for blocking a supremely qualified AG nominee. don't think this won't hurt them further with hispanic voters...

And that's the beauty of it. Viva Martinez.

[cyncooper]

~Oh, brother~


LOL

[JustAnotherSavage]

"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."



Benjamin Franklin had his concerns over the rising number of German immigrants who were pouring into Pennsylvania. He had "misgivings about Germans because of their clannishness, their little knowledge of English, the German press, and the increasing need of interpreters. Speaking of the latter he said, ‘I suppose in a few years they will also be necessary in the Assembly, to tell one-half of our legislators what the other half say.'" (Keely 1979, 9)

[econ_grad]

Doesn't matter. The govt should conduct all its business in English. I would have objected and not allowed him to do it. The Senate has its traditions, and I am not sure if others have been allowed to speak in a foreign language.

[cyncooper]

Actual headline:

Mel Martinez switches to Spanish on the floor to back the Hispanic nominee for attorney general.

I checked because you spelled Al Gonzales' name wrong.

[lugsoul]

Seek it out. The info that is already available is that (1) the plan will only allow you to keep your excess returns over and above the rate of return in the existing system, and (2) the mgmt. fees may come out on the front end, and (3) there is no guarantee that you'll get to "keep" your money if you don't live to collect it. \

If this is true, it does nothing to solve the stated problem and simply creates a different kind of government control - we already know that you can only invest in what they allow you to invest in.

And I share your concern about inflation of the selected "winners" from the influx of a huge sum of new money.

Ain't nuthin' conservative about it, from what I've seen so far.

[econ_grad]

Some people still care about traditions.

[anniegetyourgun]

Thanks for the posting....and your well-reasoned commentary. Despite his detractors (who apparently don't want the president to have the AG of his choice either), Sen. Martinez is a great American.

What are these freaks going to do if they find out that Condi Rice spoke to Putin in Russian when he visits this country? Does that make her un-American?

[afraidfortherepublic]

Speaking of Lawrence Welk and his accent ... I live in an area of Wisconsin where the farmers (who were all born here) still speak with German accents. Their ancestors immigrated here and purchased their farms in the 1840s. School was conducted in German here 1/2 of each day until WWII.

[Southack]

"Doesn't matter. The govt should conduct all its business in English. I would have objected and not allowed him to do it."

Perhaps it is your overestimation of your own self-importance that will prevent you from ever becoming a Senator, then...

[lugsoul]

I'd love to see the thread that would result from someone speaking Arabic on the Senate floor.

[Veto!]

Speaking Spanish in a legislative body for the benefit of an audience that is not in the room is nothing more than stagecraft -

The Spanish-speaking audience was in the room thanks to Spanish-language television cameras trained on Martinez. And what's wrong with a little stagecraft? It's an integral part of politics. Had Kerry not been such a bad actor, he might be president today.

[zbigreddogz]

That's just what I was thinking.

Anyhow, I love Senator Martinez. Hope to see more of him.

I find it...typical, that the media has been drooling all over Barack Obama, whom I admit is a interesting man and is well spoken, but has ignored Martinez, who is the first Cuban-American Senator.

[econ_grad]

My self-importance? I am the one sticking to traditions. It is the Senator's self-importance that somehow the Senate must make an exception for him that should be questioned. I don't blindly support any and all Republican. The Senator has shown no respect to over two-hundred years of tradition, unless I am wrong about that and there is nothing out of the ordinary in making a speech in a foreign language on the floor of the Congress.

[Woodman]

Look my family has been here since way before the Revolution, the point I was trying to make is that there is no official language in this country, in fact we go out of our way to make sure that people can understand something in the native tongue.
I personally think that the problem with identity politics is facilitated by laws forcing people to behave socially in ways they normally wouldn't. People used to assimilate as matter of survival, now they often don't and then play the victim.

[cyncooper]

Xenophobe is one of those labels thrown around, like "racist", "sexist", etc. to get people to shut up and accept whatever agenda the labeler wants to promote.

Sometimes, and sometimes it is apt.

Just like the other terms are properly applied in certain situations.

[Southack]

"The Senator has shown no respect to over two-hundred years of tradition, unless I am wrong about that and there is nothing out of the ordinary in making a speech in a foreign language on the floor of the Congress."

The Senator showed proper respect, he formally asked for permission to speak in Spanish on the Senate floor, and the Senate gave him that permission.

It is you who said that you would have objected. The Senate did not.

[olde north church]

I guess the St. Petersburg Times is just blowing the pitch-pipe for the "Rodney King and 'Why Can't We Just Get Along' Singers".