Senator Alexander, It's Time to Retire

[Bob Geiger]

Like seeing a pro athlete stay in the game past his or her prime, it's very sad watching a politician who just doesn't have the relevant skills any longer and who continues to play despite becoming functionally useless.

Such appears to be the case with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). In the midst of crippling GOP-created deficits, a war that's killing our young and trashing our global reputation, seven million more Americans without health insurance since 2000, rising poverty and an executive branch bent on a Constitutional crisis, Alexander continues to take time in the Senate to make vigorous speeches on… Singing the National Anthem in English.

On May 1, Alexander introduced S.Res. 458, which would affirm the Senate's resolve "That statements or songs that symbolize the unity of the Nation, including the National Anthem, the Oath of Allegiance sworn by new United States citizens, and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States, should be recited or sung in English, the common language of the United States."

"This floor is for the debating of important issues. This is an important issue," said a stern Alexander on the Senate floor last week, while I'm sure many of his colleagues stifled laughter. "We have so little civics and U.S. history taught in America's schools today that perhaps we need a little civics lesson every single day on the floor of the Senate. I intend to provide it every single day I am here until this legislation is voted on."

Alexander then proceeded to do what comes naturally to Republicans: When you can't solve real problems or face the hole your party has dug for our country, use a silly wedge issue to try to smear Democrats.

"I can only assume that at least some on the Democratic side objected because at least some of them believe that Americans should, at least some of the time, sing our national anthem in Spanish or some other foreign language," crowed Alexander. "Perhaps they also believe we should recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Chinese, which is the second most spoken foreign language in the United States."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was quoted as saying simply "Alexander's still in the Senate?"

OK, I made that up, but you get the point.

Perhaps once he's done with this, Alexander can move on to other weighty issues such as a Senate resolution compelling the Nickelodeon network to confirm the sexual orientation of SpongeBob SquarePants or legislation to require that bilingual classics 'Feliz Navidad' and 'Vaya Con Dios' henceforth be performed entirely in English.

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail] and read more from him at Democrats.com.

[goclark]

1. So sad, he needs to move along nt

[AndyA]

2. Tennessee has Alexander and Frist. That's bad.

Lamar does need to go find something else to do, he's not doing anyone in Tennessee much good it would seem.

Get off the cross, someone else needs the wood!

[waiting for hope]

3. What do you want to bet

that the dumb ass flag burning ban comes up again? The usual, bullshit patriotic dribble to appeal to the sheeple.

[0007]

4. How can a Tennessean stand this guy?

[diamondsndust]

6. We CAN'T stand him!

At least I can't, anyways. I guess I could be labeled a "yellow dog Democrat" since I have voted straight party democratic ticket since I was old enough to vote. I grew up in a staunch Democratic family where my father is a lifelong union man, with 50 years in Local 725 out of Miami. My grandfather was a charter member of 725. I remember my dad being outraged when spanish became a mandatory course when I was in 3rd grade, but other than that I have never heard a racist comment come out of his mouth. I personally feel that if they want to pass this bill of english only that they need to quit teaching any foreign language in any school in this country, including colleges and universities. What a dumbing down of the country that would be, huh? WHat the Dem party needs to focus on is social issues and economic issues. I know I'm going to be working to get as many Democrats to the polls as I can.

[Clark2008]

8. We can't.

He's my cousin (cough, cough, spittle) and my former university president.

When I was a student reporter at UT, I used to go round and round with King Alexander about his spending. I never missed a punch - so he and I aren't the best of cousin friends. LOL.

BTW, I voted for Bob Clement (D).

[Supersedeas]

15. A valid question

[Bob K]

5. To think we PAY...

...these folks to spend their time like this!

[gasperc]

7. Bush had the national anthem sung in Spanish at his inaugaural

so I HOPE this comes up for a vote, I'll love replaying the anthem in Spanish from Bush's inaugural

[Clark2008]

9. That button is funny because I remember Lamar taking

snipes at Bush:

Thursday, Alexander attacked another potential Republican White House hopeful, Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Alexander said he had problems with Bush's "compassionate conservatism," calling the phrase "weasel words."

"Compassionate conservative is just like Al Gore talking about 'practical idealism.' They're designed to mean nothing," Alexander said.

"When you say 'compassionate conservative,' it sounds like you're saying, 'I'm not like the rest of those politicians who are not compassionate,'" Alexander said. "I think we need to say in plain words, 'I am a conservative.'"

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/08/president.2000/alexander/

Such a flip-flopper!!

[winga222]

10. Wasn't he the tool that campaigned in plaid shirts?

Sad that that is the only thing I remember about the guy.

[jahyarain]

12. yep, that's the idiot

i was pretty young when he was governor but anytime his name comes up i picture red and black flannel

[DRoseDARs]

11. Chinese is 2nd? Erm, not according to the Census Bureau moran...

...Hell, it's the third most-spoken if you ignorantly lump it together with other Asian and Pacific languages. :eyes:

http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-29.pdf

2000 Census

Spanish: 28.1 million
=14.3 million speak English "very well"
=13.8 "less than very well"

Other Indo-European: 10 million
=6.6 "very well"
=3.4 "less than"

Asian and Pacific Islands: 7 million
=3.4 "very well"
=3.6 "less than"

Of the ten most spoken languages SPOKEN AT HOME OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, Chinese has 2 million speakers in this country. Senator Alexander, since you're not doing anything useful in the Senate, take the time to learn to read a simple graphical chart. And also, 28.1 million is a whole lot bigger than 2 million. You might want to study math while you're at it...

[rbrison]

13. Did he really say that we need more civics

and US history in schools? I thought republicans depended upon people's ignorance of history to get people to vote for them. I got ten that says he denies he ever said that. I can see it now....Rush Limbaugh piped into classrooms all across this great land, ensuring that our young people get a proper education in civics. Sorry if I made you barf on your keyboard.

[newyawker99]

14. Hi rbrison!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: