Bush 'no good at singing Spanish'

Mr Bush has spoken out against the recent release of a Spanish language recording of the Star-Spangled Banner.

"He couldn't possibly sing the national anthem in Spanish. He's not that good," said spokesman Scott McClellan.

The president regularly drops Spanish into his speeches, but has urged immigrants to learn English.

"The president can speak Spanish, but not all that well," said Mr McClellan, describing the singing suggestion as "absurd".

Earlier this week Mr Bush played up to his reputation for being clumsy with his native language, appearing alongside an impersonator at a White House press dinner and knowingly mocking his sometimes garbled English.

Serious issue

Critics of the president allege that his declared opposition to the new version of the national anthem - entitled Nuestro Himno - smacks of hypocrisy considering his regular experiments with Spanish.

He did it again on Thursday while marking Cinco de Mayo at the White House, an annual celebration in many communities commemorating the Mexican victory over French troops in 1862.

"Bienvenidos, welcome to the White House," Mr Bush told guests, before pointing to an important anomaly.

"You may have noticed this celebration is not on the Cinco de Mayo - it's on the Cuatro de Mayo.

"It's such an important holiday, we thought we would start early."

However, quips aside, Mr Bush used the occasion to stress his support for the study of English.

"Those who come here to start new lives in our country have a responsibility... to learn the English language so they can better understand our national character and participate fully in American life," he said.

Language has become a side issue in an ongoing debate over immigration rights in the US.

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