Si, se puede… sorta, kinda

The Washington Post (registration required) on Congressional attempts to speak to America:

It is not yet 8 a.m. and four members of Congress are practicing the sound of the Spanish letter “g,” reciting words in a bashful chorus conducted by their tutor, who stands at an easel in the Cannon House Office Building.” . . . Gato, general, guerra, gigante . . . ”

The sharp Worcester brogue of Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the soft Houston honey of Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.) and the more unassuming accents of Reps. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) meet somewhere in Mexico, more or less.

” . . . Guitarra, gusto, bilingüe, Nicaragua . . . ”

…

Classes for GOP members began a few years ago but petered out over time, according to a spokesman for Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), one of the organizers.

No amount of studying can prevent the occasional gaffe. Gingrich was a pioneer of bilingual communication as speaker of the House, but a news release his office issued for Cinco de Mayo in 1998 is still recalled with chuckles in the bilingual halls of power.

The release referred to Gingrich as “Hablador de la Casa” — but “hablador” doesn’t mean “speaker.” It means someone who talks too much, a big mouth.

Then there’s Romney’s fiery “¡Patria o muerte — venceremos!” in Miami. It happens to be a trademark line of Fidel Castro’s.

Quoting Castro to Cuban Americans? ¡Caramba!