On Tuesday's NBC Today, the hosts of the morning show applauded Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine promoting the proposed immigration bill by addressing the Senate in Spanish. Co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: "...something happened on the Senate floor on Tuesday that apparently has never happened before in history....Tim Kaine delivering an entire speech in Spanish in support of the immigration reform bill..." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Guthrie noted some mixed reaction: "This was to the delight of some Hispanic civil rights groups. But one of those groups actually said they wanted the immigration debate to be something that everyone could understand, thought it should be in English." However, she happily concluded: "Nevertheless, it's hard to get a first these days, especially in the U.S. Senate. This apparently was one."
Fellow co-host Matt Lauer enthusiastically declared: "He got a lot of people's attention." News reader Natalie Morales chimed in: "High marks for his Spanish, too." Lauer wondered: "Was it good? I was going to ask you that." Morales announced: "His Spanish, yeah, perfect grammar."
Weatherman Al Roker joined in the praise: "And his accent sounded pretty good." Morales remarked: "The accent, muy bueno."
Here is a full transcript of the June 12 discussion:
8:13AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Meantime, trending in The New York Times, something happened on the Senate floor on Tuesday that apparently has never happened before in history.
[CLIP OF TIM KAINE, SEN. D-VA, SPEAKING SPANISH]
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: En Espanol, Por Favor; Senator's Speech Marks First for Senate]
GUTHRIE: That is Democrat Virginia Senator Tim Kaine delivering an entire speech in Spanish in support of the immigration reform bill which is beginning to be debated. Cain said he thought it would be effective to explain the bill in Spanish. This was to the delight of some Hispanic civil rights groups. But one of those groups actually said they wanted the immigration debate to be something that everyone could understand, thought it should be in English. But nevertheless, it's hard to get a first these days, especially in the U.S. Senate. This apparently was one.
MATT LAUER: He got a lot of people's attention.
NATALIE MORALES: High marks for his Spanish, too.
LAUER: Was it good? I was going to ask you that.
MORALES: His Spanish, yeah, perfect grammar.
GUTHRIE: Excellente?
AL ROKER: And his accent sounded pretty good.
MORALES: The accent, muy bueno.
ROKER: There you go.
LAUER: Okay, good.
