HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
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This is Doug Johnson. On our program today,
We play some award winning country music …
Answer a listener’s question about formere Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright…
And report about two sisters recently elected to Congress.
Sanchez Sisters
HOST:
Earlier this month, the voters in the western state of Californiaelected Democrats Loretta Sanchez and her sister Linda to the UnitedStates House of Representatives. They are the first sisters electedto serve in Congress at the same time. Shep O’Neal has more.
ANNCR:
The parents of the Sanchez sisters came to the United States fromMexico. They raised seven children who all graduated from college.
Loretta Sanchez was a businesswoman before she decided to enterpolitics. At first, she was a Democratic Party candidate for localoffice, but lost. Then the party nominated her for a congressionalseat from Orange County, California. Orange County is known for itsconservative politics.
In a surprise victory, MizzSanchez defeated conservative Republican Congressman Robert Dornanin nineteen-ninety-six. Voters re-elected her innineteen-ninety-eight and again two years later.
Linda Sanchez is thirty-three, nine years younger than her sisterLoretta. Linda Sanchez became a lawyer in nineteen-ninety-five. Shegained experience in civil rights cases and employment law. Shehelped with her sister’s political campaigns in nineteen-ninety-sixand nineteen-ninety-eight. Linda Sanchez worked for two labor unionsthat represent electrical workers. She became an active member ofone of the unions. She also was a top official with Orange County’sCentral Labor Council.
This year, the Democrats nominatedher as their candidate for a seat in a newly-created Congressionaldistrict. Many workers and Spanish-speaking Americans live in thearea.
The two sisters worked together to win the support of voters.They also received help from their mother, Maria Sanchez. Sherecorded messages in Spanish for local television stations. Sheurged people to vote for her daughters.
Linda Sanchez’s Republican opponent criticized the televisioncampaign. However, it was a success. Linda Sanchez won fifty-fivepercent of the vote. Loretta Sanchez received more than sixtypercent of the vote in her re-election effort. On election night,the sisters held a joint party to celebrate the election results andtheir unusual place in history.
Madeleine Albright
HOST:
Our VOA listener question this week comes from Vietnam. Le ThiBich Tu wants to know more about Madeleine Albright. She wasSecretary of State during the second term of President Bill Clinton.
Madeleine Korbel Albright was born in Czechoslovakia. She and herfamily came to the United States in nineteen-forty-eight. Shecompleted programs of study at several American universities. Thenshe worked for a Democratic senator from the state of Maine, EdmundMuskie. She later worked for President Jimmy Carter’s NationalSecurity Council.
After President Carter wasdefeated for re-election, Mizz Albright became a professor atGeorgetown University in Washington, D-C. She also helped developprograms designed to increase the number of diplomatic positions forwomen.
Mizz Albright’s ties with the Democratic Party strengthened inthe nineteen-eighties. She served as a foreign policy adviser topresidential candidates Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis. And sheadvised Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton when he was a candidate forPresident.
After Mister Clinton’s election, Mizz Albright served as theUnited States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Shewas a member of the President’s cabinet and National SecurityCouncil.
In nineteen-ninety-seven, Mizz Albright became America’s firstfemale Secretary of State. She was the highest level female officialin the history of the United States government. She served asSecretary of State until the end of Mister Clinton’s presidency.
Madeleine Albright is again a professor at GeorgetownUniversity’s School of Foreign Service. She also teaches at theUniversity of Michigan School of Business. And she is chairman ofthe National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. TheInstitute’s goal is to strengthen and expand democracy around theworld.
Mizz Albright continues to speak out about the importance ofdemocracy. She has warned the Bush administration against being in ahurry to launch a war with Iraq. She says the United States needs tofinish its work in Afghanistan before dealing with Iraq. She alsohas spoken out about the importance of having support frominternational allies. Some people in government have criticizedthose who question a possible war. Mizz Albright says it is her dutyas an American to ask questions.
Country Music Awards
HOST:
The Country Music Association presented its yearly awards earlierthis month. Singer Alan Jackson was the big winner this year,receiving five major awards. Mary Tillotson has more.
ANNCR:
Alan Jackson had been nominated for ten awards this year. He wonhis second entertainer of the year award. He also won song of theyear, single record of the year, album of the year and male singerof the year.
This song, “Where Were You Whenthe World Stopped Turning,” was honored as song of the year andsingle record of the year. Jackson wrote it after the Septembereleventh terrorist attacks against the United States.
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The members of the Country Music Association named MartinaMcBride the female singer of the year. She won the same award innineteen-ninety-nine. Listen to Martina McBride’s new record,”Concrete Angel.”
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The Country Music Association gave Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn thevocal duo of the year award. The two-man group has won many awards,including entertainer of the year three times. Brooks and Dunn havehad eighteen top country music hits. They have sold more thantwenty-two-million records. We leave you now with Brooks and Dunn’srecording of “Good Girls Go To Heaven.”
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HOST:
This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And Ihope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC — VOA’sradio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by George Grow and PaulThompson. Our studio engineer was Glen Matlock. And our producer wasPaul Thompson.