(Photo: Mr. Stringer's Office)

In front of hundreds of screaming teenage girls at J & R Electronics store -- with thousands more snaking the sidewalk outside -- Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, a likely candidate for mayor in 2013, declared today to be a "very, very special" day for a certain pop sensation.

"I want to present to you Justin, on behalf of the 1.6 million people that live in Manhattan, a very, very special proclamation and to recognize J & R Electronics as a mainstay of this community," Mr. Stringer announced, pausing for effect. "So on behalf of the people of Manhattan and the power invested in me as Manhatan Borough President, I hereby declare 'Justin Bieber J & R Appreciation Day' in the Borough of Manhattan!"

The crowd, presumably there for the launch of Mr. Bieber's new album Believe rather than to witness the proclamation, nevertheless proceeded to go wild with screams. Those at the front of the line had been camped out in front of the store since the previous night while those unfortunate enough to have arrived today were stuck somewhere in the endless line stretching for blocks and blocks outside. Tourists walking by the gates of City Hall could only stop and stare.

For his part, Mr. Bieber seemed unperturbed by the adoration, holding up the proclamation and smiling as the plethora of reporters filled the air with camera flashes before settling into the duty of signing album covers for the anxious teenage mob in front of him.

After issuing the proclamation, Mr. Stringer was forced to hurriedly leave the event, less the crowd completely close off all exits. An attempt to find the borough president was unsuccessful, but reached via phone, Mr. Stringer didn't sound like he was overly starstruck by the entire affair.

“I don’t give proclamations to people I don’t belieb in,” he explained.

Of course, Mr. Stringer is no stranger to hanging out with celebrities, especially Scarlett Johansson.

Watch the proclamation below:

(Visual approximation)

“Proud to be an American”-gate is far from being over, especially if you live on Staten Island.

If you're just paying attention now, the entire controversy started when a New York City school replaced the famously patriotic song with Justin Bieber's “Baby” for a kindergarten graduation ceremony, a move that caused Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm to declare, "Justin Bieber is not a Substitute for American Patriotism.”

Other Staten Island pols, including the GOP opponent for Democratic State Senator Diane Savino, reacted similarly. However, Ms. Savino wasn't especially impressed with either Republican's flag-waving rhetoric on the issue.

As reported by the Staten Island Advance:

She slammed both Republicans for being absent from Sunday's Vietnam War remembrance ceremony.

Ms. Savino, who attended, said the song "God Bless the USA" was played at the event "and there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd, which they would have known if they'd showed up."

"If they want to show patriotism, that was the place to do it," said Ms. Savino. "If we're going to wrap ourselves in the flag, let's show a little consistency." ...

"First of all, Ms. Savino should mind her own counsel, because she couldn't keep up with my schedule or appearances if she cloned herself," Grimm said in a statement released by his office. "My fellow veterans know that I attend as many of their events as I can, but I have to be fair and represent all my constituents as equally as possible."

He added, "Lastly, the idea that I forfeit my rights as an American to voice my opinion in opposition to this principal's abhorrent decision-making is not only baseless, it's asinine."

If there are any updates on this important topic, we'll be sure to update you further.

A scene from "Baby Love," juxtaposed with a burning American flag. Is this what the Department of Education wants to teach our children? (Photo: YouTube)

Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm now has a beef with Justin Bieber.

The problem? A kindergarten graduation ceremony decided to replace "Proud to be an American" with Justin Bieber's "Baby Love"  and the Department of Education is cool with it.

Mr. Grimm declared his outrage with the Canadian pop sensation situation in a four-paragraph statement his office sent out today with the title, "Rep. Grimm: Justin Bieber is not a Substitute for American Patriotism."

View the rest of Mr. Grimm's monologue on the issue, which is fairly enjoyable to read as it bleeds red white and blue indignation, below:

“I am outraged that NYC’s Department of Education is standing by the decision of PS 90’s principal to pull the song ‘Proud to be an American’ from the upcoming kindergarten ceremony, for fear of offending other cultures. The fact that the principal nixed the performance of this patriotic, G-rated song while permitting an inane and age-inappropriate Justin Bieber song about teenage romance only underscores my concern about the skewed views being forced on these students.

“I have just one question for this principal: ‘Who exactly are we offending?’ The only thing offensive about any of this is the anti-American message being engrained in our youth. We all should be proud to be American and we should never ever apologize for it!

“'Proud to be an American’ is a song that brought many of us together in the aftermath of 9/11 and during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It represents the strength and resilience of our great nation, the freedoms we hold dear, the sacrifices made by those to defend them, and the limitless opportunities provided to citizens and immigrants who have come to our country for generations in search of a better life for their children and grandchildren. It represents the American Dream and the potential we all have to succeed. No matter what our age or backgrounds, this is what America is all about, and it’s something for which we can all stand up and be proud.

“When a Justin Bieber song is deemed an appropriate substitute for a song about patriotism and love of country, what message are we sending our youth? It’s time we stop letting our political correctness destroy our values and American traditions, and start embracing the exceptional people and cultures that make our country great. God Bless America.”