Walkerville Camp, Madison

People in Madison protesting Governor Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers trying to save the state of Wisconsin appear to have studied extreme Leftist Cindy Sheehan's 2005 playbook.

In the summer of 2005, Sheehan set up Camp Casey, in the name of her son killed in Iraq, to protest the war.

Sheehan's stunt lured protesters and the media to her Crawford, Texas tent city near President Bush's ranch. Naturally, the liberal media adored Sheehan and fed the spectacle.

The Leftists plan a similar stunt in Madison.

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

With lawmakers gearing up for a vote on the state budget, a “Walkerville” camp similar to the one that sprang up during the protests at the state Capitol earlier this year may be returning this weekend — this time to the terraces of Mifflin and Carroll streets.

We Are Wisconsin, an alliance of community groups, labor unions and others, has asked the city for a permit to set up the camp across from the Capitol to provide information about Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposals and efforts to recall Republican legislators who voted to eliminate bargaining rights for most public employees.

The city’s Street Use Staff Commission will have a special meeting Friday to consider the permit application for a state budget rally that would begin Saturday and continue through June 20.

David Boetcher, who is helping to organize the event, said an information station would be accompanied by overnight campers, who could number in the thousands on weekends.

The proposed camp area is North Carroll Street from State Street to West Washington Avenue, and West Mifflin Street from State Street to Wisconsin Avenue, including the “30 on the Square” cul-de-sac at 30 W. Mifflin St. and the Philosophers’ Stones area between the Wisconsin Historical Museum and Myles Teddywedgers Cornish, 101 State St.

Who could spend weeks camping outside the Capitol?

Who has that kind of time?

Teachers!

"How I spent my summer vacation..."

Fred Levenhagen is probably packing his gear right now.

Of course, the union thugs will probably be bused in from the surrounding area. And then there will be the aging 1960s radical contingent and the young wannabes.

There will be drums.

Families planning a June summer vacation that includes a trip to the Capitol might want to reconsider.

Tourism in Madison is going to take a hit.

Code Pink Wackos at Congressional Hearing

John Murtha and Pink0 friends



A protestor is removed on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Sept. 10, 2007, as Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, not shown, testified on the future course of the war in Iraq before a joint hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and House Foreign Relations Committee. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)


(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Code Pink women are loons.

They disrupted the testimony of General David Petraeus and U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker.

Dressed in their pink garb and screeching at the hearing, they do nothing for their cause.

"General, the American people don't believe you anymore!!!"

Ike Skelton got ticked off and vowed that they would be prosecuted.

Petraeus was one of two witnesses — Ambassador Ryan Crocker was the other — at a nationally televised hearing punctuated by numerous protests by anti-war demonstrators in the audience.

Over and over, Rep. Ike Skelton, the Missouri Democrat presiding, ordered police to remove the demonstrators. "This is intolerable," he said at one point.

That's not all Skelton had to say. He called the protesters "a**holes."

From Hot Air:

Dan Burton warns Skelton at around the halfway point that Code Pink’s going to act up and Skelton gets snotty with him. The hot mike moment comes at around 3:30 if you’re counting down.

Not surprisingly, Cindy Sheehan was arrested "in or near the hearing room."


A protester with a mask of President George W. Bush with devil's horns demonstrates outside the Cannon House Office building in Washington as U.S. Army General David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker testify inside before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 10, 2007. REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES)

Elvira Arellano is Cindy Sheehan

GIVE ME A BREAK!

TIME's depiction of Elvira Arellano and her plight makes me sick.

Elvira Arellano, like many other advocates for immigration reform, must have been frustrated. There hadn't been a hint of Congressional action on comprehensive immigration reform since the Senate compromise collapsed in late spring. In early August, the Bush Administration moved unilaterally to stiffen enforcement, with Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff announcing more fines and penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegals as well as an increased border crackdown.

So Arellano, an undocumented immigrant who had spent a year holed up at Chicago's Adalberto United Methodist Church while defying a deportation order, made a risky move: she emerged from the storefront church, drove from Chicago to Los Angeles, and gave a series of very public speeches over the weekend. By Monday, the 32-year-old single mother was in Tijuana, having been arrested and deported in one fell swoop.

Imagine that. A woman who stole someone's identity and was flaunting her ILLEGAL immigration status was deported.

Wow. What a horrible country!

The news buoyed opponents of illegal immigration, who have long had Arellano in their sights. There had been rumors of citizens' arrests or other Minutemen-style interventions once word spread that Arellano was planning to leave her sanctuary, where the feds typically will not try to arrest illegal immigrants. But the fact that the normally supine federal government did the job for them made the news even sweeter. "Elvira felt entitled to special treatment," says Bob Dane, press secretary of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors tougher border security and enforcement. "She had a mistaken impression that the U.S., unlike any other country on the planet, isn't interested in enforcing its immigration laws."

Oo00h! Those scary rule of law people!

But Arellano was not just another person facing deportation, and her personal setback may not turn out to be the harbinger of victory that activists like Dane hope it to be. She was the pro-immigrant caucus's poster alien, their best chance to highlight the cruelty of the current status quo. Her deportation will effectively separate her from her American-born son, Saul, 8, at least temporarily. While his mother was living at the church, it was Saul who represented her case at rallies and events around the country, and he is now in the care of the Chicago church's pastor and his wife. Arellano's allies hope that the story of the family's separation will put a face on the millions facing deportation.

"The cruelty of the current status quo"?

NO FAMILY WOULD EVER FACE SEPARATION IF MEMBERS DIDN'T BREAK THE LAW.

Not that Arellano herself is the ideal figure to rally around. Yes, her son was born here and therefore is an U.S. citizen. But Arellano had already been deported once, years before she ever had a child (she snuck back in after her first deportation a decade ago). Arellano's ambitions to work illegally in the U.S. predate her status as a fugitive mother who only wants to be with her citizen son. Her case and her cause have also at times been handled inartfully — the aggressive use of her young son as a mascot for the movement at times bordered on being exploitative. And finally, as opponents of Arellano rightly point out, she could always simply get Saul to come live with her in Mexico.

Is this Nathan Thornburgh's attempt to make his article appear fair and balanced?

While he acknowledges that Arellano is less than a perfect face for "the movement," he's clearly doing it from a sympathetic angle.

"Her case and her cause have also at times been handled inartfully."

Thornburgh sounds like he's a candidate's campaign advisor. He's her promoter and spinmeister.

The case of John Edwards' haircuts has been handled inartfully.

Hillary Clinton's early '90s plan for socialized medicine has been handled inartfully.

Barack Obama's foreign policy inexperience has been handled inartfully.

For now, Arellano will continue to work for immigration rights from the southern side of the border, and to fight for a private bill in the U.S. Congress that would give her a special permission to return to the States. In the meantime, she and her allies are hoping she'll become a symbol for all those facing deportation. "The blood of the martyrs," says Rev. Salvatierra, quoting old scripture somewhat extravagantly, "is the seed of the church."

In the meantime, the lib media will portray Arellano as a heroine.

They'll follow her struggle.

She's a mother, a lone voice, trying to make a difference. Her love for her son is what motivates her. Her concern for mothers like her will push her to keep fighting.

In effect, Arellano is Cindy Sheehan as she was portrayed in the summer of 2005.

For now.

I predict that clinging to Arellano's plight will backfire on the lib media and other proponents of "the movement."

I don't think it will take long for Arellano to become the marginalized Cindy Sheehan of 2007.

Not good for "the movement."

Cindy Sheehan and Nancy Pelosi

Cindy Sheehan bid adieu to America a scant six weeks ago.

In a long-winded Daily Kos post entitled "Good Riddance Attention Whore," Sheehan whines about how she was chewed up and spit out by the libs.

She wrote:

Good-bye America ...you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can’t make you be that country unless you want it.

It’s up to you now.

To use her words, the "attention whore" changed her mind.

CRAWFORD, Texas -- Cindy Sheehan bid farewell to her former "peace camp" near President Bush's ranch and began a nearly two-week trek Tuesday toward Washington, D.C., with her sights set on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sheehan, a Californian, officially announced that she intends to run as an independent against Pelosi in 2008 if the San Francisco congresswoman doesn't move to impeach Bush by July 23, the day she expects to reach Washington.

"I know what Californians care about," Sheehan said. "They don't care about the ruling power elite."

Sheehan first told The Associated Press on Sunday about her plans to challenge the top-ranking Democrat. She made it official Tuesday at Camp Casey, named after her 24-year-old son, whose death in Iraq first led Sheehan to set up camp in Crawford in 2005 to demand a meeting with Bush, who was on vacation at the time.

...Sheehan says Bush should be impeached because she believes he misled the public about the reasons for going to war, violated the Geneva Convention with the torture of detainees and crossed the line by commuting the prison sentence of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

After her announcement, Sheehan and about 20 anti-war protesters began their 13-day trip with a symbolic march to the edge of Crawford, where a billboard of Bush and first lady Laura Bush welcomes visitors.

This is sad.

Sheehan is a joke. Not that Pelosi isn't, but Sheehan's publicity stunts are pathetic.

Had she stayed out of the public eye for a while as she promised she maybe would have regained some credibility.

As I feared, that was not to be.

I suspect that Sheehan will follow in Barbra Streisand's footsteps and have multiple retirement tours.

Cindy Sheehan Bids America Good-Bye

I was writing about Cindy Sheehan before she became Cindy Sheehan.

It seems fitting that I should at least acknowledge her attention-grabbing swan song of sorts that appeared on Daily Kos, the blog that Russ Feingold calls home.

In her long-winded post entitled "Good Riddance Attention Whore," Sheehan whines about how she was chewed up and spit out by the libs.

This is my resignation letter as the "face" of the American anti-war movement. This is not my "Checkers" moment, because I will never give up trying to help people in the world who are harmed by the empire of the good old US of A, but I am finished working in, or outside of this system. This system forcefully resists being helped and eats up the people who try to help it. I am getting out before it totally consumes me or anymore people that I love and the rest of my resources.

Good-bye America ...you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can’t make you be that country unless you want it.

It’s up to you now.

If only this were true.

She'll be back. I know she will.

But at least for now, Sheehan intends to fade from view, at least a bit.

Gold Star Families greeted Sheehan's exit with relief.

A group of Gold Star Family members, who have lost a son or daughter in the war on terrorism, today issued the following statement in response to Cindy Sheehan’s announcement that she is halting her public anti-war protests. For more information log on to: www.MoveAmericaForward.org

“We are very pleased to hear that Cindy Sheehan is ending her disgraceful campaign to discredit the United States military and the heroic men and women in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan. We sympathize with the shared pain from losing a child in the war effort, however, we cannot excuse the fact that Cindy has taken the wrong turn at every corner in assigning blame for the loss of her heroic son, Casey.

“Casey Sheehan was a proud member of the United States Armed Forces. He believed in serving his country faithfully and volunteered for the duty assignment that led to his death at the hands of Islamic extremists. He should have been the example followed by Cindy Sheehan. Instead, she chose to associate with the most virulent anti-American elements in the United States and abroad.

“Throughout her public demonstrations, Cindy Sheehan has repeatedly been dismissive of the majority of Gold Star Parents who disagree with her stance on the war. Cindy Sheehan does not speak for us, nor thankfully does she speak for most Americans. It’s time for Cindy to go home and put her life back together and realize just how fortunate she is to live in the greatest nation on earth.

“We are saddened that Cindy’s withdrawal from political activities is because she was disappointed that more Americans did not accept her distorted worldview that America is the blame for all of the ills of the world. Perhaps off the world stage, she will be able to regain her bearings and see that her son and America were serving the cause of freedom in the world and security at home. God Bless the United States of America, and may God help Cindy Sheehan to heal from the pain and bitterness that have consumed her.”

DEBRA ARGEL

TODD BASTIAN

JOSEPH WILLIAMS

DEBBIE LEE

JOSEPH JOHNSON

MIKE ANDERSON

MERILEE CARLSON

JAN JOHNSON

God bless them.

The contrast between the Gold Star Families and Cindy Sheehan couldn't be more dramatic.

They share the tragic loss of a son or daughter in war, but the similarities stop there.

In her farewell to America, Sheehan said that she was resigning as "the 'face' of the American anti-war movement."

I think she was fired quite a while back. Her face stopped being important to the lib media long, long ago.

Plenty of elected officials, such as every Democrat presidential candidate, have stepped into the anti-war spotlight, leaving her in their shadows.

Yes, Sheehan's good-bye was long overdue, but meaningless now.

Her current irrelevance makes her resignation seem sort of pathetic.

Nonetheless, as I said two years ago, I pray she finds peace.

The Cindy Sheehan Show

If I were in charge of programming, I would have cancelled The Cindy Sheehan Show long ago.

I don't know why the sensible members of the Left don't realize what a liability this buddy of Hugo Chavez is to them. Perhaps it's because there is no such thing as the sensible Left.

Latest episode of The Cindy Sheehan Show:

NEW YORK -- Cindy Sheehan, who drew international attention when she camped outside President Bush's ranch to protest the Iraq war, was arrested Monday along with three other women during a demonstration demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

The march to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations by about a dozen U.S. and Iraqi anti-war activists followed a news conference at U.N. headquarters, where Iraqi women described daily killings and ambulance bombings as part of the escalating violence that keeps women in their homes.

Women Say No to War, which helped organize the news conference and march, said Sheehan and three other women were arrested while trying to deliver a petition to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations with more than 60,000 signatures urging the "withdrawal all troops and all foreign fighters from Iraq." Police said they were arrested for criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

Richard Grenell, the spokesman for the U.S. Mission, said in response to Sheehan's arrest: "We invited her in to discuss her concerns with a U.S. Mission employee. She chose not to come in but to lay down in front of the building and block the entrance. It was clearly designed to be a media stunt, not aimed at rational discussion," Grenell said.

Grenell succinctly sums up Cindy Sheehan.

She's a publicity hound with no interest in rational discussion. Sheehan didn't want to talk. She wanted to get arrested. She wanted to make headlines. Her objective was purely self-serving -- to get noticed.

In other words, Sheehan is a fraud. She is insincere. She disgraces her son's memory by playing these "Look at me, look at me" games.

Besides Sheehan's pathetic addiction to publicity, there's something else about this report that I think is worth noting.

Why would the lib media focus on such a small group of only "about a dozen U.S. and Iraqi anti-war activists" taking part in a "march to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations"?

About twelve people held a "march"?

That's ridiculous. Let's be honest. It wasn't a "march."

There are sightseeing walking tours that have more participants than this so-called demonstration did.

If Sheehan's tiny gathering constitutes a newsworthy demonstration, then the next time I take walk, I'll carry a "Support the troops" sign, call it a "march," and alert the media.

The reality is the Associated Press and other lib media outlets are obsessed with Sheehan, documenting her every move. Sure, she's a face of the far Left and promotes the lefty agenda. It's no surprise that the AP likes to highlight her; but it's laughable that a group of a dozen people would be reported as a demonstration of significance.

Sheehan's antics are detestable; and the lib media's reporting of her escapades makes them complicit in her buffoonery.

The lib press must stop acting as enablers in Sheehan's quest to satisfy her obvious addiction to publicity. They are embarrassing themselves when they grant her coverage for these lame little capers.

As this current pattern of media attention for Sheehan's clearly staged stunts continues, the anti-war squad loses credibility. A blurb on news wires is no substitute for rational policy discussion.

When the supposed face of a movement appears to be more concerned with self-aggrandizement than issues, it's not a plus for the movement.

Sheehan is doing more harm than good.



Here's Sheehan having a great time getting arrested.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! WOO HOO!

It's easy to imagine her saying, "I'm ready for my close-up!"

Sheehan should take a good look at this photo.

I think her next media stunt should be a hunger strike.

Cindy Gets Evicted

Once again, Cindy Sheehan pulled a "Look at me! Look at me!" publicity stunt, trying to take the State of the Union spotlight off of President Bush.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.

I wouldn't say that Sheehan "reinvigorated the anti-war movement." I think it's more appropriate to say that radical Left organizations and the lib media exploited Sheehan for that purpose back in August.

Since then, she's been trying to feed her addiction to media attention.

Sheehan, who was invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. The charge was later changed to unlawful conduct, Schneider said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

I wonder if Woolsey would support Sheehan if she challenges Dianne Feinstein in a race for the Senate.

Sheehan was taken in handcuffs from the Capitol to police headquarters a few blocks away. Her case was processed as Bush spoke.

Were handcuffs really necessary?

I don't think so, but I'd bet Sheehan liked it. It added to the drama. Walking out of the chamber without that hardware wouldn't look all that different from walking out to go to the restroom.

Yes, handcuffs were an absolute must.

Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat. Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond, the spokeswoman said.

Police handcuffed Sheehan and removed her from the gallery before Bush arrived. Sheehan was to be released on her own recognizance, Schneider said.

Sheehan should know better than to not cooperate with the police. Obviously, she staged the whole thing.

...Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech -- Gallery 5, seat 7, row A -- earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group pushing for an end to the Iraq war.

Sheehan, wrapped in a bright pink scarf against the cold, protested outside the White House with a handful of others before heading to the Capitol Tuesday evening. There were no cameras around, but the small band faced the executive mansion and repeatedly shouted, "You're evicted! Get out of our house!"

Gee, that protest didn't draw much of a crowd. Luckily, an AP reporter was there to chronicle the event. Otherwise, we wouldn't know that Sheehan and a few other people stood in front of the White House doing their best to get noticed.

That's big news!
___________________________________

This is funny.



From CODEPINK's website:

This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fell on the same day. As Air America Radio pointed out, "It is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a groundhog. So instead of sitting at home alone shouting at your TV in anger and frustration - have fun! Take the People's State of the Union to the public.

Gather with other CODEPINK women at a friendly bar or restaurant to watch the President's speech and make a night of it. Check out the link below for games to play, drink suggestions, and party favors.

Huh?

Apparently, the CODEPINK crowd and Air America think Groundhog Day is January 31. Those poor people are so confused.

I'd like to know if they saw their shadows yesterday.

If they did, it means three more years of the Bush Administration.

If they didn't, it means three more years of the Bush Administration.

RUN CINDY, RUN!

This is too good.


Cindy Sheehan and Hugo Chavez get cozy in Caracas on Sunday.

Cindy Sheehan believes that the radical Leftist Senator Dianne Feinstein is "a Republican in Democrat's clothing."

That gives you an idea of just how far over the liberal edge Sheehan is. To her, Feinstein is a Republican!

I guess that would follow, given that Sheehan hangs out in the most extreme lefty socialist circles and considers Hugo Chavez one of her buddies.

Now, "matriot" Sheehan is pondering a run for the U.S. Senate to challenge the so very conservative Feinstein.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- American peace activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, said Saturday she is strongly considering running for office against U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein because the California lawmaker will not support calls to immediately bring the troops home.

Sheehan, 48, who lives in Berkeley, Calif., accused Feinstein of being out-of-touch with Californians on Iraq.

"She voted for the war. She continues to vote for the funding. She won't call for an immediate withdrawal of the troops," said Sheehan, who gained international attention when she set up a protest camp near U.S. President George W. Bush's Texas ranch last year.

"I think our senator needs to be held accountable for her support of George Bush and his war policies," she added.

Feinstein's campaign manager, Kam Kuwata, went on defense, insisting that Sheehan is wrong, that Feinstein doesn't support Bush or his Iraq war policies. In spite of that, Kuwata didn't exhibit much concern over the thought of Feinstein having a political face-off with Sheehan.

Even Sheehan admits that she doesn't stand a chance. It would be another publicity stunt.

..."If I decided to run, I would have no illusions of winning, but it would bring attention to all the peace candidates in the country," she said. "And I know I would be able to at least have some influence on policy."

...In a speech to more than 100 activists on Friday, Sheehan said Bush "should be tried for war crimes" and asked: "How many more American troops are going to be killed while we sit here waiting for spineless public officials to do something?"

Sheehan said she would head to Washington Sunday for protests against Bush's State of the Union address on Monday, and then return to California to discuss her idea of running against Feinstein with her son and two daughters.

I guess Cindy isn't happy unless she's making headlines.

Another AP story relays that Sheehan "plans to protest again outside President Bush's Texas ranch, Venezuela's president said Sunday with Sheehan by his side."

Hugo Chavez, his arm around Sheehan's shoulders, told a group of activists that Sheehan had told him that during Holy Week, in April, "she is going to put up her tent again in front of Mr. Danger's ranch."

"She invited me to put up a tent. Maybe I'll put up my tent also," Chavez said, to applause from activists invited to his weekly broadcast on the final day of the leftist World Social Forum.

Sheehan, whose 24-year-old soldier son, Casey, was killed in Iraq in 2004, thanked Chavez for "supporting life and peace" and she was impressed by his sincerity.

"He said, 'Why don't I run for president?" she said. "I just laughed."

I'm laughing, too.

Can you imagine Chavez joining Sheehan in her Crawford ditch during Holy Week? I can.

The lib media, Old and New, are probably drooling over the prospect.

Speaking of "supporting life and peace," I wonder how Sheehan feels about Hamas winning the elections in the Palestinian Authority. I would assume that she's quite pleased with the outcome since she shares their anti-Israel mindset.

Remember these Sheehanisms?

"Am I emotional? Yes, my firstborn was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."

"What they're saying, too, is like, it's OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons. But Iran or Syria better not get nuclear weapons. ... It's OK for Israel to occupy Palestine ... for the United States to occupy Iraq, but it's not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. They're a bunch of [expletive] hypocrites."

"But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and [U.S. troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country, devastating the country and killing innocent people in that country."

Ah, yes. Terrorists are "freedom fighters" in Sheehan's world. Do Sheehan's "freedom fighters" support life and peace?

I have never heard Sheehan condemn the terrorist attacks on Israel. If she has spoken out against the slaughter of Israeli citizens by Hamas, I missed it.

It appears that the "Peace Mom" is very selective when it comes to supporting life and peace.

I wouldn't think that Sheehan's anti-Semitic tinged stuff sits well with Feinstein.

I really hope Sheehan runs for the Senate. The more time she spends in the spotlight, the better.

Sheehan would not only be a problem for Feinstein in the 2006 race; she would be a problem for all Democrats, all those so-called mainstream, "tough on terror" Dems.

RUN CINDY, RUN!

PLEASE!!!

Cindy Sheehan and Mel Gibson

An example of the Left's hypocrisy:

In 2004, Mel Gibson was pummeled by liberal critics and columnists alike for supposedly making an anti-Semitic film, The Passion of the Christ.

Maybe they were angered that Gibson was able to circumvent Hollywood and make the movie he wanted to make without them. He took a chance. He told the story of the last hours of the life of Jesus without the approval of Hollywood's liberal elite.

In spite of the Left's insistence that the film was anti-Semitic, millions didn't see it that way at all. The public embraced Gibson's movie, and it set box office records.

Nevertheless, Hollywood libs and liberal columnists such as Frank Rich rejected it as a depiction of Christ's passion that was grounded in Gibson's hostility toward Jews. Gibson was labeled a hate-monger.

You would think that the same elitists who found fault with Mel Gibson for his presumed anti-Semitism would condemn Cindy Sheehan for her repeated suggestions that U.S. support of Israel was directly related to her son's death and was the root cause of terrorism.

Where are all the columns by Leftist writers trashing Sheehan for her Israel bashing?

Hollywood and the liberal media conveniently ignore some of Cindy's best:

"We want our country back if we have to impeach George Bush down to the person who picks up the dog sh-t in Washington! Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq. It’s OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons but we are waging nuclear war in Iraq, we have contaminated the entire country. It’s not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. Hypocrites! But Israel can occupy Palestine? Stop the slaughter!"

"Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."

"You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism."

Apparently, as long as one is politically liberal and pushes the far Left's radical agenda, like Sheehan, one receives a pass from the liberal elite when making anti-Semitic statements.

However, if one does not march in lock step with the extremists on the Left, like Mel Gibson, one is dubbed an anti-Semite for putting the story of Christ's death on film.

Go figure.

The Left's selective outrage really is laughable.

The liberals' only consistency is their lack of consistency.

Questions for John McCain AND Cindy Sheehan

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, center, addresses members of the media in front of the Capitol in Washington.

In an August 14, interview on FOX News Sunday, Chris Wallace posed a hypothetical question to John McCain.

Transcript

Referring to Cindy Sheehan, who was camped out in Crawford at the time, Wallace asked:

If you were the president, would you meet with her?

MCCAIN: I don't know if I would or not, Chris, because he did already meet with her once, as you know. And that, I think, probably was sufficient. But this thing has blossomed.

Look, I've been with the president of the United States when he has met with the families of those brave young men and women who have sacrificed. I have seen his compassion, I have seen his love, I have seen his concern. So any charge of insensitivity or uncaring on the part of this president, is absolutely false. He care and he grieves.

WALLACE: Now, I know you were on that campaign trip in June of 2004. Were you in the meeting with him when he met with Cindy Sheehan?

MCCAIN: I don't -- you know, I don't remember her, because there was a number of families. We sort of met separately, but I did see him encounter and try to do his best to comfort these families, and I saw...

WALLACE: So when she talks about callous, jovial, acting like he was at a party?

MCCAIN: I have seen him, I have seen his care, and I have seen him grieve. And I'm sure he wouldn't like to hear me say this, but I saw him afterwards. He was very, very grieved. And that's the job of the president of the United States. He fully appreciates the tragedy of the loss of these brave young Americans.

Apparently, McCain has decided that meeting with Sheehan would be a good idea.

The Village Voice reports that Sheehan and the other members of the Bring Them Home Now tour have "launched a new campaign, Meet With the Mothers, to mobilize other military family members to go to every member of Congress and ask them what noble cause their loved ones are fighting and dying for. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, has agreed to meet with Sheehan on Tuesday, after refusing earlier requests."


Newsmax reports:

On August 24, the Tucson Citizen asked McCain if President Bush was right not to meet with Sheehan.

His response? "If I was president of the United States, I probably wouldn't."

The same day, McCain told the Arizona Star that Sheehan "is probably being used" by anti-war groups.

Obviously, McCain is not the president. He didn't say that as a senator he would not meet with Sheehan, so he really isn't flip-flopping on this.

I won't criticize McCain's decision to meet with her.

However, since Sheehan and her group feel that they have the right to question every member of Congress about Iraq, I feel every member of Congress has the right to question Sheehan about her positions on issues.

I hope during their meeting, McCain demands that Sheehan answers some tough questions.

Here are some good ones--

1) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for..."

Do you really feel that way about America?

Are you intentionally belittling the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of Americans who died serving their country?

2) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "We have this lying bastard, George Bush, taking a 5-week vacation in a time of war."

Do you realize that you sound like a Michael Moore clone?

3) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "When I was growing up, it was Communists. Now it's Terrorists. So you always have to have somebody to fight and be afraid of, so the war machine can build more bombs, guns, and bullets and everything."

Are you suggesting that terrorists do not pose a threat to the United States, even after numerous attacks on Americans and American interests throughout the 1990s?

Are you saying that 3000 innocents were slaughtered on our soil on September 11, 2001, to support the Military-Industrial Complex?

4) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism."

Do you believe the Israelis have a right to statehood?

5) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "Thank God for the Internet, or we wouldn't know anything, and we would already be a fascist state."

Are you saying that the mainstream media tell us nothing and support fascism?

6) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans."

Do you believe it was wrong for the U.S. to act unilaterally and take military action in New Orleans without giving time for UN sanctions to work?

7) Ms. Sheehan, you said: "They’re not waging a War on Terror but a War of Terror. The biggest terrorist is George W. Bush."

Have you always been this stuck on stupid?

_____________________________


If McCain gets some answers to these questions, I would say that a meeting with Sheehan would be worthwhile.

However, if McCain uses the meeting as a photo-op to promote himself, he is no better than media addict Sheehan.

Maybe they both could use a twelve-step program.

PATHETIC

Cindy Sheehan is at it again.

On Michael Moore's website, Sheehan offers up her latest drivel. I sincerely believe that she is trying to be as outrageous as possible just to get attention, to feed her narcissism. In that sense, she and Moore are kindred spirits.

Although she may succeed in her "everybody look at me" campaign, it's not because she is the face of the anti-war movement and the conscience of America. It's because she's become like a circus freak, relegated to the side show and curiously gawked at for a few pitiful moments.

A small portion of her gibberish:

If George Bush truly listened to God and read the words of the Christ, Iraq and the devastation in New Orleans would have never happened.

I don't care if a human being is black, brown, white, yellow or pink. I don't care if a human being is Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, or pagan. I don't care what flag a person salutes: if a human being is hungry, then it is up to another human being to feed him/her. George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power. The only way America will become more secure is if we have a new administration that cares about Americans even if they don't fall into the top two percent of the wealthiest.

Clearly, the woman is nuts.

Our troops are in New Orleans on rescue and relief missions. They saved thousands, delivering them to safety.

Why in God's name would she want them to pull out?

THEY AREN'T OCCUPIERS.

Could Sheehan belittle our troops or disgrace the memory of her son any more than she already has?

Sadly, I'm sure she'll find a way.

Isn't there someone who's willing to do an intervention and help her battle her addiction to the media spotlight?

Would someone please tell Cindy her fifteen minutes were over weeks ago?

NO COMPASSION

I've tried not to write about Cindy Sheehan; but then she does something so over the top that I feel the need to address it.

Now, Cindy Sheehan is attacking some of the mothers of our troops killed in Iraq--the moms who don't agree with her radical far Left extremism, the moms who believe their sons are heroes, the moms who believe their sons died for a noble cause.

Sheehan announces that she is losing "compassion" for those mothers.

This is really sick. So as not to take anything out of context, I've posted her blog entry in its entirety.

Not surprisingly, it can be found at Daily Kos.

Exhaustion

by CindySheehan
Sat Aug 27th, 2005 at 06:51:02 PDT

Day 20
The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford

I finally figured out George Bush's NEW reason for staying in Iraq. This reason has also been co-opted by the Move America Forward (forward to what: Fascism?) and the poor mothers who would be honored if their sons were killed in George Bush's war for greed and power.

CindySheehan's diary :: ::

Since the Freedom and Democracy thing is not going so well and the Iraqi parliament is having such a hard time writing their constitution. Since violence is mounting against Iraqis and Americans and since his poll numbers are going down everyday, he had to come up with something.

I have continually asked George Bush to quit using Casey's name the name of the other Gold Star Families for Peace loved ones to justify his continued killing. He continues to say this: "We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the mission." So the mission is now this: WE MUST CONTINUE KILLING AMERICANS BECAUSE AMERICANS HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED!!!

How can anyone, anyone in their right minds support this line of reasoning? I have been silent on the Gold Star Moms who still support this man and his war by saying that they deserve the right to their opinions because they are in as much pain as I am. I would challenge them, though, at this point to start thinking for themselves. Iraq DID NOT have WMD's; Iraq WAS NOT linked to Al Qaeda and 9/11; Iraq WAS NOT a threat or danger to America. How can these moms who still support George Bush and his insane war in Iraq want more innocent blood shed just because their sons or daughters have been killed? I don't understand it. I don't understand how any mother could want another mother to feel the pain we feel. I am starting to lose a little compassion for them. I know they have been as brainwashed as the rest of America, but they know the pain and heartache and they should not wish it on another. However, I still feel their pain so acutely and pray for these "continue the murder and mayhem" moms to see the light.

I didn't do my blog last night because I was so exhausted. I am now lying awake at night thinking and worrying about a couple of things. First of all, how can we keep the momentum of Camp Casey going? Our first step is a bus tour consisting of three buses going through 3 different parts of the country, stopping at various places to do rallies and "visit" Congress people's offices. I had a brainstorm during my press conference yesterday...our first stop will be at Mr.Tom Delay's office. I just opened my mouth and the words came out and the Bus Tour organizers re-worked the bus schedule so we could make that happen. But before we even issued the invitation to Tom Delay, his office had released a statement saying that he was "too busy to meet with me." In taking Camp Casey to Congress we are creating problems for the very people who voted to give George the authority to invade an innocent country and cause the deaths of so many people. We will eventually target every Congress person, pro-peace or anti-peace alike, Republican or Democrat, and ask them the same questions we are asking the president. Except with Congress, we are going to add one more thing: "Since there is no Noble Cause, you need to develop a speedy exit strategy and bring our troops home as soon as humanly possible." Check out www. BringThemHomeNowTour.org for more info on our bus tour and how you can be involved.

The second thing that worries the crap out of me is the almost icon status that I have achieved. I never set out to become the "Rosa Parks of the Peace Movement." I ventured out on August 6, 2005 to hold George Bush accountable and to raise awareness about his lies and misuse and abuse of power. I didn't set out to become anyone's hero. I am a regular mom who just wants peace and no one else to be murdered for the deceptions of our government. I love the love and support of America: it is what sustains me through these very difficult times and the reich-wing smear campaign. I am blown away and humbled that people are coming from all over the world to meet me and have their pictures taken with me. I am honored when people ask me for my autograph and I love meeting the little ones. I think we really need to focus our energies on the cause of peace, though...and the message, not the messenger. I am not a perfect person. I am strong and I do have the cajones to tell the world that our "emperor" has no clothes, but it is done out of love of Casey and the others who have died and who are in harm's way and out of the simple fact that at the end of the day I have to look at myself in the mirror. If I didn't do everything in my power to end this monstrosity of an occupation in Iraq, how could I do that? I promised my boy that I would make the world a better place for his unborn nieces and nephews, and I mean to keep that promise.

We are going to have an eventful day at Camp Casey. We are holding a big rally and so are the "pro-continue the killing because Americans have died already" people. I am a little apprehensive about this. We know that the Sheriff's know that the other people are coming to stir up trouble and provoke us into violence. Well, that is not going to happen on the Camp Casey side. We will not resort to the same tactics as their leaders.

Camp Casey is a place of peace and love and we won't let ignorant citizens bring us down. At this point the smears are amusing me, rather than hurting me.

I will keep you all posted about today's events. Please pray for us that everyone keeps a cool head.

Peace!!!!

I could have a field day picking that blog entry apart. I may get to more later; but for now, I'll focus on this portion:

"I am starting to lose a little compassion for them. I know they have been as brainwashed as the rest of America, but they know the pain and heartache and they should not wish it on another. However, I still feel their pain so acutely and pray for these "continue the murder and mayhem" moms to see the light."

Cindy Sheehan has every right to be cruel and condescending. She enjoys free speech, as we all do, thanks to the brave men and women that have been willing to fight to defend our freedoms.

Now, I will exercise my right to express myself.

Cindy Sheehan is a sadist.

She calls the mothers of dead soldiers and marines "'continue the murder and mayhem' moms." She prays they "see the light."

How disgusting!

Sheehan's right. She has no compassion. She shows no true concern for these mothers. She doesn't care.

For Sheehan to dub these women "continue the murder and mayhem moms" is so callous and cold-blooded it is positively breathtaking.

Sheehan speaks like a heartless woman with a blackened soul.

God, I feel so bad for her children and soon to be ex-husband.

"Freedom Fighters" Killed Casey Sheehan

Casey Sheehan



Casey on the Calico mine train



Casey with his first Sargent and platoon Sargent at Ft.Irwin



Casey in Iraq

Enough!!!

Am I upset?

VERY.

The tipping point has been reached in the Cindy Sheehan circus.

Sheehan Calls Son's Killers 'Freedom Fighters'

In an interview earlier this month, Bush-bashing Gold Star mom Cindy Sheehan referred to terrorists allied with the Iraqi insurgents who killed her GI son Casey as "freedom fighters."

"Now that we have decimated [Iraq], the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and [U.S. troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country," Sheehan complained to CBS Newsman Mark Knoller.

Knoller, as well as other reporters who heard Sheehan's remarks, declined to include the outburst in his coverage.

But a video unearthed Tuesday by FreeRepublic.com captured Sheehan's comments on tape.

KNOLLER: You know that the president says Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism, don't you believe that?

SHEEHAN: No, because it's not true. You know Iraq was no threat to the United States of America until we invaded. I mean they're not even a threat to the United States of America. Iraq was not involved in 9-11, Iraq was not a terrorist state.

But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and [U.S. troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country, devastating the country and killing innocent people in that country. The terrorism is growing and people who never thought of being car bombers or suicide bombers are now doing it because they want the United States of America out of their country. [END OF EXCERPT]

No wonder Cindy Sheehan has said, "You killed my son, George Bush."

Bush is the enemy to her because the terrorists aren't the bad guys. They are fighting for freedom. Good Lord.

You can disagree with the Iraq war and U.S. policy. You can not support the President. Those are all legitimate positions; but you cannot consider terrorists to be on the same moral plane as our troops.

Anyone who calls the terrorists "freedom fighters" has no moral authority whatsoever!

Sorry, Maureen Dowd. Cindy Sheehan's "absolute" moral authority is utterly immoral.

The mainstream media has tried to cover up for this "grieving mother."

No one can dismiss that CBS Newsman Mark "Knoller, as well as other reporters who heard Sheehan's remarks, declined to include the outburst in his coverage."

So much for journalistic integrity.

The patron saint of the anti-war, anti-Bush movement has been exposed. There's no going back. It's over.

My heart breaks for her family. Casey Sheehan's mother refers to his killers as "freedom fighters."

My God, how horrible!!!

It is so sick and twisted.

I could say, like many on the right, that Cindy Sheehan has been exploited by the radical far Left. She has been used; but I will not let her off the hook.

Sheehan is responsible for her words, unless she is insane and needs to be institutionalized for her own safety and the good of society. If she's not insane, she is incredibly misguided.

The argument can no longer be made that she isn't dishonoring the memory of her son.

SHE IS!

Sheehan is literally giving aid and comfort to the enemy now.

She is spitting on the graves of every brave man and woman that sacrificed their lives in the War on Terror.

When all is said and done, she will take her rightful place next to Jane Fonda in American history.

Sheehan is not only disgracing her son's memory. She is doing a disservice to our troops currently serving in Iraq, just as Fonda did when she cozied up to the enemy in Vietnam.

Is it wrong to criticize a grieving mother?

No.

We all lose loved ones. Granted, sometimes the circumstances of death are more difficult to bear than others. Nevertheless, that does not give any of us a pass to be considered unaccountable for our words and actions.

Am I bashing a grieving mother?

YES!

She still has my sympathy for the loss of her son. As I've said before, nothing can change that.

However, the fact that Casey was killed in Iraq DOES NOT give Sheehan some sort of immunity to make borderline treasonous statements with impunity.

I am bursting with sympathy for Casey's family. How can they stand hearing his mother call Casey's killers "freedom fighters"?

I can't stand it. I really can't. The family must be in such pain.

Sheehan is truly pathetic. She is as about as screwed up as one can get.

My advice to her is to go home and pray to God for strength and forgiveness. I sincerely hope she finds peace.

Cindy Sheehan Leaves Crawford

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- The grieving mother who started an anti-war demonstration near President Bush's ranch nearly two weeks ago said Thursday she was leaving because her mother had a stroke.

Cindy Sheehan told reporters she had just received the phone call and would rush to her 74-year-old mother's side. Her mother lives in the Los Angeles area.

"I'll be back as soon as possible if it's possible," Sheehan said. After hugging some of her supporters, she got in a van and left.

Sheehan, of Vacaville, Calif., said the makeshift campsite off the road leading to Bush's ranch would continue. The camp has grown to more than 100 people, including many relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq.

Does this mean the circus will be packing up and moving on?

Although the protest camp will remain in place, as Cindy wishes, will the media be as interested if they don't have her to eagerly go before the cameras and have an angry outburst or weep on cue?

The media are staked out in Crawford anyway as long as the President is there; but I suppose some of this wall to wall Sheehan coverage will subside now that the star has had to leave the show.

I wish Sheehan's mother and the family all the best. Hopefully, it was a mild stroke and she will recover.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

President Bush's meeting with the Sheehan family



President Bush kissing Cindy Sheehan in family photo dated June 18, 2004



(Enlarged image) President Bush, center, kissing Cindy Sheehan among family members in 2004. Left to right: Janey, Carly, Patrick, President Bush, Cindy and Andy at Ft. Lewis in Washington State.

Joe Kovacs of WorldNetDaily notes that while there has been massive coverage of Cindy Sheehan's crusade to meet with President Bush for a second time, there has been a complete pictorial blackout of her first meeting with the President.

Kovacs writes that pictures of the meeting were "originally posted on a Sheehan family website featuring a large number of photos, but the images including President Bush posing with the family have since been removed from the original page."

Thanks to some digging by WorldNetDaily, we get a glimpse of Cindy Sheehan's meeting with President Bush.

A number of other photos, featuring Casey and the Sheehan family, remain on the website, Casey's Peace Page.

The site claims to be "Dedicated to all the men and women who bravely serve our country."

Scroll down and Cindy Sheehan's open letter to President Bush appears.

Dear George,

You don’t mind if I call you George do you? When you sent me a letter offering your condolences on the death of my son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, in the illegal and unjust war on Iraq, you called me Cindy, so I naturally assume we are on a first name basis.

George, it has been seven months today since your reckless and wanton foreign policies killed my son, my big boy, my hero, my best-friend: Casey. It has been seven months since your ignorant and arrogant lack of planning for the peace murdered my oldest child. It has been two days since your dishonest campaign stole another election…but you all were way more subtle this time than in 2000, weren’t you? You hardly had to get the Supreme Court of the United States involved at all this week.

You feel so proud of yourself for betraying the country again, don’t you? You think you are very clever because you pulled the wool over the eyes of some of the people again. You think that you have some mandate from God…that you can “spend your political capital” any way that you want. George you don’t care or even realize that 56,000,000 plus citizens of this country voted against you and your agenda. Still, you are going to continue your ruthless work of being a divider and not a uniter. George, in 2000 when you stole that election and the Democrats gave up, I gave up too. I had the most ironic thought of my life then: "Oh well, how much damage can he do in four years?" Well, now I know how much you have damaged my family, this country, and this world. If you think I am going to allow you another four years to do even more damage, then you truly are mistaken. I will fight for a true vote count and if that fails, your impeachment. Also, the impeachment of your Vice President. The only thing is, I'm not politically savvy, and I don't have a Karl Rove to plan my strategy, but I do have a big mouth and a righteous cause, which still mean something in this country, I hope.

...George, I must confess that I and my family worked very HARD to re-defeat you this time, but you refuse to stay defeated. Well, we are watching you very carefully. We are going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people into a disastrous war and for mis-using and abusing your power as Commander-in-Chief. We are going to scream until our last breath to bring the rest of our babies home from this quagmire of a war that you have gotten our country in to: before too many more families learn the true meaning of Hard Work. We know it is going to be an uphill battle, knowing how Republican Congress is, but thanks to you, we know the meaning of Hard Work and we’re not afraid of hard work at all.

The 56,000,000 plus citizens who voted against you and your agenda have given me a mandate to move forward with my agenda. Also, thanks to you and your careless domestic policies, I am unemployed, so this will be my full-time job. Being your political downfall will be the most noble accomplishment of my life and it will bring justice for my son and 1125 (so far) other brave Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis your lies have killed. By the way, George, how many more innocent Iraqis are your policies going to kill before you convince them that you are better than Saddam? How many more of their cities are you going to level before you consider that they are liberated? If you really had any moral values, or if you were an honorable man at all you would resign. My son was a man who had high moral values and true courage. Humanity lost a bright light on April 04, 2004. I will live the rest of my life missing Casey desperately. Thank you for that, George. Have a nice day.

God Bless America!! We surely need it!

Cindy Sheehan
Broken hearted mother of a True American Hero: Spc Casey Austin Sheehan, KIA 04/04/04 Sadr City, Baghdad

Yikes!

I can understand why the photos of the Sheehan family posing with President Bush were pulled from the site.

It's hard to reconcile the images of Cindy Sheehan's meeting with the President with her hate-filled rant.

In the letter, she says that she and her family "worked very HARD to re-defeat [Bush] this time."

So, even though she believes that President Bush "stole" the 2000 election and did it again four years later, Sheehan agreed to meet with this devil incarnate and posed to record the occasion for posterity.

Although she was working "very hard" to get him out of office, on June 18, 2004, she allowed this uncaring, insensitive, horrible man to kiss her.

Doesn't make sense, does it?

Why didn't she use the opportunity to challenge him them?

I don't buy the "I was in shock" stuff anymore. Someone as anti-Bush as she is, dating back to 2000, could not have divorced herself so totally from her deeply held political beliefs.

Why would she let Bush kiss her?

As the President has said, she has every right to protest. I completely agree with that. She has the right to say off the wall, idiotic things.

However, I find it is so sad that she has chosen to use this right to disgrace her son's memory. She is dishonoring him. It would be possible for her to speak out against the policies of the Bush administration in a dignified fashion. Instead, she has decided to use the language of the radical Left.

When I look at the photos on "Casey's Peace Page," particularly the ones of him in uniform, I can't help but be troubled by the disconnect between the images and the rhetoric of his mother.

Casey looked damn proud to be serving the United States.

The fact that this young man didn't come home alive is heart-breaking. He couldn't have given more than he gave to his country. He deserves our gratitude for his willingness to put himself in harm's way. He is a hero for sacrificing his life for our security and the freedom of the Iraqi people.

It really bothers me that Casey's memory is being trampled by the media circus in Crawford and being crushed by the Leftist bandwagon his mother has boarded.

It is so sad.

Grieving Mom or Far-Left Extremist?

Cindy Sheehan still has my sympathy for the loss of her son Casey. Nothing she says can change that. As a mother, as a human being, I am sorry for the pain she is experiencing because Casey was killed. I grieve for her as I do for all the parents who have lost children in the war.

However--

Sheehan is looking less like a grieving mom and more like a partisan shill.

She's on board with Michael Moore.

She is Code Pink's poster child.

Byron York gives a glimpse into the depth of Sheehan's extremism.

"This is something that can't be ignored," Sheehan said during a conference call with bloggers representing sites like democrats.com, codepink4peace.org, and crooksandliars.com. "They can't ignore us, and they can't put us down. Thank God for the Internet, or we wouldn't know anything, and we would already be a fascist state."

"Our government is run by one party, every level," Sheehan continued, "and the mainstream media is a propaganda tool for the government." Sheehan also called the 2004 presidential election "the election, quote-unquote, that happened in November."

The conference call was moderated by Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who managed former Vermont governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign in 2003 and 2004. It was also organized by another Democratic strategist, Bob Fertik of democrats.com. (During the conference, Fertik said that for the purposes of the call, he was representing yet another website, the antiwar site afterdowningstreet.com.) Finally, Jodie Evans of the anti-war group Code Pink also took part in running the sometimes-chaotic call. Trippi has posted a recording of the call on his own website, joetrippi.com

Also taking part in the call was Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a frequent participant in progressive political conferences and anti-war events. Schakowsky took part in an unofficial Democratic hearing on the Downing Street Memo conducted last June in Washington. Sheehan testified at that hearing, giving a painful and moving account of seeing her son in his coffin.

Now, Sheehan has a TV ad to promote herself and her protest, paid for by Gold Star Families for Peace.

It plans to air the ad on Crawford cable channels and in places Bush visits during his WORKING vacation. The total ad buy is currently $15,000.

Raw Story provides a transcript. (All grammatical and spelling errors are their responsibility.)

AD TRANSCRIPT:

:60

Cindy Sheehan speaking to President Bush

Mr. President, My name is Cindy Sheehan. On April 24, 2004 my son was killed in Iraq.

He was only 24 and he died in his best friend’s arms. Casey was so good and so honest why can’t you be honest with us?

You were wrong about the weapons of mass destruction-you were wrong about the link between Iraq and Al Queda—you lied to us and because of your lies my son died.

Mr. President I want to tell you face to face how much this hurts. I love my country, but how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war? How many more soldiers have to die before we say enough?

I know you can’t bring Casey back, but it’s time to admit mistakes and bring out troops home now.

I agree with Cherie Quarterolo, Casey Sheehan's aunt and godmother. Cindy Sheehan "appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation."

Cindy Sheehan said, "Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."

Her statements are becoming more and more rabid. This comment gets awfully close to being anti-Semitic.

Sheehan appears drunk from all the media attention she has lapped up. She seems to be feeding off of the radical Leftist groups that are cheering her on. She seems to be making controversial statements for the sake of controversy.

I wonder what Casey would think?

Although earlier I had said it would be a smart move for the President to speak to her to end this media circus in Crawford, I've changed my mind. It would be a mistake. Bush met with her in 2004. The United States National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin met with her last Saturday.

The President's time would be better spent meeting with other parents of the fallen.

I have also said that the media was exploiting Sheehan. While I still think that's the case, I now believe that she is using the media for her own aggrandizement.

The really sad thing is that while Sheehan is disgracing herself, she is disgracing Casey and our troops by belittling their noble mission.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

--Abraham Lincoln

Sympathy for Sheehan

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- Cindy Sheehan's eyes well with tears when she talks about her oldest son, Casey, an easygoing young man with a quiet wit.

Casey joined the Army in 2000, never imagining he would see combat. Five days after he arrived in Iraq last year, the 24-year-old was killed in Sadr City.

Why would Casey believe that he could join the Army and assume that he would never be placed in harm's way? I can't believe that he didn't understand.

Sheehan, a Catholic youth minister for eight years, never wanted Casey to join the military. She said he did after being misled by his recruiter. Although he also opposed the war, he didn't try to back out.

I wonder how he was "misled." I'd be interested to know what the recruiter did that was inappropriate. If Casey was misled, that recruiter should be reprimanded and face some harsh penalty for employing misleading tactics.

"I begged him not to go," she said through tears. "I said, 'I'll take you to Canada' ... but he said, 'Mom, I have to go. It's my duty. My buddies are going.'"

Doesn't this mean that Casey did what he wanted to do?

He was not willing to shirk the commitment he chose to make to his country. Like tens of thousands of other Americans, he chose to fulfill his duty with courage and honor.

Casey didn't desert as his mom wanted him to do. Cindy Sheehan needs to come to terms with her son's choice.

Today, President Bush commented on Cindy Sheehan and her protest.

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- President Bush said Thursday he understands and respects the views of anti-war advocates like a California mother camped outside his Texas ranch to mourn her soldier son fallen in Iraq, but said it would be a mistake to bring U.S. troops home now.

"I understand the anguish that some feel about the death that takes place," Bush said.

"I also have heard the voices of those saying: Pull out now," he said. "And I've thought about their cry and their sincere desire to reduce the loss of life by pulling our troops out. I just strongly disagree."

Immediate withdrawal "would send a terrible signal to the enemy."

..."I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush said. "She feels strongly about her position, and she has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America. She has a right to her position, and I thought long and hard about her position. I've heard her position from others, which is: Get out of Iraq now. And it would be a mistake for the security of this country and the ability to lay the foundations for peace in the long run if we were to do so."

Hear that liberals?

Bush is validating Sheehan's right to say what she believes and to protest his policies.

While she continues to make comments about him being cowardly and being responsible for killing Casey, Bush offers Sheehan sympathy for the loss of her beloved son.

He also makes it clear that completing the mission in Iraq is the best way to honor the memory of all the Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.


Bush said, "You know, I grieve for every death. It breaks my heart to think about a family weeping over the loss of a loved one."

I believe that.

Cindy Sheehan Needs Help

I think President Bush should talk to Cindy Sheehan, with cameras recording the meeting.

Rather than give the poor woman an excuse to hold vigil in Crawford, it would be a smart move politically for Bush to speak with her and end the media circus. It also would be an act of kindness on his part.

If Bush agreed to meet with Sheehan, he would be setting a dangerous precedent by allowing himself to be pressured to submit to an individual's demands, especially an individual proven to be a rabid enemy. The President of the United States can't be expected to meet with someone just because she has the media chronicling her every move and championing her crusade. However, in this instance, I think both Sheehan and Bush would reap benefits by a meeting. The positives for Bush would far outweigh the negatives.

A meeting would most likely serve to show Sheehan to be the partisan pawn that she's become and reveal the President to be the caring man that he is, a plus for the President.

Right now, she's being exploited by the liberal media and the Left in general. Sheehan has become the face of their "Get Bush" anti-Iraq war movement. Frankly, I think they all are hoping that the protest continues so they can continue to cover it. The last thing they would want is for Bush to agree to talk to Sheehan and end the story.

At News Hounds, Melanie writes:

I just got off a conference call with Cindy Sheehan. Even though it rained last night and Sheehan is suffering from a sore throat and a fever, she is in good spirits and very, very determined and committed to see this through.

Sheehan said she is "overwhelmed and amazed at all the support" she's getting. She specifically said Texans have been amazing as has the sheriff of Crawford. She said people from places like North Carolina, Oregon and all parts of Texas are coming to Crawford to join her. She credited the Internet, saying without it, "nobody would know what was really going on." The "mainstream media is a propaganda tool for the government," she said, and without the Internet, "we would be a fascist state." So true.

Someone asked whether she was going to be on Bill O'Reilly's show tonight. She said the show called her this morning and invited her on. Initially she thought she would take them up on it but then she thought, "no!" She said it's fine if O'Reilly disagrees with her politics but after he attacked her last night she decided she's "not going to dignify his show" with her presence. She said O'Reilly's an "obscenity to the truth and an obscenity to humanity."

I find Sheehan's "Impeachment Tour" and her protest in Crawford, as well as her past hate-filled anti-Bush statements, to be very sad. I don't see her as a heroic figure. I see her as a pathetic one.

She has decided to channel her grief into hatred for Bush. Her intense hate is bordering on the pathological. I hope Sheehan is receiving some counseling to help her deal with her loss. Although attacking Bush may be therapeutic for her in the short term and provide her with some temporary relief, there must be a better way to deal with her son's death.

Sheehan should not be discouraged from speaking out against the war and against Bush. However, she should be encouraged to do so in a manner that honors her son's memory and the tens of thousands of Americans currently participating in the mission. It's possible to stand up for what one believes without tearing down what others believe.

The fact is her feelings and opinions are not representative of the majority of the families who have lost loved ones in the war. Most support the President and believe their loved ones died for a noble cause.

For Sheehan to suggest that "mainstream media is a propaganda tool for the government," indicates that she is truly confused or incredibly manipulative. Does she realize that she is using the MSM and they are using her to further their anti-Bush agenda? It's positively delusional for her to say the MSM puts out propaganda for the governmnet. Members of the MSM, by their own admission, are overwhelmingly liberal.

Sheehan's belief that "we would be a fascist state" if not for the Internet is ridiculous. She is just a breath away from calling Bush "Hitler." Maybe she has already and I missed it.

Perhaps a few moments with President Bush would free her. At present, I think she's being suffocated by the abusive mainstream media and swallowed up by her own hate.

President Bush should help Cindy Sheehan.

Cindy Sheehan's Mission

Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., center, whose son died in Iraq, listens to Capt. Ken Vanek of the McLennan County (Texas) Sheriff's Office, left, as he discusses the procedures for a peace protest by Sheehan and others to confront President Bush at his ranch, in Crawford, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2005.

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- The angry mother of a fallen U.S. soldier staged a protest near President Bush's ranch Saturday, demanding an accounting from Bush of how he has conducted the war in Iraq.

Supported by more than 50 demonstrators who chanted, "W. killed her son!" Cindy Sheehan told reporters: "I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?'" Sheehan, 48, didn't get to see Bush, but did talk about 45 minutes with national security adviser Steve Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin, who went out to hear her concerns.

Appreciative of their attention, yet undaunted, Sheehan said she planned to continue her roadside vigil, except for a few breaks, until she gets to talk to Bush. Her son, Casey, 24, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004. He was an Army specialist, a Humvee mechanic.

"They (the advisers) said we are in Iraq because they believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, that the world's a better place with Saddam gone and that we're making the world a safer place with what we're doing over there," Sheehan said in a telephone interview after the meeting.

"They were very respectful. They were nice men. I told them Iraq was not a threat to the United States and that now people are dead for nothing. I told them I wouldn't leave until I talked to George Bush."

She said Hagin told her, "I want to assure you that he (Bush) really does care."

"And I said if he does care, why doesn't he come out and talk to me."

Sheehan arrived in Crawford aboard a bus painted red, white and blue and emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour." Sheehan, from Vacaville, Calif., had been attending a Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas.

The bus, trailed by about 20 cars of protesters and reporters, drove at about 15 mph toward Bush's ranch. After several miles, they parked the vehicles and began to march, in stifling heat, farther down the narrow country road.

..."I want to ask the president, `Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?" she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Last week, you said my son died for a noble cause' and I want to ask him what that noble cause is?"

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said in response that Bush also wants the troops to return home safely.

"Many of the hundreds of families the president has met with know their loved one died for a noble cause and that the best way to honor their sacrifice is to complete the mission," Duffy said.

"It is a message the president has heard time and again from those he has met with and comforted. Like all Americans, he wants the troops home as soon as possible."

My heart breaks for Cindy Sheehan. She believes her son died in vain. It must be unbearable for her. It's not surprising that she's angry with President Bush. She blames him for sending her son to fight in a war that is not noble.

I'm uncomfortable criticizing a grieving mother. She certainly has my deepest sympathy for the loss of her son. Accordingly, she should be cut some slack. I hesitate to judge her too harshly.

That said, I'll comment on the merits of Sheehan's protest from a rational standpoint rather than an emotional one.

First, I think Sheehan should be grateful that National Security Adviser Steve Hadley and deputy White House Chief of Staff Joe Hagin spoke to her. To Sheehan's credit, she said the men were nice. Giving 45 minutes to her was by no means a brief meeting.

(By the way, Bush is on vacation.

Do you think Hadley and Hagin are at the ranch to cut brush?

Why does he need his National Security Adviser and deputy White House Chief of Staff there if not for business?

I digress.)

Did Sheehan really believe that arriving in Crawford on a bus painted red, white and blue and emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour," would be the way to get the President to come out to address her and the group of protesters?

The Secret Security wouldn't allow that and rightly so.

Sheehan intends to keep vigil at the ranch until Bush talks to her. I'm sorry to say it, but that's clearly a publicity stunt. I'm sure the liberal media will eat it up and her vigil will duly serve the anti-Bush crowd's agenda.

She wants to ask Bush, "Why did you kill my son?"

That's a legitimate question to ask the insurgents and the terrorists that took his life, not the President. He didn't kill Casey.

Sheehan certainly can take issue with the administration's Iraq policy, but this "Why did you kill my son?" stuff and "Impeachment Tour" bus are designed for bashing Bush and nothing more. It's like she needs someone to blame and Bush is her target. She isn't hoping to engage in meaningful dialogue with him. That's very clear. Sheehan is playing to the cameras.

It is truly unfortunate that she believes her son gave his life for an ignoble cause. That is a heavy burden to bear. If her "Impeachment Tour" is part of her grieving process, then I hope it helps.

However, I don't think her "tour" will accomplish much else, especially given al-Zawahri's recent threats to kill more innocents in Britain and the U.S.
_______________________

This is not the first time Cindy Sheehan has been in the headlines. She took part in that bizarre mock impeachment hearing that John Conyers staged back on June 16, 2005.

Read more.

A few days earlier, Sheehan slammed President Bush at an interfaith rally in Lexington, Kentucky.

She said, "Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the fulfillment of my life."

That's a very strong statement, obviously coming from an all-encompassing sorrow and incredible pain.

If Sheehan finds solace in working against Bush, then good for her. She needs to do what she needs to do. Nevertheless, her display of such hate for President Bush personally doesn't really serve the memory of her beloved son very well.

If Casey was proud to serve in the Army and believed in his mission, maybe one day she'll find comfort in that.

Read more.