Bush gets first look at anti-war protest near ranch

[monty of ll]

Bush could have easily diffused this entire thing by talking to the lady, or more to the point, letting her talk to him briefly. It would have gone miles in adding to his credibility. Now it is costing him bigtime and it's too late to diffuse it without looking weak.

And no, he wouldn't have had to go on meeting with individuals with a grievance. Once would have shown that he cared. Or at the least made it look like he cares. Now the protest is growing and the major media are involved. Too bad! And really too bad for Bush if this is the issue that kicks off the war protest and puts it into full ahead.

[Chris]

So what about the video we saw of Bush's Convoy blowing past the gathering?

[monty of ll]

So what about it Chris? Are you suggesting something or just making an observation?

[righthand]

by: Mr.Vicchio You guys do know she first Praised Bush when THEY DID MEET Quote by: gr8fuldaniel I don't remember her ever "praising" bush. Do you remember what she said? This article has Sheehan reflecting on their meeting last year. More..... There is more from Cindy Sheehan in that link, none of it "PRAISE"

GREAT post, love the cartoon. Another bush myth or should it be another bush LIE, bites the dust

But what she encountered was an arrogant man with eyes lacking the slightest bit of compassion, a President totally "detached from humanity" and a man who didn’t even bother to remember her son’s name when they were first introduced. Instead of a kind gesture or a warm handshake, Sheehan said she immediately got a taste of Bush arrogance when he entered the room and "in a condescending tone and with a disgusting loud Texas accent," said: "Who we’all honorin’ here today?" "His mouth kept moving, but there was nothing in his eyes or anything else about him that showed me he really cared or had any real compassion at all. This is a human being totally disconnected from humanity and reality. His eyes were empty, hollow shells and he was acting like I should be proud to just be in his presence when it was my son who died for his illegal war! It was one of the most disgusting experiences I ever had and it took me almost a year to even talk about it," said Sheehan in a telephone conversation from Washington D.C. where she was attending a July 4th anti-war rally. Sheehan said the June 2004 private meeting with the President went from bad to worse to a nightmare when Bush acted like he didn’t even want to know her name. She said Bush kept referring to her as ‘Ma’ or ‘Mom’ while he "put on a phony act," saying things like ‘Mom, I can’t even imagine losing a loved one, a mother or a father or a sister or a brother.’ "The whole meeting was simply bizarre and disgusting, designed to intimidate instead of providing compassion. He didn’t even know our names," said Sheehan. "Finally I got so upset I just looked him in the eye, saying ‘I think you can imagine losing someone. You have two daughters. Imagine losing them?’ After I said that he just looked at me, looked at me with no feeling or caring in his eyes at all."

[Chris]

Quote by: monty of ll So what about it Chris? Are you suggesting something or just making an observation?

Just an observation.

[righthand]

[RIGHT]

RALLY: Nooshin Razani, with a microphone, talked about her brother who was killed while serving in Iraq. The event, held in San Francisco last Friday, honored the mother who is petitioning Bush in Texas.MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP[/RIGHT]

[center]

Antiwar sentiment gets champion
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR ...from the August 15, 2005 edition
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0815/p01s01-uspo.html
Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside Bush's Texas ranch brings focus to a protest movement that's been largely unseen and ineffective.
By Brad Knickerbocker and Kris Axtman | Staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor
[/center]

ASHLAND, ORE., AND CRAWFORD, TEXAS – In her high-profile vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch, Cindy Sheehan has brought the face and the heart of the antiwar movement to the world. The plain-spoken words and image of a mother carrying a wooden cross to commemorate the son she lost in Iraq have suddenly brought focus to what has been largely an unseen and ineffective protest movement in the US. To be sure, this is still not Kent State in 1970. For a variety of political and practical reasons, today's antiwar movement may never approach the ardor of a generation ago. Moreover, many conservatives criticize Ms. Sheehan for being co-opted by the broader political left - itself a reflection of the crosscurrents of the time. Yet the mother, hoisting her plaintive signs and vowing to stay in Crawford until she gets a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Bush, has become a potent personal symbol of opposition to a war now stretching into its third year. More important, her crusade comes at a time when doubts about US engagement there are clearly growing. "One keeps hearing that the number of queries coming into conscientious objector advisory groups are on the upswing," says retired US Army Colonel Dan Smith, a Vietnam veteran now working for the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobbying group. "College campuses are stirring. Facts suggest a rising antiwar sentiment is in the making." About a dozen military families have arrived to lend a hand in the Sheehan protest. They come from Alabama, California, Georgia, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas - and most have lost a loved one. "We are here for all the soldiers who don't have a voice anymore," says Sergio Torres, whose son Army Sgt. Daniel Torres was killed in February when a roadside bomb hit his unarmored Humvee. Sheehan says, "I've accomplished a lot by putting this war back on the front page where it should be. ...Physically it's very uncomfortable, but I think of all the soldiers in Iraq who, when it's too hot or too stormy, can't go into town for refuge. As bad as we have it here, it's nothing compared to how bad they have it over there."

[center] full article

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[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: righthand GREAT post,

Thanx

Quote by: righthand love the cartoon.

Me 2. I still chuckle everytime I see it.

Quote by: righthand Another bush myth or should it be another bush LIE, bites the dust

I am still waiting for a response from V. Its possible she may have said something polite......You know how it can be when we are nervous. How many times have we said "Fine", when asked "Hows it going?" When, in fact, its a flat out lie. The world is a shitload of pain and problems and injustice. But we still do it, for decorum.

Check this out:
"The approval rate for Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq plunged to 34 percent in last weekend's Newsweek poll"

Someone Tell the President the War Is Over By Frank Rich, New York Times Published: August 14, 2005 LIKE the Japanese soldier marooned on an island for years after V-J Day, President Bush may be the last person in the country to learn that for Americans, if not Iraqis, the war in Iraq is over. "We will stay the course," he insistently tells us from his Texas ranch. What do you mean we, white man? A president can't stay the course when his own citizens (let alone his own allies) won't stay with him. The approval rate for Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq plunged to 34 percent in last weekend's Newsweek poll - a match for the 32 percent that approved L.B.J.'s handling of Vietnam in early March 1968. (The two presidents' overall approval ratings have also converged: 41 percent for Johnson then, 42 percent for Bush now.) On March 31, 1968, as L.B.J.'s ratings plummeted further, he announced he wouldn't seek re-election, commencing our long extrication from that quagmire. More....

[gr8fuldaniel]

If bush ever does overcome his fear of Cindy............

My guess is, he will be wearing this suit:

[righthand]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Thanx Me 2. I still chuckle every-time I see it. I am still waiting for a response from V. Its possible she may have said something polite......You know how it can be when we are nervous. How many times have we said "Fine", when asked "Hows it going?" When, in fact, its a flat out lie. The world is a shitload of pain and problems and injustice. But we still do it, for decorum.

Someone Tell the President the War Is Over

Check this out: "The approval rate for Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq plunged to 34 percent in last weekend's Newsweek poll"

Off thread.

Great web site. Some bloke 'Pray 4 Peace' kept following me about. Couldn't shake him off. Even threatened him with Rummy. Didn't work. I'll do anything for peace, but praying by me would be wasted thoughts!

How you get the New York Times banner to post? It's not text even if if it looks it. It's like its embedded with out being there. Care to tell. It really would smarten up postings, if Sean would allow it.

Your clock knew my local time. How? Although I'm in a GMT zone, we are on Summer Time. Your clock got it right. Most sites need to be told and will have to be readjusted after Summer Time.

I also love your Cogs. Every time I see your posts, I think of georgie's brain, but his is not quite as fast as yours.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: righthand Off thread

Since it is off-thread, I will respond briefly (further response can be requested in a PM)
1) "Great web site"
Thanx
2) "I'll do anything for peace, but praying by me would be wasted thoughts!"
You never know. It may be the most powerful thing we can do. It beats hoping for bad things to happen. I have found that "I" usually get what I pray/hope for others.
3) "How you get the New York Times banner to post?"
Right click the image, select Properties, Highlight the address (URL), select copy, choose "Go Advanced" below text field at bottom of this page. Click the and paste the address. Click OK. Thats it. (Same for any image)
4) ... if Sean would allow it.
Sometimes they disappear, but it isnt listed in the rules. I am sure its OK with NY Times, Its FREE ADVERTISING
5) Your clock knew my local time. How?
Which one? The Red one? It must use your computer clock settings. I thought the one from ClockLink would display my time zone even on other computers, because I had to add my zone to the java-script.

[Athena]

Quote by: brent6339 Cindy Sheehan has every right to be upset and protest the war in Iraq. However, understand that the media is portraying this story unfairly. One who knows nothing of this story may actually believe that Bush would not meet with her. But guess what? Bush has already met with Ms. Sheehan before. In fact, Ms Sheehan not only met with Bush but had this to say after talking with him. Here is what she told a California newspaper some time ago. "I now know [President Bush] is sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis. I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss." she went on to say... "that was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together." Now Ms. Sheehan is using liberals like Micheal Moore to call attention to her story. I have no problem with the fact that Ms. Sheehan is protesting in Crawford. The woman lost a son and she deserves a great deal of respect. Let's just make sure we all have the fact before pointing the finger at Bush.

I have tried to have discussions with elected officials and I have never had the experience I would call real discussion. I too have protested on the streets and I hate it. I mean, it really, really is not something I like to do, but when there is a failure in communication, there is no option but to attempt to moblize a mass demand for that communication. I experienced this through Grandmother's for Family Justice and testifying in the front of the Oregon state legislature- that was an experience to demonstrate what is wrong with democracy!

Sometimes I think the ideal of government of the people, by the people, for people, is nothing but delusion, unless the people are well armed and kill the opposition. I understand the mother's frustration with a president who is no more reachable than a king of old. The whole Bush family and Cheney crowd are living a reality completely separate from the reality of mothers and children. They choose to be separate and we should all be doing all in power to make that separation impossible!

[righthand]

Cindy Sheehan Gives Aid and Comfort to the Enemy
The CONSERVATIIVE VOICE ...by Joseph Gutheinz, Jr., J.D.
August 16, 2005 09:23 PM EST
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/...e.html?id=7546

No one wants to be the first person to call the mom of a dead American hero an idiot, and the conservatives I know are going out of their way to be nice to Cindy Sheehan, in memory of her son, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan. However, I believe in calling a fruitcake a fruitcake and an idiot an idiot, and Cindy Sheehan is both. Cindy Sheehan is using her dead son as a mechanism to give aid and comfort to the enemy during time of war, whether she understands that or not. What's more she is putting up crosses with the names of those who died in Iraq without securing the permission of those military members' families, many of whom despise everything she stands for. It is no accident that the Boss Hog of the left, Michael Moore, is breaking bread with her, it's better than breaking wind I suppose, or that the Communists came out to show solidarity with her. They know the impact she is having on America, and they like it. Now she has expanded her protest to include telling Israel to get out of Palestine. How traditionally left wing, she is using the Jew card. Why is it that any times a goof ball left winger wants to attack something, Israel, Zionism or Kissinger is used as a punching bag?

with more such dribble

They must be feeling pretty cocksure of themselves, to be spouting such crap. They usually don't dump on someone like this unless they are pretty sure the opposition is in no position to bite back. Do they know something that we don't.

Or it could be a case that she REALLY is hurting them and they are lashing out.

.

[7 Swildo 7]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...1sheehan1.html

She is being divorced....just thought i would put this up for those that are interested.

[mr.perfecto]

More likely the writer is attempting the literary equivalent of that classic movie moment when one person goes berserk and someone standing nearby, realising that the first person is well past the point where reason is possible, slaps the crap out him.

[monty of ll]

Divorce. As happens quite frequently with families when they lose a child. The trauma of the loss seems to cause couples to go their own ways. And what a perfect opportunity for Americans who hate Cindy Sheehan to worsen her pain and discredit her for her courageous stand against the war.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: monty of ll Divorce. As happens quite frequently with families when they lose a child. The trauma of the loss seems to cause couples to go their own ways. And what a perfect opportunity for Americans who hate Cindy Sheehan to worsen her pain and discredit her for her courageous stand against the war.

Same wavelength, monty. It takes an exceptionally well-founded and healthy marriage to withstand the loss of a child. And the hate is because she is bold in confronting the one she sees as responsible for her son's death. To some righties Dubya can do no wrong...

[righthand]

Quote by: 7 Swildo 7 She is being divorced....just thought i would put this up for those that are interested.

Private. Not worthy of comment. More dancing on her son's grave.

The most joyful moment in any person's life is the birth of their first born. This I know, being 40 when my first born arrived.

The worst dread of anyone must be the dead of a child. Compound that by what factor in the case of a death in a war that many consider illegal. To my mind, there would be two opposing but normal reactions.

1. Do as Cindy Sheehan has done and give meaning to the child's death in trying to prevent other parents suffering the same. Not matter what your politics, you must accept that she has earned that right. The fact that she is particularly good at doing the latter in no way lessens that right.

2. Equally valid is the opposite parent reaction. For them to give meaning to their loss they become ardent supporters of the cause. That first reaction will usually define the rest of their lives. They are the people of simple faith in religious terms. They will not nor cannot question the causes, reason, length or anything of the war. They become the most loyal of loyal Americans. Their reaction is equally valid.

Of the two, I would prefer if my reaction could be the second. Its a nice cocoon. Unfortunately, I know my reaction would be the first. The third option is madness.

Some headlines this morning: An army of one Daily News ...George Bush has met his match. He has twice vanquished Democratic opponents, brought down Saddam Hussein and is the straw that stirs the world's drink. All that was before Cindy Sheehan showed up on his doorstep. Sheehan offered a new camp as tensions with locals grow Houston Chronicle ...She'll relocate closer to Bush, but her memorial will stay put — after damage is repaired Politics of War Could Pivot on Mother's Vigil Los Angeles Times ..Cindy Sheehan is filling a void for those opposed to Bush's Iraq policies. But he may benefit too. The high-profile vigil near President Bush's Texas ranch by Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq last year, could scramble the politics of the war as much for her allies as for the target of her protest. Media escalation unnerves protest mom USA ToDay ... CRAWFORD, Texas — Cindy Sheehan's modest anti-war protest along the road to President Bush's ranch has evolved into a headline-grabbing national movement. That has led some Republicans to say she's being used by liberal groups hostile to Bush's policies.

[monty of ll]

righthand said: "The worst dread of anyone must be the dead of a child. Compound that by what factor in the case of a death in a war that many consider illegal. To my mind, there would be two opposing but normal reactions.

1. Do as Cindy Sheehan has done and give meaning to the child's death in trying to prevent other parents suffering the same. Not matter what your politics, you must accept that she has earned that right. The fact that she is particularly good at doing the latter in no way lessens that right.

2. Equally valid is the opposite parent reaction. For them to give meaning to their loss they become ardent supporters of the cause. That first reaction will usually define the rest of their lives. They are the people of simple faith in religious terms. They will not nor cannot question the causes, reason, length or anything of the war. They become the most loyal of loyal Americans. Their reaction is equally valid.

Of the two, I would prefer if my reaction could be the second. Its a nice cocoon. Unfortunately, I know my reaction would be the first. The third option is madness.

--------------------

Very well done righthand! She has made a brave choice and now it needs another mother who has lost her son to join her. The easy choice for parents is to continue to support and perpetuate the war but Cindy Sheehan has the courage to question it even though her son died for the cause. She must now understand that the casue was not a valid one.

[RickSp]

This evening I will be joining in with my neighbors at a candlelight vigil for Cindy Sheehan.
Vigils to support Sheehan protest

More than 1,000 anti-war vigils are to take place around the United States in support of a bereaved mother protesting outside President Bush's Texas ranch.

If you want to send a message to the War Party you might find a vigil in your area.
Vigil for Cindy Sheehan

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: monty of ll Very well done righthand! She has made a brave choice and now it needs another mother who has lost her son to join her.

They could call it Mothers Against Damned Despots.

Still waiting for V, on this;

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio You guys do know she first Praised Bush when THEY DID MEET, and now a year later is deep in the anti-war left pocket

How did she praise bush?
Were you refferring to the Drudge Report item taken out of context?
Check this Media Matters report:

Cindy Sheehan "changed her story on Bush"? Tracking a lie through the conservative media On August 8, Internet gossip Matt Drudge posted an item on his website, the Drudge Report, in which he falsely claimed that Sheehan "dramatically changed her account" of a meeting she had with Bush in June 2004; Drudge attempted to back up his false assertion by reproducing Sheehan quotes from a 2004 newspaper article without providing their context. After the story appeared on the Drudge Report, it gained momentum among conservative weblogs and eventually reached Fox News, where it was presented as hard news and in commentaries. Media Matters for America will examine how one false story on an Internet gossip site ended up the focus of prime-time cable news coverage.