CAPTION: Bill Mitchell of Atascadero, Ca., is comforted after he broke down crying during a prayer at Camp Casey near Crawford, Texas, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005. Mitchell’s son Mike Mitchell was killed in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan has been joined by dozens of other families that lost loved one in the war in Iraq. AP/Yahoo
Silence — respectful silence — is all I can think of.
More photos below:
CAPTION: Cindy Sheehan sits on the side of the road near Crawford, Texas, Friday, Aug. 12, 2005. Sheehan is seeking a meeting with President Bush to discuss the death of her son Casey Sheehan that was killed in Iraq. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Slide show, AP/Yahoo.
Nuff said.
Her donation to George’s cause is priceless. She deserves a piece of his time.
Speechless.
Some parentss do not.
We should be “thankful” that Bush (and his current crop of advisors) have become so completely tone deaf to appearances. Had he met with Cindy Sheehan right at the beginning, the tide of public opinion would quite likely have flowed his way. He could have been seen as a “compassionate” man who hugs people when they’ve suffered (assuming he didn’t call her “Mom” throughout their meeting).
But now, Bush’s shameful and cowardly behavior has made this into a lose-lose situation for him. If he finally agrees to meet with Sheehan, it will be seen (entirely correctly) as caving under extreme pressure, and not as the action of a concerned leader. And if he continues to show her — and the rest of the world — only the back of his hand, and the dust kicked up from his motorcade, the pressure will only continue to mount. Camp Casey will grow stronger, and what could once have been a single-news-cycle story will begin to approach a full-blown media spectacle. The White House press corps has little else to do this month, and Cindy Sheehan has given them the perfect storyline to sink their teeth into.
It is truly sad that the supposed leader of the free world would be made to look so pathetic by a mother’s simple plea. In contrast to her, he is small, indeed.
In some respects, maybe. In general? I think that tone-deafness is one reason why this administration has been so disastrous. Their perspective seems to be that no-one cares about their snafus and blunders. That, ultimately, they don’t matter, because they can use their control of the media to erase them from the news cycle. But all too often, they seem to accept the fantasy instead of the reality, and real people pay the price.
Clinton, despite all the damage he did to political discourse and liberalism in general, at the very least, had handlers who were smart enough to realize that major blunders would be death for his popular image.
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“Twinkle” & Party Girls
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Just like Dad, quite a different story for American Patriots!
A Disproportionate Sacrifice
Md. Mother Lobbies to End Sons’ Concurrent Deployments in Iraq
Washington Post March 5, 2005 — When Ann Swann’s twin sons were deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps Reserve last year, she fired off a letter to President Bush. Her eldest son already was serving there with the Army Reserve, she explained, and she wanted one of her boys brought home.
“This letter is from a concerned mother,” wrote Swann, 53, principal of Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary in Prince George’s County. “I request that if at all possible, you conference with me to discuss the reason that all three of my sons (my only family left) are serving in Iraq.”
<click photo to enlarge>
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Maybe because they are black.
Black recruitment levels CONTINUE to plummet regarding this goddamn war. See below:
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/12310705.htm
Anybody but Jenna and notJenna. And certainly not the children of other privileged base donors…
Does anyone know how to contact her? I would like to do something for her.
I hope it is different today but when I was in Crawford Thursday, I saw only one African-American gentleman (he was the one with the great “where’s the compassion, conservative?” sign).
I would love to help more minorities be involved in and get to Camp Casey.
Was the gentleman on Thursday the Reverend Johnson? Truthout.org has video with him on their site, definitely go have a look.
No, I don’t thinks so, doesn’t look like him and I was gone before Rev. Johnson got there (I think).
The point has been made that Bush won in ’04 because he was perceived as more authentic. (Diebold theories notwithstanding) If this does not clearly illustrate Bush’s lack of authenticity, especially his drive by today, then Americans have truly become more obtuse than has been suspected.
I don’t know if this has been covered on Booman Trib today BUT here is a comment on the chanting between the opposing sides (Cindy Sheehan’s heroes Vs Mike Gallagher’s pseudocons) taken from deepintheheartoftx dKos diary:
Imagine that add hitting the TV news? I hope someone had a camera rolling?
Every time I get a call from someone in Crawford, I ask about video cameras … the digital cameras are nice, but we need video.
Everyone’s promised to look around and see who’s shooting film.
One woman Tracy talked to is doing a documentary, but that won’t be available for a long time.
Isn’t truthout.org there with a camera..they’ve been putting video up on their site. I thought Eric was going to be there until at least Sunday
Truthout.org does have the video of the press conference, plus more with families.
Their live blogger was at the Peace House when everything went down last night — but he has a great story about 3 soldiers who came in from Ft. Hood.
Today they are at the rally with video and they say it’ll be up int he next couple of days.
Susan…I am going to ask my son to borrow his video camera. Will keep you posted. I am not the best at shooting film but if he says ok(which I think he will) I will do what I can when I get down there. After seeing the slideshow last night you had posted I knew I was doing the right thing by going there.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
God bless these brave souls, facing their pain head on and doing something to prevent others from having to face that pain.
Years from now, we’ll see this as the turning point in the case against the war. It’s a clear demarcation and will haunt Bush for the rest of his (hopefully shortened) presidency.
And to clarify – by shortened I’m not wishing for Bush to die – just wishing for Bush to be impeached.
so true… that photo of Cindy Sheehan giving comfort to Bill Mitchell is priceless. All of these photos are powerful. Words fail me.
I don’t usually cross-post, but it seemed appropriate to add this here as well as to a thread at dKos. The Washington Note, which too frequently for my taste approves of the administration but also offers intelligent criticism, today said:
This pathetic excuse of a President could not have possibly found a more vivid way of showing his true colors, than he did by speeding past Cindy in his fancy SUV, on a quest for more gold and more power.
That any American citizen could see this, and still support this President and this administration makes my heart just break.
Thanks Susan
Great photos. Great courage these parents have.
Thanks again, Susan. You been rockin’ steady for a while now, don’t overdo it, ok? Stay healthy. We need you.
For those who are interested, the following items are currently at the top of the menu at The Whispering Campaign
Friends, Americans, Countrymen… by Donn Witherspoon
Letter to Cindy Sheehan by Ray McGovern
Preoccupation With Literal Truth In Scriptures by Karen Armstrong
A True US Patriot by True Patriot
We also have a new series of recent live-blogged reports from Crawford, plus a growing number of articles by and about Cindy Sheehan… among other things …
and of course everything I’ve been saying regularly is still true. Easy to print. Easy to read. Easy to copy.
And lots of fun.
Being the media has never been easier.
The Whispering Campaign
Knowledge Is Power! Pass It On!!
Susan, my 13-year-old son read this diary this morning, and had tears in his eyes-I can’t repeat what he had to say about George.
I think he’ll be coming to DC with me in September.