Bush sets record-longest vacation in recent history

[wvrevy]

That's kind of silly - why would I blame President Clinton for it? My point is (as you well know), her son joined the military as a volunteer. He knew that he could be sent to war, just as anyone that joins the military knows. If you don't want to go, then by all means, don't sign up.

So that's your message to the parents and families of guardsmen that have been killed in Iraq, particularly those that disagree with the war ? "Too bad...you pay your money you takes your chances...he / she knew war was a possibility when they signed up" ? Really ?

Wow.

 

[BuckNaked]

So that's your message to the parents and families of guardsmen that have been killed in Iraq, particularly those that disagree with the war ? "Too bad...you pay your money you takes your chances...he / she knew war was a possibility when they signed up" ? Really ?

Wow.

Am I missing something? Have they changed recruitment such that people joining the military don't understand that they may go to war?

Of course I feel terrible for all of the families that have lost someone. But where I draw the line is where they start blaming everyone else for the choice that their loved one made. If you seriously don't want to risk going to war, joining the military is not the way to go.

 

[Professor Mouse]

I love it. Camp Casey (that is the unoffical name of the Sheehan protest) has a camp attorney. Here is a report from the "camp attorney" of Camp Casey. "rumors of pending arrests...false."

Here is the latest information from Buddy Spell, the house attorney for Camp Casey -

"We've met for the last hour with two representatives of the McLennan County Sheriff's Office - Lt. Side Franklin and Sgt. John Kolinek." The legal team, comprised of Louisiana and Texas attorneys, and the Sheriff's office have a deal with the shared stated goal of having no one arrested, period. And we are prepared to say that any rumors of pending arrests of anyone at Camp Casey are false."

Also, Buddy has informed us that the Texas Civil Rights Project has found contributors of portalettes so that the protesters are able to have bathroom facilities on site. They expect the bathrooms will be delivered within the next few hours.

Buddy states that there are about 400 people total around the triangle. Roughly 100 media personnel and 300 protesters. He says that he has met Argentinean, Asian, German and BBC news people.

Families and supporters are building a mock-cemetery around the original tents. They have been working on the project since 6:30 AM this morning. There is a huge awning above the tents. Families on site have crosses for their children right up front, the rest are comprised of crosses for others killed in the war. They are filling up along the road, about 50 to 70 yards long, 3 deep.

Buddy relates that he and the rest of the legal team feel confident enough with the deal made with the local Sheriff that the Texas legal team was able to leave, which leaves Buddy and Annie on site as house attorneys for the protesters.

I did not think that the Bushies would be stupid enough to arrest Cindy Sheehan. Evidently Karl Rove took a break from meeting with his attorneys to call off the arrests.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

That's fine, T_M, but that is your opinion. Just don't expect a lot of respect for attacking a grieving mother and calling her a glory hound.

Grieving parents don't flaunt their grief in front of the media for political gain. And I long ago got over caring what anyone else thinks about me. I have all the respect I need from people who matter; I don't desire or need the respect of people I don't know.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

I love it. Camp Casey (that is the unoffical name of the Sheehan protest) has a camp attorney.

Every circus needs a clown. I'm glad this one found one.

 

[bsnyder]

FAMILY OF FALLEN SOLDIER PLEADS: PLEASE STOP, CINDY!
Thu Aug 11 2005 12:56:21 ET

The family of American soldier Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004, has broken its silence and spoken out against his mother Cindy Sheehan's anti-war vigil against George Bush held outside the president's Crawford, Texas ranch.

The following email was received by the DRUDGE REPORT from Cherie Quarterolo, Casey's aunt and godmother:

Our family has been so distressed by the recent activities of Cindy we are breaking our silence and we have collectively written a statement for release. Feel free to distribute it as you wish. Thanks Ð Cherie

In response to questions regarding the Cindy Sheehan/Crawford Texas issue: Sheehan Family Statement:

The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.

Sincerely,

Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

 

[BuckNaked]

Sorry Bet, that's no good. Only the people that are asking for the President's head on a pike are permitted to comment publicly on a soldier's death. Everyone else has to shut up.

 

[BuckNaked]

Oh yeah, Cindy Sheehan has no political agenda whatsoever in this...

AN OPEN LETTER TO GEORGE BUSH
November 4, 2004

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.

All of this lying, fooling, and betraying must be “hard work” George. You really think you know what hard work is?

George, let me tell you what “hard work” really is.

Hard work is seeing your oldest son, your brave and honorable man-child go off to a war that had, and still has, no basis in reality. Hard work is worrying yourself gray and not being able to sleep for 2 weeks because you don’t know if your child is safe.

Hard work is seeing your son’s murder on CNN one Sunday evening while you’re enjoying the last supper you’ll ever truly enjoy again.

Hard work is having three military officers come to your house a few hours later to confirm the aforementioned murder of your son…your first born…your kind and gentle sweet baby.

Hard work is burying your child 46 days before his 25th birthday. Hard work is holding your other three children as they lower the body of their big “baba” into the ground. Hard work is not jumping in the grave with him and having the earth cover you both.

But, Dear George, do you know what the hardest work of all is? Trying to digest the fact that the leader of the country that your family has fought for and died for, for generations, lied to you and betrayed your dear boy’s sense of honor and exploited his courage and exploited his loyalty to his buddies. Hard work is having your country abandon you after they killed your son. Hard work is coming to the realization that your son had his future robbed from him and that you have had your son's future and future grand-children stolen from you. Hard work is knowing that there are so many people in this world that have prospered handsomely from your son's death.

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!

The President stole two elections, blah, blah, blah. Any belief I had that this woman was actually, sincerely interested in speaking with the President, and that she has no political agenda at all just went flying out the window.

 

[wvrevy]

Gee...If I lost a child to a war that I didn't believe was justified, would that make me try to dedicate myself to making the person responsible pay for their poor decisions ? Hmmm...Let me think...

And frankly, I could care less what her son's second cousin twice removed has to say about it. They are free to sink just as low as the rest of the republicans if they so choose. I need neither respect their opinion nor the disgusting attacks that have come here and in the media. Cindy Sheehan is doing what she feels she must. Why people feel the need to slime her over that I will never understand. Particularly when those same people use the military constantly for political purposes.

But go ahead...Keep up the attacks...It only serves to generate sympathy for this woman and her cause.

 

[BuckNaked]

How is posting her own words sliming her? She had a political agenda before her son was even killed. To claim now that it's only her grief that is driving her actions is disingenous at best and an outright lie at worst.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Oh yeah, Cindy Sheehan has no political agenda whatsoever in this...

Thank you for posting this. It confirms what many people thought all along. This part is particularly telling

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.

Yeah, Ms. Sheehan is nothing more than a poor, grieving mother and has no political agenda whatsoever. She just wants to communicate her grief to the President. Right... when pigs fly.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Gee...If I lost a child to a war that I didn't believe was justified, would that make me try to dedicate myself to making the person responsible pay for their poor decisions ? Hmmm...Let me think...

And frankly, I could care less what her son's second cousin twice removed has to say about it. They are free to sink just as low as the rest of the republicans if they so choose. I need neither respect their opinion nor the disgusting attacks that have come here and in the media. Cindy Sheehan is doing what she feels she must. Why people feel the need to slime her over that I will never understand. Particularly when those same people use the military constantly for political purposes.

But go ahead...Keep up the attacks...It only serves to generate sympathy for this woman and her cause.

It is both humorous and outrageous that the political left wholeheartedly embraces this woman. I wonder how quickly the hugs and support would disappate if she went to TX to support President Bush instead of protest? Can anyone say "in less than a heartbeat?"

The political left embraces Ms. Sheehan much like an anaconda embraces its prey. Sure, both are "hugs" and provide "support" of a kind. But in the end, both are just as dangerous and deadly. And in the end, Ms. Sheehan will be cast aside, once her usefulness has ended, to struggle through the rest of her life wondering why.

 

[BuckNaked]

Oops, I stand corrected...according to CNN, her son joined the military never dreaming that he would see combat...I guess they are telling the recruits now that they won't ever have to fight...

 

[wvrevy]

It is both humorous and outrageous that the political left wholeheartedly embraces this woman. I wonder how quickly the hugs and support would disappate if she went to TX to support President Bush instead of protest? Can anyone say "in less than a heartbeat?"

The political left embraces Ms. Sheehan much like an anaconda embraces its prey. Sure, both are "hugs" and provide "support" of a kind. But in the end, both are just as dangerous and deadly. And in the end, Ms. Sheehan will be cast aside, once her usefulness has ended, to struggle through the rest of her life wondering why.

Ok, this wins the prize for funniest post of the day. Yes, that's right, folks...The ones attacking Mrs. Sheehan as someone that only wants the spotlight and for disgustingly using her son's death as a political tool...are only acting in her best interests, to keep her from the slimy Democrats.

As for what would happen if she were supporting the president...I would think she was a fool, but would certainly not attack her for it. But hey...I'm just decent that way, I guess.

Bucknaked - I joined the military never expecting I would have to fight, but yes, knowing it was a possibility. I'd venture to say that pretty much every person who enlisted prior to 9/11 could say the same thing. Does that mean that I don't get to be ticked off if I feel I am being sent into a war for all the wrong reasons and based on lies ? The "obligation" in the military is at least an implied two way street...that I will fight where I am ordered to fight, but that I will never be asked to do so unless it is necessary in defense of this nation.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Ok, this wins the prize for funniest post of the day. Yes, that's right, folks...The ones attacking Mrs. Sheehan as someone that only wants the spotlight and for disgustingly using her son's death as a political tool...are only acting in her best interests, to keep her from the slimy Democrats.

If Ms. Sheehan wants to make a spectacle of herself and participate in this circus of the absurd, I'm certainly not going to try to stop her. From what she wrote in her letter to the President she is intent on fulfilling her agenda and more power to her. I've always loved the circus and this one keeps adding new "rings" every day.

As for what would happen if she were supporting the president...I would think she was a fool, but would certainly not attack her for it. But hey...I'm just decent that way, I guess.

Sort of an odd perspective to say that thinking someone is a fool is somehow decent. But then again wasn't it yesterday when you called the American deaths in Iraq "senseless." As ThAnswr said earlier, rolling eyes, indeed.

 

[BuckNaked]

Bucknaked[/b] - I joined the military never expecting I would have to fight, but yes, knowing it was a possibility. I'd venture to say that pretty much every person who enlisted prior to 9/11 could say the same thing.

I don't know why they would think that. Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989, Gulf War in 1991, Kosovo in the late 1990s.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

From CNN:

Bush National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and a deputy White House chief of staff talked to Sheehan on Saturday. She said the meeting, which she called "pointless," lasted 20 minutes. The White House said it lasted 45 minutes.

It's obvious that nothing will satisfy Ms. Sheehan.

 

[BuckNaked]

From CNN: It's obvious that nothing will satisfy Ms. Sheehan.

Don't forget, she's still after impeachment, too. That might satisfy her, but I doubt it.

 

[wvrevy]

Sort of an odd perspective say that thinking someone is a fool is somehow decent. But then again wasn't it yesterday when you called the American deaths in Iraq "senseless." As ThAnswr said earlier, rolling eyes, indeed.

Yes...See, there is a difference between "think she is a fool" and "call her a fool." As the parent of a child that died in Iraq, I would feel she deserved that much respect, even if I disagreed with her reasoning. Yes, that is what being a "decent" person is.

And yes, I would call dying in a war that:
a) has put us more at risk for terrorist attack (per the CIA)
b) was sold as one thing and later sold as something else
c) is actually getting worse, not better
and
d) distracts from actually fighting terrorism around the world
..."senseless." That doesn't demean the men and women that gave their lives to this "cause". It simply calls into question the reason they had to be there to die in the first place.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Don't forget, she's still after impeachment, too. That might satisfy her, but I doubt it.

Thank you. I sit corrected. I believe she also asked for his resignation, so basically removing him from office is her only goal. Sadly, she also considers that "the most noble accomplishment of my life." One has to wonder how this is more noble than rearing four children, one of whom willingly made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and for people he didn't even know.