War Debate, and Emotions, Spill Over in Texas

L.A. Times ^ | August 28, 2005 | Peter Wallsten

[AliVeritas]

CRAWFORD, Texas — Pent-up fervor fueling both sides of the national debate over President Bush's Iraq policies erupted Saturday near his vacation home, with thousands of protesters venting frustrations and using parents of fallen soldiers as icons of their dueling movements.

Both the president's supporters and critics endured 100degree temperatures to rally in separate locations miles apart, and several hundred engaged in an emotional standoff at the fork in a road on the fringe of the Bush property — singing, chanting and yelling epithets.

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Separated by at least nine sheriff's deputies and a traffic island guarded by authorities as "no man's land," the scene served as a microcosm for the state of the national debate.

On one side of the street sat the original Camp Casey, set up three weeks ago by Cindy Sheehan, whose son Army Spc. Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq in 2004. She has since emerged as the leader of the antiwar movement. There, dozens cheered and belted out anti-Bush lyrics to the tune of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." A banner branded Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld "war pigs."

On the other side stood flag-waving Bush backers chanting, "Cindy, go home." One sign read: "Repent, you treasonous scum."

[BJungNan]

Pent-up fervor fueling both sides of the national debate over President Bush's Iraq policies erupted Saturday near his vacation home, with thousands of protesters venting frustrations and using parents of fallen soldiers as icons of their dueling movements.

Yea, right. Once thousands show support for the troops, now all of a sudden they are parents using fallen soldiers as icons. But when it was a lunatic mom and hundreds of other pro-left protestors orchestra by moveon.org, it was a movement. The LASlimes are shameless.

[golfboy]

"I know that the Camp Casey movement is going to end the war in Iraq," Sheehan told more than 1,000 cheering activists crammed into the shade under a circus tent. "When you read about the Camp Casey movement in the history books, you can say, 'I met Casey's mom.'

Hey Cindy, tell me again how this isn't about YOU!

[wildcatf4f3]

They all suck and desierve to be imprisoned with very lonely convicts. I like the treasonous scum line. The country could use a cleansing. The cold war will not have ended until Kerry, kennedy, ACLU are destroyed. Death to the fifth column.

[Elyse]

"When you read about the Camp Casey movement in the history books, you can say, 'I met Casey's mom.'

Ooooooooo! Can we have your autograph, Cindy, please, please! I just envy all those lucky people who can say they knew you back when....back before your son died and you became a big political star. HEY EVERYBODY, I met the dead guy's mom in person!!!! </sarcasm>

[Mind-numbed Robot]

A series of recent polls show Bush's approval ratings diminishing and public anxiety growing over the rising U.S. death toll in Iraq. More than 1,860 soldiers have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, and support for the president's handling of the war has dipped below 40%.

The very important aspect of these figures is that many, maybe most, of those who do not approve of Bush's handling of the war want a more aggressive war, not a pull out. Yet, all the Democrat talking heads are repeating the mantra, The majority of the American people oppose this war. Another liberal lie.

In Texas, the two sides of the debate are being underwritten by well-funded liberal and conservative organizations. MoveOn.org and True Majority, for instance, are bankrolling Sheehan's efforts — complete with an array of public relations consultants who advise the 48-year-old Vacaville, Calif., woman on tactics.

And well bankrolled they are. Shuttle buses and vans to and from the airport and to and from cars to the main areas. Expensive tents and expenses, and probably salaries, paid for the main activists and celebs.

The other side is tied closely to Move America Forward, a conservative group affiliated with political strategists who helped plan the 2003 recall of California Gov. Gray Davis.

This is more of a coalescing of a widespread movement which occurred naturally and found common ground with each other. The other side is a well funded and choreographed movement CREATED for its anti America purpose. Big difference.

[armymarinedad]

Mark Crowley, a sheet metal worker from San Ramon, Calif., stood with pro-Bush activists under a tent called "Camp Reality." Though surrounded by people wearing "I'm 4 W" pins and shirts, Crowley said he was a union member and a Democrat who did not vote for Bush or support the invasion of Iraq. His son, Kyle, was an 18-year-old Marine who died last year when his unarmored Humvee was ambushed — and Crowley objects to Sheehan. "What she's doing is not right, and it's setting a dangerous precedent for our troops in the field," said Crowley, who joined several other parents in asking Sheehan's supporters to remove their children's names from small white crosses at the antiwar protest sites.

Instead of calling the sides "antiwar protesters" and "Bush supporters" we should be a little more accurate and call the sides Terrorist Supporters and Troop Supporters.

[USS Alaska]

Well sindy sheoff has convinced me, it is now time to call osama bin wacken and ask him if we can make peace. We promise to withdraw all troops from the middle east {after we kill all of the israelis and give the land back to the peaceful palestinians}. We will apologize to the taliban and make any reparations for our unwarranted aggression.

In iraq, we will dismantle the 170,000 man iraqi army and restore the sadman to power. We will also make reparations to sadman for any damage to his baathist party and his torture chambers.

Since we will have surrendered, the enemy will be merciful {allah willing} and we can expect world peace and love.

If none of this works, see my tag-line. s/off

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

His son, Kyle, was an 18-year-old Marine who died last year when his unarmored Humvee was ambushed — and Crowley objects to Sheehan. "What she's doing is not right, and it's setting a dangerous precedent for our troops in the field," said Crowley.

It's a matter of choosing. You can blame the people who ambushed his son's Humvee, or you can blame the president. And it's literally true that if either one of them had done differently, Kyle Crowley would almost certainly still be alive. But if the president had done differently, someone else might have died, or be about to die. If the people who ambushed the Humvee hadn't deliberately done so, nor attacked anyone else . . .

But whether you blame the president or not, Kyle Crowley's comrades are still in Iraq - and the people who killed Kyle Crowley would be encouraged if Mr. Crowley blamed the president instead of them. So Mr. Crowley chooses solidarity with Kyle's surviving comrades rather than with his son's murderers.

[TADSLOS]

So Mr. Crowley chooses solidarity with Kyle's surviving comrades rather than with his son's murderers.

[TADSLOS]

So Mr. Crowley chooses solidarity with Kyle's surviving comrades rather than with his son's murderers.

Moral courage. Sheehan has none.

[StonyBurk]

Should have brought out the sheep dip long before it come to
this. The Cindy -Soros-Michael Moore America Haters should
have been spayed and sprayed 48 hrs after they set up camp.
They had plenty of time to repeat their Lies.and the longer the remain only proves their Communist -anti-American idiology.

[StonyBurk]

Been wearing a 3In.pin that says Over a barrel?With image of a barrel of Opec crude (then-) Go Nuclear I still believe
the biggest mistake our government made before we went in
was when we attempted to level all Religions and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference.
To insist Islam is a religion of Peace when the vast majority of trouble in our world of late has been fomented by Muslims acting in accord with their bloody Scripture and
religious belief,is beyond insanity.