In a grassroots movement, moms of all political persuasions organize to oust Bush

Baltimore Sun ^ | March 30, 2004 | Susan Reimer

[Cincinatus' Wife]

..........Iris Anthony, a mother of four boys, recalls sitting at the dinner table in her Arnold home, listening to Bush declare victory in Iraq and knowing with dreaded certainty that his declaration did not mean soldiers were coming home anytime soon.

"I looked around the table at my satin-cheeked boys - I mean, not one of them shaves yet - and saying I was damned if I was going to send any of them to Iraq.

"I think I actually cursed.

"Anyway, Theo, the 13-year- old says, 'Well, Mom. What are you going to do about it?'"

Anthony called 20 friends and told each one to call 20 friends and they gathered in her living room during the height of holiday preparations - the best evidence of their seriousness, she says.

"We decided we weren't going to be just a bunch of women whining on the phone to each other. If ever there was a year for mothers to act, this was it. The issues for mothers are so clear."

I know what you are thinking. These women are my friends and we all think alike or we never would have let our kids hang out together. But it isn't that simple.

Once a woman has a child, all children become her children, and she casts her net of compassion and empathy far and wide to embrace them.

"We are a diverse group," says Woolridge, a stay-at-home mom who voted Republican in 1988. "But we have a common heart."

The fathers of our children may become more conservative, and perhaps more Republican, as they seek to protect the stake in the community they established in the name of family. But the mothers often become less so.

Mothers pray for all families to prosper and all children to succeed. The president does himself no good if he refuses to address the dismay of this constituency. ...............

[alnick]

Oh yes, moms of all political persuasions, ranging from democrat to, well, democrat. Why they even have one who voted Republican in 1988.

[an amused spectator]

Iris Anthony:

[Tax-chick]

Maybe she read it from a script :-). I'd be more likely to mention my sons' grimy cheeks, and observe that after all these years, they still can't get themselves clean without help!

(For the record, my sons are 10, 7-1/2, 2, and 2 months.)

[Bringbackthedraft]

"Never mind there is no draft, that little fact never occurred to them."

The Selective Service Registration is still in effect. So if things get too bad and the recruiters come way under quota and we are over committed???

[cajungirl]

Maybe these satin cheeked chilrun's moms should question Charlie Rangel and various dems who want the draft reinstated.

[OldFriend]

If if if I were to run the Boston Marathon in the morning, that would be something, wouldn't it?

[GraceCoolidge]

Once a woman has a child, all children become her children, and she casts her net of compassion and empathy far and wide to embrace them.

Here's this mom's take: you pathetic bunch of self-centered morons-- keep you "net" away from my children. I am raising mine to be strong patriots who know that some things are eternally important... and one of them is freedom. I want my children to be brave Americans who can look beyond this revolting "what's in it for me" attitude that you foster. Oh, and incidentally, I guess we are to assume that your "net of compassion and empathy," doesn't stretch quite as "far and wide" as Iraq, right? I think perhaps your article should say that "[o]nce a woman has a child, all children become her children, except for those ones in Iraq, they can see their families tortured and killed, just so long as my 401(k) is doing all right and my little Brittany and Tyler and Duncan can get to all their enrichment activites on time."

[smiley]

Pathetic....they don't mind sucking on the breast of the American way of life, do they?

[Gefreiter]

Note to hippies: Soldiers are professionals, not victims. Please make a note of it.

[fortunecookie]

Hmmm. Has anyone let this mother know we have a volunteer military? Her sons aren't going to be sent anywhere to fight unless they enlist.

For some women (I know a few) that's problem enough. These boys may 'escape' the draft (because it's not being used) but the, oh the horror, what if the boys choose in the future to serve -- clearly mommy doesn't like that idea.

[fortunecookie]

Excellent take on it!! As a mother, I'm with you!

[mewzilla]

Tom Seibert, former ambassador to Sweden under President Clinton, Democratic fund-raiser and an Annapolis resident, stands to one side and introduces himself at this event as "Debbie's husband." His wife is one of the founders of the group.

Yup, real grass roots there. Toon roots.

[Katya]

Mentioning that it was a Baltimore Sun article was the Barf alert....plus this was about "Maryland" mothers...who vote democrat most of the time.

[alnick]

r some women (I know a few) that's problem enough. These boys may 'escape' the draft (because it's not being used) but the, oh the horror, what if the boys choose in the future to serve -- clearly mommy doesn't like that idea.

My best friend is basically apolitical, but tends to take the liberal side of issues. Her 18 year old son, my Godson, has joined the Navy. Having been brought up by his mom, he is somewhat sympathetic to democrat positions, but is not really politically minded either.

He goes to basic training next month.

I'm expecting, and praying, that this experience will convert him into a staunch Republican, and that that will rub off on his mom and brother (father's deceased).

I was proud of my friend, whose initial reaction to her son enlisting was that of panic, but who didn't take very long at all to come around to a position of support.

[cyncooper]

Could these people sound more fake?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I suspect these quotes are made up out of thin air and Ms. Roemer might suffer from Jayson Blair syndrome.

Might, I say...

[cyncooper]

That is exactly how it struck me!

[cyncooper]

LoL! That struck me as well.

Early morning CLICK.

[Sci Fi Guy]

The Selective Service Registration is still in effect. So if things get too bad and the recruiters come way under quota and we are over committed???

1. Bush does not want to increase the size of our military (it's one of the few things he's doing wrong in the war.)

2. Under Reagan, our non-draft military was approx twice the size it is today. So it is possible to recruit the people we need.

3. A draft would take months to enact, and much longer before any troops would be trained. Not quick enough to respond to any specific crisis.

4. A draft would be needed in a major long drawn out conflict. Say for example china tries to take over the far east i.e. japan, s.korea, etc. Then we would be facing a potentially long war, requiring a large military.

[cajungirl]

Grace, I am with you. BTW should I feel bad that my grandsons cheeks aren't exactly satin. They usually are kind of sticky with food and covered with a layer of Texas dust. And one of them was born with a desire to go to war, since he was so small, he has played with guns, been enchanted with all military things, insists his room is red white and blue and loves the flag. He is six and I am convinced will command a bunch of soldiers someday. His cheeks aren't satin either. Have I failed? Has my daughter failed?