Posted on 08/12/2005 12:43:42 PM PDT by mdittmar
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush got his first look at an anti-war vigil near his ranch on Friday as his motorcade took him by the protest site lined with small white crosses representing fallen American soldiers in Iraq.
When Bush's black sport utility vehicle carried him past the site to a Republican fund-raiser, the protest leader, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was one of the nearly 1,850 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, held up a sign that said: "Why do you make time for donors and not for me?"
Other signs said: "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam" and "Bring Them Home Now." Some protesters held up white crosses as well.
The protest vigil began last Saturday and is being led by Sheehan, who has been demanding a meeting with Bush to discuss her opposition to the Iraq war.
Two rows of police officers faced the estimated 50 roadside protesters as Bush's 15-vehicle motorcade cruised by without slowing down.
He was headed to Stan and Kathy Hickey's Broken Spoke Ranch for a barbecue and ribs lunch to raise more than $2 million for the Republican National Committee. The 230 people attending were among the party's biggest donors.
Hundreds of small white crosses had been erected along the side of Prairie Chapel Road, each hand-painted with the name of a fallen soldier.
Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in combat in Iraq in April 2004 and she met with Bush in June 2004, but she wants another meeting. The White House has refused.
With Americans increasingly questioning the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Bush tried to address Sheehan's concerns on Thursday.
"Listen, I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush told reporters. "She feels strongly about her position. And she has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America."
He said he has thought "long and hard" about her demand to "get out of Iraq now" and strongly disagreed, saying a premature withdrawal would betray the Iraqis just as they are being trained to defend themselves and allow for a U.S. pullout.
Sheehan's group, Gold Star Families for Peace, released a protest ad that the organization said would run on cable television channels near Bush's ranch during August.
"Mr. President, I want to tell you face to face how much this hurts. I love my country, but how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war? How many more soldiers have to die before we say enough?" she said in the ad.
The total ad buy was put at $15,000.
Think he (or his people) flipped them off?
"Signals, this is Tumbler, fire mission, over."
The Silent Majority, by being so silent, helped the North Vietnamese communists win the Vietnam war. They must remain silent no longer, lest they help the terrorists win this war.
For that reason the Heart of Texas FR chapter is sponsoring a rally in Crawford. Noon Saturday. 4th and Chisom (in the park near there at least), they have a permit.
"I love my country"
Are Cindy's pants on fire?
At first I thought W should not have responded to the psycho mother...but his response was good and proper. The nutcakes can protest all they want. I support the President and this war...110%.
It was just a "thumb's up".
who is Sandy Berger going to interview there? has anyone heard?
No, she does not love this country. In her own words she calls it a terrorist state and "we are the bad guys."
I'm glad you're taking your rally to a proper venue.
Which is done through Fenton Communications who is running her campaign to trash the president. They are the same people who run MoveOn.org.
Oh, I forgot about fire ants... that is a welcome to Texas BIG TIME! :)
For that reason the Heart of Texas FR chapter is sponsoring a rally in Crawford. Noon Saturday. 4th and Chisom (in the park near there at least), they have a permit.
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I wish you guys would march down to where Sheehan is to get some camera time. I doubt you guys will even get acknowleged by the media. Good luck, though, it needs to be done.
I just don't get the crosses..isn't that Christian? That's offensive to some on the left. Oh I forgot it's a prop (see Clinton and stones on Normandy beach) and not a representation of the place of sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The goal of the Vietnam anti-war crowd was not to stop the war. If it had been, they would have gone away after the war. The goal was to change America. After the war ended, they moved to other causes like Ecology, nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
It's the same with these people. They hate Bush and the Republicans. So they hurt our troops by attacking the war as unwinnable, basically saying that our troops cannot get the job done.
again..AP just does enough to give the impression Bush has never met with her before.
or the killer bees flying nearby...
Go home, Mrs. Sheehan, you are making a fool of yourself.
WOW! "tens" of protesters!
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