Posted on 08/24/2005 8:59:31 AM PDT by GeorgiaYankee
2005-08-24) -- An internal White House memo, leaked today, indicates how President George Bush initially planned to address Cindy Sheehan's question: What "noble cause" did my son die for?
The draft memo includes suggestions from White House communications staff, followed by several paragraphs apparently handwritten by the president.
While handwriting experts from CBS News continue to pore over the document to verify its authenticity, here is the text of the president's alleged response to the grieving Mom whose protest has captured the hearts of America's journalists.
Dear Mrs. Sheehan,
You have asked me to identify the noble cause for which your son died. I have not answered you personally out of respect for the nobility of your son's sacrifice.
Being president forces me into the spotlight, but I would rather stand in the shadows of men like Casey Sheehan.
Directing national attention on my response to your protest creates a distraction from what matters. The focus of our attention, and our admiration, should rest on people like Casey Sheehan, who stand in the breach when evil threatens to break out and consume a helpless people.
The running story on the news networks should be the valiant efforts of our troops -- the merchants of mercy who export freedom and import honor. They trade their own lives for the sake of others.
As a result, we live in a nation where a woman can camp outside of the president's house and verbally attack the president for weeks on end without fear of prison, torture or death. And the number of nations where such protest is possible has multiplied thanks to the work of our military.
You ask for what noble cause your son died?
In a sense he died so that people like you, who passionately oppose government policies, can freely express that opposition. As you camp in Crawford, you should take off your shoes, for you stand on holy ground. This land was bought with the blood of men like your son.
Now, 25 million Iraqis cry out to enjoy the life you take for granted. Most of them will never use their freedom to denigrate the sacrifice of those who paid for it. But once liberty is enshrined in law, they will be free to do so. And when the Iraqis finally escape their incarceration, hope will spread throughout that enslaved region of the world, eventually making us all safer and more free.
The key is in the lock of the prison door. Bold men risk everything to turn it.
Mrs. Sheehan, everyone dies. But few experience the bittersweet glory of death with a purpose -- death that sets people free and produces ripples of liberty hundreds of years into the future.
Casey Sheehan died that freedom might triumph over bondage, hope over despair, prosperity over misery. He died restoring justice and mercy. He lived and died to help to destroy the last stubborn vestiges of the Dark Ages.
To paraphrase President Lincoln, the world will little note nor long remember what you and I say here. But it can never forget what Casey Sheehan did during his brief turn on earth. If we are wise, we will take increased devotion to that cause for which he gave the last full measure of devotion.
Our brave warriors have blazed a trail. They have enstrusted the completion of the task to those of us they left behind. Let's, you and I, resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.
Let's finish the work that they have thus far so nobly advanced.
Sincerely, George W. Bush
Awesome letter, Cindy should read it.
Drudge is SO yesterday's news. There are at least a dozen blogs that make drudge look like warmed over oatmeal.
To bad Rush hasn't figured that out yet. I think half his stack of stuff consists of his laptop open to Drudge while he does his show.
You're right, I just get ticked off at the overly pessimistic.
Great tagline btw. I read that post and it was great. That's why I disagree with the negative thoughts.
How much does a full page ad in that local Crawford paper cost? I mean it. We should reprint it using Scott Ott as the author as an open letter to Ms. Sheehan and her supporters and sign it by the people who are paying for it. Whatdaya think? It'll be cheap, but I guarantee it'll be picked up by the National Media. At least Fox!
How much does a full page ad in that local Crawford paper cost? I mean it. We should reprint it using Scott Ott as the author as an open letter to Ms. Sheehan and her supporters and sign it by the people who are paying for it. Whatdaya think? It'll be cheap, but I guarantee it'll be picked up by the National Media. At least Fox!
He has been zapped now,but wasn't zapped when I posted my HUH.
I like playing with trolls.
If it's as a cheap as I think it will be, I will pay for it myself. If JIMROB and Scott Ott will allow, we'll sign it FREEREPUBLIC.COM. We would have to at fast, any comments?
Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Scott Ott. I'm serious. A full page ad in that horrible Iconoclast is less than $400. I will pay for it. If he retools the letter in his own hand I would like to pay to have it published as a full page ad in the Crawford paper made out of Cindy Sheehan and her supporters. But we have to act quickly. I went to Scrappleface website and couldn't find a direct email address for him. Any ideas?
OH! WHAT A RELIEF IT IS!!!
I'm mopping my eyes.
Thank you Scott Ott.
Did you read this?
I think it's a good "letter" and would love for it to be read more widely.
Don't you feel silly now? 8^)
DUH!!
Great....
Er......I would have if "scappleface" had been part of the headline in News/Activism - yet - it was not, making it appear a legimate story about a draft letter from Bush to Sheenan.
My complaint is only that people scanning the headlines in News/Activism will come away with the idea that Bush did author a letter to her. Not everybody reads each and every article they see appear in News/Activism. A disclaimer should have appeared in the headline since it was NOT NEWS but an article PRETENDING to be a letter from Bush to Sheehan.
Gee - get a grip. Or, has the mainstream media changed your view of reporting "NEWS".
What does that have to do with any of my comments?
My point was that although the letter is very good - it should not have been shown in News/Activism without the Scappleface identification as part of the title because otherwise it is misleading people that just scan the headlines.
Bush did not write a letter to Sheenan - but the headline makes it appear he did. Only if they read the comments and understand the "scappleface" source would they understand this was a "hoped" letter.
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