Posted on 08/26/2005 11:28:51 AM PDT by Michael Hagan
With the President back at his Crawford ranch, the anti-war protest right outside his ranch is getting a lot more media attention. ABC7 looks at who is financing the operation and who's providing on-the-ground support.
The camp at Crawford is full of Cindy Sheehan supporters, people from all walks of life. But off to the side are a small group of professionals, skilled in politics and public relations who are marketing her message.
Cindy Sheehan kneels before a cross with her son's name on it, touches his picture, wipes her tears. It's an outpouring of emotion that is part of a scheduled news event organized daily for the television radio and print reporters who crowd in to capture a mother's grief.
Cindy Sheehan: "And I'm never going to see him again, I'm never going to hold him again, I'm never going to hear his voice again."
Sheehan's message hasn't changed since she got here but the support staff interested in getting that message out to the world has grown considerably.
Organizers are set up in this house trailer. Their meetings are closed to reporters.
Leading the group is Fenton Communications employee Michele Mulkey, based in San Francisco. Fenton specializes in public relations for liberal non profits.
Their bills are being paid by True Majority, a non-profit set up by Ben Cohen, of Ben and Jerry's ice cream fame.
Ben Cohen: "People are willing to listen to her and we want to do as much as we can to make her voice heard."
Cohen's liberal group has teamed up with Berkeley-based moveon.org, an anti-Bush group co-founded by Joan Blades.
Earlier this month, MoveOn.org helped organize anti-war vigils in support of Cindy Sheehan. Current Democratic National Party chair Howard Dean's organization, Democracy for America, is also involved. As is the more radical anti-war group Code Pink, organized by San Francisco's Medea Benjamin.
Money donated through these groups and others is helping to pay for Gold Star families whose children have been killed in Iraq to attend anti-Bush protests.
This week, Simi Valley, California Gold Star wife Melanie House flew to Idaho for a protest and then flew to Crawford.
Reporter: "Can you tell us if you're getting help in airfare to come down here?"
Melanie House: "What difference does that make?"
There is real reluctance to talk about whose paying. And the PR machine that's promoting Cindy Sheehan. But not everyone here is completely comfortable with it.
Gold Star mother Karen Meredith went to Crawford from Mt. View. Her son Ken Ballard died last year.
Karen Meredith: "Sometimes things don't feel quite right to me. They don't feel wrong but maybe that's how they do it in the marketing business."
ABC7's Mark Matthew: "You feel you're part of a marketing business?"
Karen Meredith: "Possibly. Yeah I think so."
I'm happy to see the F.O.P. has about the same "avoid at all cost" list that I have.
Could be she knows he's going to a better place?
That was the drift of my remark but it was really a cheap shot. I certainly hope they meet again someday. (the sooner the better -- just kidding).
I just wanted to add the drum slap!
Phony phony phony
No offense taken
To be honest one you become familiar with the left SOP you know how their plays work before they do, so you don't need to follow the particular in any game
Once you know the game you know the positions and what is required to play the positions
The name of who in filling the positions this season become irrelevant
The false front "peace movement" tactic of the left is an old as the hills... only the the most useful of idiots can not distinguish them from true pacifist
I'm thinking one of those "Big Ear" type deals they use at football games along the sidelines so that you can hear the snap count, the pads hitting the other pads (which really isn't all that loud), etc.
Speaking of phony - Al Sharpton on Fox & Friends now - before departing for Crawford
Cindy's groundswell is nothing more than the MSM wavepool.
Email the owners of Ben and Jerrys:
Ben: ben@together.net
Jerry: Jerry@benjerry.com
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