Posted on 09/30/2005 9:49:59 AM PDT by TaxRelief
[Dole speaks to jihad mom about war]
RALEIGH, N.C. -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and peace mom Cindy Sheehan met privately to discuss the war in Iraq and parted as divided in their views as ever.
"Some of the inflammatory statements that have been made by Ms. Sheehan and her political organization undermine the overall War on Terror and are extremely detrimental to our men and women in uniform in harm's way," Dole, R-N.C., said in a statement after the 10-minute private meeting on Thursday.
Dole, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was "a gentle lady," and "a warmonger," Sheehan said. She used the same epithet to describe Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam veteran who has supported the war in Iraq, after a meeting with him Wednesday.
"She just expounded on the talking points of the Republican Party," Sheehan said after visiting Dole's office. "She's 100 percent on board with the war and I'm 100 percent against the war."
Dole told The Charlotte Observer that she began by expressing her sympathy for the loss of Sheehan's son, Casey, a soldier who was killed in Iraq.
But Dole said she also told Sheehan that her "name-calling of the president and discrediting the war -- that's not helpful, that kind of language It's harmful for the morale of the troops."
Sheehan's conference with Dole was one of several scheduled this week as part of her campaign to persuade members of Congress to explain the reasons for the war. She spoke before a massive anti-war rally Saturday on the National Mall and was arrested Monday demonstrating in front of the White House.
Dole said she told Sheehan about Saddam Hussein's record in Iraq of raping and gassing his own people, reminded her that he had ignored multiple United Nations resolutions. Dole said that Iraq had become a breeding ground for terrorists, so it was necessary to fight the war.
Sheehan said Saddam bought the weapons he used on his own people in the 1980s after U.S. aid allowed Iraq to buy arms instead of food.
Dole said she believed she answered all of Sheehan's questions.
"She stays on the Republican message and gave the president's key talking points (and) she did not answer one question that I asked," Sheehan told the Winston-Salem Journal.
Politicians learn very early on how not to answer "When did you stop beating your wife?" type questions. Sheehan is just frustrated that her continued attempts to trap Republican politicians into "admitting" Bush is guilty and providing new soundbites for International A.N.S.W.E.R. aren't working.
Yes.
Thank you!
Sure!
I have no information suggesting she did that to Casey while he was alive.
It is obvious to everyone she did so after his death.
Not is I have any say so in it.
And honestly, even if Dole is trying to look "bipartisan," it's not going to help her one bit. Anyone who actually buys Sheehan's bilge at this point is a leftist who is going to vote against her, regardless of who is her opponent. So all that she's really accomplishing is the alienation of her base.
When will Reps quit trying to pacify liberals? It doesn't matter how nice they are, those liberals will NOT vote for them, so I don't know why they waste their time. I agree with you Phantom, about Dole meeting with that woman. When I heard that she wanted to meet with Dole while she was in Raleigh last month, I called Dole's office and told her I didn't want her to meet with her. Her assistant almost sounded embarrassed as she told me that there were a couple of NC people (who were Dole's constituents) who had asked her if she'd meet with Cindy. She said that all North Carolinians were Dole's constituents and she felt she needed to listen to all of them. I told her: First of all, Cindy Sheehan isn't one of her constituents and anyone who was a friend of or sympathetic to Sheehan wasn't one of her supporters and that she had better remember the people who put her in office and pay more attention to what they wanted, if she wanted to be re-elected.
The reason I said that is that I worked my tail off for Dole, in her campaign--working 14, 16 and 18 hours per day, 7 days per week, and volunteering at that and I didn't appreciate her giving legitimacy to this lunatic. This conversation took place 2 weeks ago and I'm just FRIED that she met with her. Shows where her loyalty is. I hate that I found out she met with her, because I will NOT try in any way to help her get re-elected. I've already been receiving notes from her about helping next time. Now, I will write her a note and let her know how I feel that she didn't respect her REAL constituents enough to ignore that crazy woman, because meeting with her, gives her an ounce of legitimacy.
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