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."
This slime makes my skin crawl.
ABC7's Mark Matthew: "You feel you're part of a marketing business?"
Karen Meredith: "Possibly. Yeah I think so."
Duh!!
Yeah, Funny how all the "cynical, objective, Journalists" kind of just glossed over the fact that the banSheehan "the grief stricken mother" turned and ASKED the PR person where her son's cross was before they staged that phony flower laying photo op when she came back to Crawford this week
I am beginning to see why this young man enlisted and re-enlisted. May God rest his soul.
"Organizers are set up in this house trailer. Their meetings are closed to reporters"
there should be a fire
But any media light that tells more of the truth about Surrender Cindy is a good thing.
Guess I won't be eating any more Ben and Jerry's. Darn, I so enjoy Phish food ice cream.
"Cindy Sheehan kneels before a cross with her son's name on it, touches his picture, wipes her tears."
Anyone elses mind jump to the Clinton at Normandy video, where he found the only rocks on the beach right in front of a big Navy ship in the water, and knelt down to arrange them into a cross ?
Did the same people write the script ?
Clinton+Beach+rocks+LieStreamedia=Cindy+CrocTears+Crosses
AHH Yes... Marketing at it's best. Better than PT Barmun.
Blue Bell Only in this house....
If you find any photos of Ms. Cindy with a tear-stained face please post it.
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."
That's right lady. He is in heaven and sounds like you are going to wind up in HELL. This crap sickens me.
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