Posted on 08/16/2005 4:49:52 PM PDT by kristinn
OAKDALE, Minn. - Former FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, along with a state senator whose son died in Iraq, are headed to Texas this week to join a growing anti-war demonstration near President Bush's ranch.
Rowley, now a Democratic candidate for Congress, and Sen. Becky Lourey will join a protest initiated by Cindy Sheehan, whose own son died in Iraq last year. Sheehan started the vigil Aug. 6, coinciding with Bush's summer vacation. She has said she won't leave until the president meets with her.
Rowley said Tuesday that she and Lourey would leave Thursday and stay at least through Sunday, sleeping in a tent at the site. They are paying their own way, she said.
Lourey's son, Matt Lourey, died May 26 when the Army helicopter he was piloting was shot down. A Democrat from northern Minnesota, Lourey was a consistent critic of the Iraq war - she authored a state Senate petition against it in 2003 - but was also supportive of her son's military career.
Lourey didn't return a call seeking comment Tuesday. She was a Democratic candidate for governor in 2002.
Rowley, a former special agent in the FBI's Minneapolis office, gained fame in 2002 for her criticism of FBI leadership. She said officials failed to act on information that cast suspicion on some Sept. 11 hijackers in the months before they carried out their attacks, and was later named one of Time magazine's people of the year for her efforts.
Now challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. John Kline, a Republican, Rowley has emerged as a harsh critic of the war in Iraq.
"It puts a human face on this issue," Rowley said, who mentioned the trip briefly in a campaign appearance here and then elaborated afterward in an interview with The Associated Press. "Many people, if they don't have a personal connection to the troops, it's so easy for this to become a discussion that lacks seriousness and urgency. I think it's good to show that there are real people that are being affected."
Rowley met Sheehan earlier this month at a Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas, where both women spoke. At that meeting, Sheehan shared her plans to stake out Bush's ranch.
A few days later, Rowley said, she called Lourey - whom she'd never met - and suggested a trip to Crawford to lend support to Sheehan. Rowley said Lourey had already considered making the trip.
Rowley said she wants to "stay in the background" and offer moral support to Lourey, especially since the vigil has drawn critics and counter-demonstrations in recent days.
"You have to have compassion for folks like Becky Lourey and Cindy Sheehan, who have lost sons in the war," said Bill Walsh, executive director of the Minnesota Republican Party. "I don't need to question their motives, but I don't think you should question the president's motives either. He's fully aware of the ramifications of sending people's children into battle, but he has to balance that with the question of how do we best address the serious problems facing our world."
Walsh was less kind to Rowley.
"You can't ignore the fact that Coleen Rowley is running for Congress right now," he said. "That has to be part of this equation."
Rowley said her opposition to the Iraq war stems from a conviction that the war in Iraq has actually incited more terrorism around the world while purporting to fight it.
"This is not the right path," she said.
Moonbats of a feather flock together.
With one ring already and another two on the way, this is shaping up to be "The Greatest Snow on Earth."
Since she is running for office the question naturally arises-What is her peculiar vice or combination of vices?
ping-a-ling
FYI .. they are all coming out now
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08.15.2005 Cindy Sheehan Day 9 at Camp Casey
(snip)
By the way, we had about 7 counter protesters today and hundreds at Camp Casey...don't let the mainstream media say differently.
Posted at 01:02 AM |
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/cindy-sheehan/day-9-at-camp-casey_5665.html
OMG! Then the Democrats wonder why we don't take them seriously. They act like a bunch of wayward children! I have advice for them both! GROW UP YOU MORONS!
They've been called into action.
How long do you think it will be before the Hollywood crowd starts to show up? Paging Mr. Sheen, Mr. Robbins...
Her poll numbers will probably go up in Minnesota. The moonbats there will lap this up. (I'd like to be proven wrong, though).
http://www.crawfordorbust.com/
Help Wanted!
Air America Phoenix is asking for your help! We are looking for a LARGE well maintained RV to drive to Crawford TX. We are looking to setup the RV as a broadcast studio at the Crawford Peace House for Randi Rhodes, Charles Goyette and Dr Mike Newcomb.
Is this an example of the kind of member of Congress this woman would be? Supporting nuts sitting out in a ditch in Crawford? Are the taxpayers supposed to pay $125,000 a year, plus perks, for this nonsense?
I was on vacation for a week...I thought Cindy would be long gone by now.....sorry to see she's still there...was there a pro troops/Bush rally down there this past weekend?
More food for the Fire Ants.
Vietnam anti-war movement redux. I'm waiting for Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda to all join in soon at the great Crawford Hootenanny. Deja vu all over again.
This, along with the fact that former Howard Dean campaign manager Joe Trippy is with Sheehan, JUST PROVES THAT THE DNC SET THIS WHOLE LITTLE PROTEST UP!
Republicans stand with W. Are the Democrats going to stand with Cindy Sheehan? I sure hope so. I can't wait to use Cindy Sheehans' anti-American, anti-Semetic and anti-military quotes against Rowley and any other dimwit who campaigns as a victim of this war. Even the Iraqis don't whine as much as this bunch and they lived under a dictatorship for generations.
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