'Baghdad Sean' leads celeb peace drive (GREAT LINE CONTAINED WITHIN)

The Times ^ | December 14, 2002 | Tim Reid

[MadIvan]

Note portrait of Saddam behind Penn - Ivan

SEAN PENN became the latest Hollywood luminary to join a growing American peace movement yesterday when he began a three-day visit to Baghdad. The move evoked memories of Jane Fonda’s trips to Hanoi during the Vietnam War, although “Baghdad Sean” does not have quite the same resonance as “Hanoi Jane”. The actor’s visit follows Tuesday’s open letter, signed by more than 100 American celebrities, urging President Bush to avoid a pre-emptive strike on Iraq, and signals a growing confidence among anti-war groups.

Also on Tuesday co-ordinated anti-war protests were held across America, in more than 150 towns and cities, organised by a coalition of 70 groups called United for Peace. More than 140 people were arrested in Austin, Chicago, New York, Sacramento and Washington, mostly for disturbing the peace.

This predictable involvement of America’s beautiful people against a strike on Iraq is attracting the most attention among newspapers and television networks, but the Beverly Hills activism receives a more mixed response from rank-and-file protesters.

While it highlights the cause, it can devalue the message. Last month Barbra Streisand sent a fax to Dick Gephardt, the outgoing House Minority Leader, quoting Shakespeare in her anti-war rhetoric. Not only did she misspell Mr Gephardt’s name, and call Saddam Hussein an “Iranian”, the Shakespeare she quoted was mistakenly gleaned from an internet parody of famous authors.

“Once again, Barbra Streisand has opened her alligator-sized mouth before her humming-bird brain has a chance to catch up,” the actor R. Lee Ermy said.

Penn, a Hollywood bad boy and former husband of Madonna, said: “As a father, an actor, a film-maker and a patriot, my visit to Iraq is for me a natural extension of my obligation to find my own voice on matters of conscience.” He added that the visit would enable him “to pursue a deeper understanding of this frightening conflict”. In October Penn paid for a $56,000 (£35,000) advertisement in The Washington Post, warning Mr Bush against a “pre-emptive attack on a separate sovereign nation”. He said: “I beg you, help save America before yours is a legacy of shame and horror.”

This week’s letter, which was sent to the White House, included signatures from the actors Kim Basinger, Mia Farrow, Martin Sheen and Olympia Dukakis. It followed an anti-war statement published in the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times signed by more than 4,000 people, including Sheen, Fonda, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Danny Glover.

This celebrity group is part of a larger collection brought under the umbrella of United for Peace, which is backed by religious and civic organisations, including the National Council of Churches, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, Veterans for Common Sense, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Taken together, these groups represent a significant proportion of Americans. The leaders hope that the group will become an anti-war movement that will attract middle-class liberals.

“We will bring the anti-war movement to millions of people who have concerns and fears but have not had an outlet,” Michael Kieschnick, one of the organisers, said. “When those millions get engaged, whether through street events, letter writing, visiting the representatives . . . Bush will have to pause.”

The White House has responded: “Anti-war demonstrations are one of America’s time-honoured traditions.”

[MadIvan]

I just love how the leftists are coming down on the side of a nasty dictator with chemical weapons - I guess Saddam has the makings of a new Stalin for them. I wonder how much therapy you have to go through in order to be this insane.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[1redshirt]

Now that they have ... I hope they keep him

[John Jorsett]

This is the time to put out the word that Penn is Bush's favorite star and he'd never attack anything that Penn was near. Muwahaha.

[Aric2000]

"I beg you, help save America before yours is a legacy of shame and horror.”

Speak for yourself Sean, you traitorous bastard!!

Please go play human shield on a palace or 2 that have WMD's in them, PLEASE!!!

[Paul Atreides]

Hey Sean, why don't you go over there without your cameras, entourage, and celebrity status to protect you? Go over and live as an Iraqi and see what a paradise it is.

[Poohbah]

His career peaked about halfway through his portrayal of Jeff Spicoli.

[Joe 6-pack]

"Also on Tuesday co-ordinated anti-war protests were held across America...by a coalition of 70 groups called United for Peace. More than 140 people were arrested...mostly for disturbing the peace."

What a bunch of morons.

[dc27]

Isn't Bagdad Sean the same guy who used to beat the hell out of Madonna?

[Paul Atreides]

I wonder: will the slime go over there and take Saddam to task? Somehow, I doubt it.

[Diogenesis]

In Baghdad, Iraq, on the trail of Hollywood nutcase Sean Penn
who is on a "fact"-finding and publicity tour for "president" Estevez-Sheen.

[Paul Atreides]

He's been trying to atone for his roles in Fast Times and Shanghai Surprise ever since.

[Publius6961]

Ewwwwwwwwwww!

Would you buy a used car from this man?

[Argus]

“Once again, Barbra Streisand has opened her alligator-sized mouth before her humming-bird brain has a chance to catch up,” the actor R. Lee Ermy said.

Send Lee Ermey to Baghdad, along with about 200,000 of his buddies.

[koax]

i never did understand why the pea-brained glitterati are "qualified" to speak on political issues.

[MadIvan]

We're supposed to take this man seriously?

From his "Dude, I'm so stoned" days

Regards, Ivan

[chnsmok]

Brain-dead man walking alert.

[Paul Atreides]

It was only two decades ago that an actor involved in politics was considered laughable. Then again, that was when it was a conservative actor.

[ConservativeMan55]

I've got an inclination that Sean Penn works for the Mossad, and that he is secretly spying on Saddam! Uh oh Saddam...looks like you've got a spy on your hands. All you would have to do is pass the word around to the Iraqi people that this guy is Anti-War and they will play right along.
Uh yeah this guy works for the Mossad

The Iraqi people want a war more than anyone!

[Paul Atreides]

LOL! He's a walking cliche. Anytime Hollywood goes on one of their pet causes, they dress down, so as to divert us from the fact that they have gazillions of bucks in the bank. We're supposed to take them seriously. I am surprised he didn't wear a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

[koax]

but now university "scholars" are discovering that the particular actor that you're referring to was, contrary to democrat media hype, a very bright guy!

[Grampa Dave]

If we are attacked with small pox, we know which groups not to give the vaccine to.

First of 99.9% of Follywood, 99.9% of college professors, 99.0% of trial lawyers, 100% of ACLU clymers, 99.9% of the mediots in charge of the left wing fish wraps, the umbrella of United for Peace, which is backed by religious and civic organisations, including the National Council of Churches, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, Veterans for Common Sense, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and Physicians for Social Responsibility and the three congressits who went to Baghdad to suckle at Uncle Soddomite's knees. Of course every enviral watermelon who hates humans should be added to this no vaccine group!

[realistic]

Penn, a Hollywood bad boy and former husband of Madonna, said: “As a father, an actor, a film-maker and a patriot, my visit to Iraq is for me a natural extension
of my obligation to find my own voice on matters of conscience.” He added that the visit would enable him “to pursue a deeper understanding of this frightening
conflict”. In October Penn paid for a $56,000 (£35,000) advertisement in The Washington Post, warning Mr Bush against a “pre-emptive attack on a separate
sovereign nation”. He said: “I beg you, help save America before yours is a legacy of shame and horror.”

Dear Mr. Penn,
Please take the wealth that your entertainment success has brought you, retire, and let the men take care of worldly affairs.
Yours,
Realistic

[Paul Atreides]

Yep, the truth is a hard pill to swallow.

[GreenCell]

And to think, this guy beat Madonna....

[Paul Atreides]

Why didn't he take his family with him to Iraq?

[ConservativeMan55]

Saddam and Sean should get along great then! They both love to beat women! Except for the fact that Sean works for the Mossad.

[Paul Atreides]

What a shame that we could not have slipped a doctored photo of Saddam being humped by a guy into Sean's luggage, then notify the Iraqi authorities.

[Paul Atreides]

After we evacuate the conservatives, we could let Saddam use Hollywood as a nuke testing target.

[chnsmok]

Why didn't he take his family with him to Iraq?

I thought the person in the red scarf in post 12 was his family.

[Grampa Dave]

I could probably evacuate all the conservatives out of Follywood with my OJ Simpson Bronco and have room for a moderate or two.

[skeeter]

My Hero

[Jesse]

"After we evacuate the conservatives, we could let Saddam use Hollywood as a nuke testing target."


Would only take a single taxi, and even then there would be spare seating.

[ConservativeMan55]

Bwaahahaha! This is a great idea! I always thought Sean was some kind of spy! I'll bet he's working for the Mossad! Someone alert Saddam! LOL!

[Grampa Dave]

Yehuda would if we could get the word out that Penn is a Mossad spy while he is in Iraq?

[ConservativeMan55]

I'm seriously thinking there's got to be a way to get the word around.

[Paul Atreides]

Shep Smith had on a segment about celebrities who are devoting their time to entertaining our troops:

Wayne Newton

Paul Rodriguiz

Robin Williams

Drew Carey

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders

I'm certain there are more that were highlighted in the segment, but I can't remember.

[Newbomb Turk]

If we are attacked with small pox, we know which groups not to give the vaccine to

No PETA or ELF People either. They don't like animal testing which is where most vaccine comes from.

[Jimmyclyde]

Can these wack-jobs go any place else then the same old Iraqi hosptial, with the same kids and the same doctors?

I'm almost positive that this is the same place McDermott and Bonior went on their little peace trip.

It's like the nazis showing off the camp kitchen as Jews are being herded to the ovens.

[Shermy]

The Iraqi photogs sure love to get the useful idiot to pose with that Saddam picture in the back. Remember the same ones with McDermott and Bonior? I'm sure those made the front pages in Iraq to show the people who is boss. It's stalinesque.

[stevem]

i never did understand why the pea-brained glitterati are "qualified" to speak on political issues.

Well, in this case it's certainly because they are (or must be) experts on terrorist networks and WMD. They are entertainers, after all, and listening to the average Hollywood maroon wax philosophical is entertaining, after all.

[Jimmyclyde]

He was great in "When we were soldiers".

[Paul Atreides]

Have you seen the Bowflex commercial with the two soldiers in Afghanistan? At the beginning of the commercial, it says something about a "real workout for real Americans" or something along that line.

[LibWhacker]

“I beg you, help save America before yours is a legacy of shame and horror.”

Another ignorant, unremarkable, high-school dropout and hollywood doper, who suddenly thinks he's a big-time intellectual, philosopher and historian. Just look at his face; his IQ's ten! He knows N-O-T-H-I-N-G. If you added up the IQs of him and Streisand and the Baldwin retards, you might get to triple digits.

[ConservativeMan55]

I believe you can e-mail the Iraqi government directly.

[skeeter]

Sounds like he's got his head on straight, if his above comment is any indication.

Somehow I figured he would.

[AHAB]

You can bet that he is getting the disney version of Iraq.

Why cant these buffons ever go incognito, and see the real mess that is Iraq.

But then that would make sense.

[Dutchgirl]

rofltip, for the photo.

These people are all so incestuous. Sean Penn, married to "The Princess Bride" Robin Wright, anti-heroine in "Forrest Gump", starring Tom Hanks,Zemekis- Spielburg. What are these powerful Jews thinking-hiring meshuga goys like this, who cozy up to dictators firing scuds at Israel.

But then, maybe Saddam and Sean are exchanging notes on beating up women vs. having them beheaded. I saw Sean on FNC,touring an Iraqi hospital, visiting with the sweetest three year old boy. I have a friend in the military who is drawing circles around hospitals like this that Saddam has made targets by hiding his weapons under them. My friend has 2 sons and has cried himself to sleep, weighing the cost of one innocent life against so many others threatened by WMD.

Sean's visit is sponsored by what group? Maybe he should tour a few US Military operations as well, for balance. Brain Dead Man walking, indeed.

[AHAB]

Buffoons.....sorry