Posted on 09/04/2006 3:04:27 PM PDT by mylife
Sheehan's Texas protests die down Nation: Anti-war demonstrations smaller; critics say movement lost fire. By Angela K. Brown, Associated Press Long Beach Press Telegram
CRAWFORD, Texas - This one-stoplight town, especially the road leading to President Bush's ranch, turned out to be much quieter than it was last summer.
The 700-resident town's streets were clogged last year as more than 10,000 people began streaming in over the 26-day vigil, which started when Cindy Sheehan demanded to talk to Bush about the war that claimed her oldest son's life in 2004.
It was a different picture last month when war protesters returned, this time on a 5-acre lot closer to downtown. A couple of weekend events drew about 100 people, but the group held most activities in other cities.
"We always knew that last August could never be replicated. It was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon," said retired Army Col. Ann Wright, who resigned as a senior diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia in 2003 to protest the war with Iraq.
The group attributed lower numbers to Bush's absence.
Also, Sheehan was hospitalized twice, lessening her time at the camp that officially ended Sunday.
But some conservatives say the attendance shows Sheehan's support is fading.
"I think generally people are bored with Cindy Sheehan on one hand, just because they've gotten to know her and her extreme politics," Kristinn Taylor, spokesman for FreeRepublic.com, said Sunday.
Lawrence S. Wittner, a history professor at the State University of New York at Albany, said the anti-war movement is taking several types of actions, such as backing political candidates and lobbying Congress.
"While there was a sudden flare-up around Cindy Sheehan, a lot of the fuel for that is lighting other fires at this point," Wittner said.
Among the Crawford group's actions this summer was disrupting a reception before White House adviser Karl Rove spoke at a fundraising dinner in Austin.
Sheehan, of Berkeley, said she wanted "Camp Casey" to become a refuge for soldiers who don't want to deploy to Iraq. She said her lot, which she bought in July with $52,500 in insurance money after her son Casey's death, would provide information and moral support to war resisters.
"If he had met with me last year, I would have gone away," she said. "This year, we have to keep plugging away, keeping peace in front of us."
I wish. Odds are she'll be offered a professorship at a major university very soon. I don't want to see her sylabus.
Sorry to hear this. She is a very useful idiot and every action of hers does a lot more to help Republicans than it does to help Democrats. I personally would love to see a lot of her and the other moonbats on TV in the lead up to the elections. I think that would help us tremendously.
Dont worry! They are moving Camp Casey to DC as we speak.
She's not getting her usual share of publicity because she bashes her heinous. IOW, she cooked her own goose.
Is that the modern term for it? I've heard it referred to by a lot of different names ("butt", "derriere", "hindquarters", my favorite is the Brit "arse"), but never "syllabus". ;-)
And I agree, I don't want to see it either.
Wow...didn't know FR had a spokesperson; shows how much I know.... Interesting article; good post.
That picture is sickening.
Thanks....
JJ
Kristinn is great. Not only is he the officail spokesman for FR, He also heads the DC chapter
I couldn't resist!
If I may correct this.........Cindy has become a high maintenance low value piece...
LOL!
I wonder if 'her' property in Crawford will soon be up for sale.
Two hospital stays in just a couple of weeks, huh? Sounds like Mother Sheehan is repacking her parachute all nice and neat in case it becomes necessary to bail out.
IMO, coming to a headline near you:
"Due to health problems..."
"Due to growing concerns over her health..."
"Though forced to cut back on her protests due to health problems..."
"Followers vow to carry on Sheehan's anti-war despite founder's rumored worsening health..."
=====
Or at least a Lifetime movie of the week.
quick! get oprah on the phone!
What a lovely couple. Looks like love at first sightht.
Yep. Less than 50 posts on a 'Cindy' thread is a sure sign as well.
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