http://www.dailykos.com/ Right-wing radio personality Mike Gallagher, who appears with regularity on FOX News to give his very important opinions on things, is very put out by the audacity of Cindy Sheehan, mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, who is sitting by the side of a country road waiting for some answers from her currently-vacationing president. So Gallagher is having a counterprotest in Crawford, TX. against her, tonight. He's calling it the "Pro-America Bus Trip". Since, you know, Cindy Sheehan is presumably "Anti-America". Mr. Gallagher has four sons, all of prime military age. None are serving, or plan to. Mr. Gallagher himself has never served in the military. However, here is a picture of him dressed in full military uniform (http://www.gallaghersarmy.com/), which he uses to promote "Gallager's Army"... a charity drive to "support the families of our men and women in uniform." Perhaps someone else can fully digest all the various levels of creepiness here. But I can't even begin.
I guess I don't understand. I looked back over the above posts and couldn't find any negative comments Sheehan made at the time of her meeting with Bush. She did say that she decided not to ask pointed questions about the war or vent her frustrations about her son's sacrifice, but nothing negative about her meeting with Bush. On the contrary, she said something positive about the trip that she was invited on and the meeting itself. Please point out something negative she said about the meeting - at the time of the meeting - or admit that she has changed her tune.
That's just it. The fact that she had to make a concience effort not to say anything pointed of confrontational shows that her position hasn't changed since the original story. Furthermore we have the reporter and editor who wrote the original story vouching that her position hasn't undergone any sort of radical shift. Add to that we have conservative mouthpieces trying to misuse quotes of her, to make it look like her position changed. What she said is no different than when I admit that giddyup probably is sincere and has goodwill in his positions... even though I don't agree with his positions. For me to come out later and make strong statements against giddyup's position does not mean I am changing my tune. If she was legitimately changing her tune you wouldn't have conservative commentators changing the target of her compliment to make it sound like she was praising Bush when she was talking about the trip. Why would they need to make her appear like she was saying something she really wasn't saying if they actually had a case against her to begin with. If the evidence truly exists there is no reason to make false stuff up. I'm sorry but that gimmick totally ruined the credibility of that argument. Meanwhile the person who penned the original story is backing Sheehan up.
Ditto to FB. Further, to SM, is that really the basis of denigrating the character of the mother of a fallen vet? That she failed to initially criticize the president's demeanor in the meeting and later did so? If so, that's pretty weak grounds for the latest (and lowest) in a series of character assassinations from these guys.
Would it be logical to interpret that she was on the opposite side of the "political fence" from Casey as well?!
Would it be logical for you to conclude that all 140,000 troops in Iraq and all 1,800 troops killed in Iraq were registered Republicans and dyed-in-the-wool Bush supporters? Methinks not........
Have another beer... Why didn't she include her son in the side-taking scenario? It seems an obvious omission. No one said you had to be a registered Republican to be in favor of the war. I guess you think that most of those 140,000 troops are against the war?
No one said you had to be in favor of the war to be shipped over to Iraq and possibly killed, either. My point is that this country is still split down the middle like it has been since 2000. There are soldiers for the war and soldiers against the war, fighting side by side in Iraq, because it is their duty as soldiers who enlisted in the US Armed Forces. It seems to me that you are not aware of this. Either that or you don't want to be reminded of it. Care to join me? I'm buying!
<b>RocketMan Tex No one said you had to be in favor of the war to be shipped over to Iraq and possibly killed, either. My point is that this country is still split down the middle like it has been since 2000. There are soldiers for the war and soldiers against the war, fighting side by side in Iraq, because it is their duty as soldiers who enlisted in the US Armed Forces. It seems to me that you are not aware of this. Either that or you don't want to be reminded of it.</b> The point is that we don't know what her son's feelings were about the war and it seems a glaring omission that she has not enlisted his viewpoint on her oppositional side. The country may be split down the middle but I seriously doubt that the soldiers are. We are both pre-supposing things-- which is our only option -- because there is no polling date to distort. <b>Care to join me? I'm buying! </b> Ironically I'm flying into Houston today, but I'm leaving on Monday to bring my 81 YO mother out to NC for a visit-- her first in almost 3 years. The last little bundle of joy she met is now an almost 4YO comic genius.
And that is precisely where we differ. Perhaps the troops aren't as divided as the American citizenry is, but I do believe there are more troops in Iraq opposed to the war in Iraq than anyone cares to admit. I also believe that the slower things go in Iraq, the more vocal those troops will become. DAMN! I wish you had more time in town so we could get together for a beer. Seriously! I'd love to meet you and pop the top with you. Maybe next time......
Yeah, me too. I'm hoping to get back in the Fall for a longer visit. In spite of our constant clashes here, it's nothing personal and I'd love to meet you too. I'll be one night in West U at my brother's and Sunday night near Memorial and Addicks with my mother. We fly out about 2 on Monday. I won't be able to close any joints down but I might be able to get together for a time within that limited time frame if it's convenient for both of us. I'm not sure what all the family has planned other than a brunch/lunch on Sunday. Give me a ring. You can pull my phone number off my website: www.LighthouseResource.com. I'm Richard.
Damn. I'm stuck in the office and then tied up tonight. Looks like we will have to do it next time you come back. We should make it a big old get together so you can hook up with RM95, BT, MM and the rest of the usual suspects as well.
Wow, only 10 years before your child can enlist in a jr ROTC program and just 14 years before the career in the army begins... Awesome.
he looks like a pilot for aeromexico. this is similar to bill o'reilly talking about being in "combat" all the time.
The only combat Bill O'Reilly knows about involves talking dirty to a woman over the telephone.......
Yeah, I'd love to. I knew this trip would be tight so I didn't say anything about it. I haven't been to Houston since the SmeggySmeg affair.
I don't believe Camp Casey has much to do with grief. It's political, and it is intended to have a political effect. That being said, I am more than happy to see anyone throw some of the Bush Administration's bull**** back in their smug mugs. They're on the sharp side of some demagoguery now, which is analogous to killing a man with his own sword. Great job, lady!