The codepink (sheehan) rally in Austin 8/31/05

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Sheehan rallies in Austin
06:58 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 31, 2005

By LEE MCGUIRE / Kvue.com

The woman who has spent the last several weeks camping outside President Bush's Crawford ranch out of protest took her message to Austin Wednesday night.

Cindy Sheehan wanted to meet face to face with the president for the second time since her son was killed in Iraq. Now the California mother is on a nationwide tour, and Austin was the first stop.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Texas State Capitol building, and the demonstrators made their way down Congress Avenue to City Hall in what amounted to a parade.

"The thing is that Mrs. Sheehan is allowed the freedom of speech and the freedom of press because of the American soldier," said John Horrigan, whose twin brother was killed in Iraq just three months ago. "The American soldier is the only person that is allowing her to do that. In other countries you cannot speak your piece. you cannot tell anyone anything in other countries. The American soldier has given her that right to do that."

Before the rally, Sheehan met with staff members for Congressman Lloyd Doggett at the federal building.

"We are going to every Congress person's office, 535 of them. We're going to have different people go to the offices. We're going to ask them some questions. It's going to be the same one's I wanted to ask the president," Sheehan said.

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I had a good time. The cops were out in force as were the vile, cursing unwased anitwar masses. I got a personal escort back to my car (no shit the mounted patrol laughed when I asked and then they (3) followed 40 ft behind me all the way to 4th street). It lasted from 6pm to a little after 8. My crowd estimates (supporters, bush supporters, onlookers and cops: easily over 1000 people

It took 2 hours to assemble the signs. - Construction paper, 1 glue stick, 3 foam boards and a 8 ft. stick - Altogether I spent $17.34. I know for sure my signs was filmed by a KVUE news crew (Austins ABC/Belo station), and I posed for several photographers.

I know these aren't the best pics, but I had a big damn sign to hold.

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Sheehan, War Protesters Leave Texas Camp
Aug 31 6:52 PM US/Eastern
By ANGELA K. BROWN/ link

CRAWFORD, Texas - After a 26-day vigil that ignited the anti-war movement, Cindy Sheehan took her protest on the road Wednesday, while a handful of veterans pledged to continue camping off the road leading to President Bush's ranch until the war in Iraq ends.

Rather than heading home to California, the grieving mother of a 24- year-old soldier who died in Iraq boarded one of three buses heading out on tour to spread her message.

"This is where I'm going to spend every August from now on," Sheehan said as she smiled and waved through a bus window, after hugging dozens of fellow protesters.

The group plans to stop in 25 states during the next three weeks, then take Sheehan's "Bring Them Home Now Tour" to the nation's capital for a Sept. 24 anti-war march.

Sheehan had vowed to stay in Crawford until Bush's monthlong vacation ended or until she could question him about the war that claimed the life of her son Casey and nearly 1,900 other U.S. soldiers. She missed a week of the protest because of her mother's stroke.

"We're going to keep on questioning him, and we're going to keep on until our troops are brought home because there's no noble cause," she said Wednesday. "And that's why George Bush couldn't come out and talk to me because he doesn't have a noble cause" for the war.

While two top Bush administration officials talked to Sheehan the first day, the president never did during her Crawford stay _ although he said that he sympathizes with her. His vacation ended Wednesday, two days early, so he could monitor federal efforts to help hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast.

While dozens of protesters packed tents and anti-war banners Wednesday, a few tents remained so at least two Veterans for Peace members can keep camping there 24 hours a day until the war ends, said Carl Rising-Moore of Indianapolis.

"What happened here has created a shift of conscience on a global basis. It's famous. It needs to be remembered," Rising-Moore said. "And President Bush spends an incredible amount of time here."

Sheehan's first stop on the bus tour was Austin for a rally later Wednesday. On Friday, protesters plan to go to U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's office in the Houston area.

Sheehan said some 10,000 people visited "Camp Casey" since she started camping Aug. 6 in a ditch off the main road leading to Bush's ranch. Most stayed a few hours or days at the original roadside camp or at the second, larger site about a mile away on a private lot offered by a sympathetic landowner.

Also Wednesday, at a smaller pro-Bush camp in a ditch across the street from Sheehan's site, about a dozen people began taking down their tents, canopies and signs and putting away cases of water and food.

The counter camp sprung up slowly about a week after Sheehan arrived, and initially a few people stood with pro-Bush signs several hours a day. Later, several hundred people were there on weekends and a few dozen on weekdays.

Presidential adviser Karl Rove stopped by the site Tuesday night, and he hugged and thanked the Bush supporters, said Valerie Duty, who helped expand the pro-Bush camp two weeks ago.

"I love the troops and I love President Bush, and I support his decision on the war all the way _ 100 percent," said Mary Hitt of nearby Valley Mills, who spent much of the past 10 days at the site that Bush supporters dubbed "Camp Reality."

[Drbio]

Great job cap!

On behalf of the citizens of Crawford, Waco, McGregor, and the surrounding area, I would like to say "Good riddance beeyatch." Please don't return.

[Usually Lurkin]

hey, I had to miss the rally for work, but good job, cap.

I saw your "15 minutes of shame" sign made the evening news. I wondered if that was you. The "AKA movon.org" was on the screen, but cropped. Way to represent!
I was impressed that they interviewed a man who had lost his brother in Iraq. He said something like, "If I'd given my life, I'd be ashamed if my mother did that."
Some pro-Cindy sign and voice-over got the last word, though.

[reeds]

Well, its obvious more are now on her side nationwide than the bush side..not in the good ole state of texas though..dem dare good ole boys..weo shoot ferst asks quezions lader

[u2sarajevo]

Surely reeds you aren't stereotyping a section of the Human race are you?

If so, it sure was a piss-poor representation of any Texan I've met. weo? What does that mean?

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I thought you were for gun control reeds?

[AnMan21]

Originally posted by: reeds
Well, its obvious more are now on her side nationwide than the bush side..not in the good ole state of texas though..dem dare good ole boys..weo shoot ferst asks quezions lader

really? obvious? the last i saw those that see her in an unfavorable manner outweigh those that see her in a favorable manner. and quite a large percentage couldn't care less about her story. so if by "obvious" you mean "ambiguous" then yes, i agree, it's quite "obvious."

[mavsman55]

Stereotypes are bad. Unless they're stereotypes of people that reeds doesn't like. Then it's totally fine.

[Mavdog]

Cindy Sheehan: 35% Favorable 38% Unfavorable
Survey of 1,000 Adults August 17-18, 2005
RasmussenReports.com

August 19, 2005--Cindy Sheehan, the grieving mother who maintained an anti-War protest outside of President Bush's ranch, is viewed favorably by 35% of Americans and unfavorably by 38%.

Sheehan is viewed favorably by 34% of men and 35% of women. Forty-two percent (42%) of men and 34% of women have an unfavorable view.

Related survey data shows that 39% of Americans say it is time to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

In general, people see in Sheehan what they want to see. Opinion about her is largely based upon views of the War, rather than views about the woman herself. Democrats, by a 56% to 18% margin, have a favorable opinion. Republicans, by a 64% to 16% margin, have an unfavorable view. Those not affiliated with either major party are evenly divided.

People who think we should withdraw troops from Iraq now have a positive opinion of Sheehan (59% favorable, 12% unfavorable). Those who do not think we should withdraw troops at this time have a negative view (15% favorable , 64% unfavorable).

Among those with family members who have served in the military, Sheehan is viewed favorably by 31% and unfavorably by 48%.

Forty-two percent (42%) of Married Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Sheehan while 33% have a favorable opinion. Among those who are not married, Sheehan's numbers are 38% favorable and 30% unfavorable.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of Americans say they are following the Sheehan story somewhat or very closely. That is a lower level of interest than Americans have in stories about Iran's nuclear capabilities. It is roughly comparable to the interest in stories about Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.


Cindy Sheehan Favorable 35%
Unfavorable 38%

Following Sheehan Story

Very Closely 25%
Somewhat Closely 30%
Not Very Closely 27%
Not At All 15%