Cindy Sheehan

Cindy Sheehan is anti-Iraq War activist. She and her husband Patrick are co-founders of Gold Star Families for Peace. Their son Specialist Casey A. Sheehan, an Army mechanic, was killed in action (KIA) in Sadr City (Baghdad) on April 4, 2004, just five days after arriving in Iraq.

Sheehan is also an independent candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 8th Congressional District (map) of California. She is challenging Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Bio
Sheehan has held peace vigils in Washington, DC and Crawford, Texas in protest of the Iraq War.

Peace Vigil in Crawford, Texas
Sheehan began a peace vigil outside President Bush's home in Crawford, Texas on August 3, 2005. It lasted until President Bush returned to Washington following Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2007, when Sheehan traveled to DC to continue the vigil.

Cindy will return to Crawford for President Bush's Thanksgiving visit November 22-27, 2005, at his Crawford ranch, according to The Raw Story. "Sheehan will be joined by a handful of supporters back at the campsite where she spent 26 days in August during President Bush's vacation nearby." 

"Last summer [2004] Cindy Sheehan got a face-to-face meeting with President Bush, complete with kisses and condolences."

"Today," Tom Hall wrote August 9, 2005, in The Reporter (Vacaville, CA), "the Vacaville resident is camped outside the president's Texas ranch - in the glare of the national media spotlight - demanding another face-to-face meeting, and ultimately his impeachment.

"Sheehan's son, Casey, an Army specialist, was killed in an ambush a week after his arrival in Iraq in April 2004. In June, the Sheehan family spent 10 minutes at Fort Lewis, Wash., with the president, who met with 16 other families who had lost loved ones in the war.

"Cindy Sheehan since has become a focal point in the partisan battle over the Iraq war, drawing the praise of many anti-war Democrats and the ire of Republicans who back Bush's decision."

Cindy Sheehan's vigil has received widespread coverage from mainstream media, anti-war organizations, and the blogosphere.

"Even as other members of military families, activists and ordinary citizens rally to her cause, the right-wing attack machine has already kicked into gear, questioning her motives and distorting her statements. But it's to little avail -- Sheehan remains undaunted, even while facing threats of imprisonment." 


 * Also see Peace Vigil in Crawford, Texas: Articles & Commentary for more articles and commentary on Cindy Sheehan and the August 2005 Peace Vigil in Crawford.

Peace Vigil in Washington, DC
When President Bush left Crawford, Texas and returned to Washington following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Sheehan moved her peace vigil to Washington, DC on August 31, 2005.

2008 elections
Sheehan is running as an independent candidate to challenge Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Quotes

 * "I got an email the other day and it said, 'Cindy if you didn't use so much profanity ... there's people on the fence that get offended.'


 * "And you know what I said? 'You know what? You know what, god damn it? How in the world is anybody still sitting on that fence?'


 * "'If you fall on the side that is pro-George and pro-war, you get your ass over to Iraq, and take the place of somebody who wants to come home. And if you fall on the side that is against this war and against George Bush, stand up and speak out.'" --Cindy, BuzzFlash, August 20, 2005.


 * "... Cindy Sheehan has done something many thought not possible in America anymore: she has reminded us of shame. ... She has done this by asking a simple question: why did my son have to die? And by asking that question, she has revealed something that has come as a surprise to many Americans: the president has no morally defensible answer." --Steven Laffoley, Common Dreams, August 18, 2005.


 * "Whether one supports Sheehan's position or not, she put the war back on the front pages in the middle of August and brought the war home to suburbia in a way other antiwar organizers hadn't been able to do." --Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, August 18, 2005.


 * "They’d all come to rally with this woman, this regular lady, who’s not particularly camera-ready but who’s agreed to be The Face anyway—and by 'agreed,' I mean a tacit agreement, an organic one, like every piece of fruit served at this damn place. No professionals have come to Sheehan and drafted her to be a spokeswoman, she just became one, and people—including professional organizers like the peace chicks of Code Pink—have flocked around her to help.


 * "Well, for the most part. An awful lot of people are also flocking onto the television to call this woman with a dead son names." --Rebecca Schoenkopf, OC Weekly, August 19-25, 2005.


 * "Bless their black little hearts. The Pundit Elite have finally figured out two very simple facts:


 * 1) Most Americans have a dim view of the Iraq war -- and want our forces out. Yesterday. If not sooner.
 * 2) Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq, has stolen the issue of the Iraq war from George W. Bush." --JJ Balzer and Scott Johnson, American Politics Journal, August 14, 2005.


 * "The president has visited plenty of parents. He’s visited with many wounded. But, does a woman whose politics is not aligned with his, whose view of the war is in direct opposition, does she deserve a hearing?


 * "We know the president is busy. He’s made a number of politicking and policy trips since his vacation began. He’s been visited by Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice. He’s also found time to go mountain biking and went to one of the regional Little League playoff games.


 * "Meanwhile Cindy Sheehan maintains her vigil. Hers is not the voice of a celebrity or politician. It’s the voice of a woman who has sustained an injury that cannot be healed. She’s had something taken from her in a manner that in her eyes cannot be justified." --Harry Smith, CBS News, August 15, 2005.


 * "It was very effective when people who actually have skin in the game ask the president to be held accountable for the words he has actually said." --Cindy, The Huffington Post, August 12, 2005.


 * "The more light that gets focused on this woman the better. There is something so simple in her query and the force of her sacrifice makes it searing and indelible - a question that cannot now be lost in a tumult of false platitudes and tangles of words patriotic and security-minded.


 * "Her request seems so easy - just look me in the eye, talk to me, explain.


 * "Again, it's simple. Explain the mission. Explain why a son died. Any mother deserves that much." --Jim Baca, The Huffington Post, August 11, 2005.


 * "In every standoff there comes a time when the tide will turn in one direction. In our culture, these moments are palpable because a complicated question has been rendered into a simple confrontation between the just and the unjust, the big guy and the little guy, the powerful and the weak. And we all know who Americans choose in those kinds of fights. Cindy Sheehan, with her soft voice and steely determination, has given us a simple choice. We can stand with a mother who doesn't want other mothers to suffer the way she is suffering; or we can side with a president who offers us platitudes instead of exit strategies and unfounded optimism instead of honest logic. ... Cindy Sheehan is proving to us again that America still functions as a democracy. Power and the presidency are still accountable to the Cindy Sheehan's of our country. She is helping a lot of otherwise disconnected people realize that this president has made a mistake with Iraq and his refusal to acknowledge that mistake is leading to more death." --James Moore, "Tiananmen Ranch," The Huffington Post, August 12, 2005.

Committees
Sheehan will be assigned committees if and when she is elected to Congress.

Contact
Web: http://www.thecampcaseypeaceinstitute.org/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:California and the U.S. Congress
 * September 15 Coalition
 * Other SourceWatch articles related to the peace movement

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on California's 9th Congressional District

Interviews with Cindy Sheehan

 * "Cindy Sheehan Is Working To Bring Our Troops Home: 'Mr. President. You have daughters. How would you feel if one of them was killed?'," BuzzFlash, October 7, 2004.
 * "Cindy Sheehan interview with Tony Trupiano," posted by Crooks and Liars, August 8, 2005: "Cindy was on with Tony today and answered Matt Drudge's smear campaign as well as many other questions dealing with her Crawford trip." (11-minute MP3).
 * "Interview with Cindy Sheehan on Laura Flanders," MeetWithCindy.org, August 9, 2005.
 * Interview: "Cindy Sheehan Gives BuzzFlash the Latest from Crawford. Direct from the drainage ditch, the intrepid protester says 'Our spirits are great,' but Bush 'doesn't have enough courage to face someone who actually disagrees with him ...'," BuzzFlash, August 9, 2005.
 * Lakshmi Chaudry, "A Mother's Texas Vigil," AlterNet, August 10, 2005 : "Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in the Iraq war, talks with AlterNet about her determination to speak to President Bush -- consequences be damned." Article contains MP3 audio link.
 * "Audio Exclusive: Cindy Sheehan Responds To Right Wing Smear," Think Progress, August 11, 2005.
 * "Exclusive Interview with Cindy Sheehan After Mother's Stroke: 'I Want to Get Back As Soon As Possible'," Democracy Now!, August 19, 2005.
 * Joshua Frank, An Interview with Cindy Sheehan: "The 'Ist' Du Jour," CounterPunch, October 3, 2005.

Ongoing peace vigil coverage and updates

 * Ongoing live coverage:
 * The Lone Star Iconoclast Online.
 * Truthout.org: "One Mother's Stand" (includes video).
 * CODEPINK Blogs from Crawford (daily blog).
 * CrawfordOrBust.com -- "Air America Phoenix" audio, pictures and letters.
 * Crawford Update blog.
 * Crawford Peace House Online Community.
 * Crawford Peace House Yahoo! Group (subscription required)


 * No on-site coverage at these links:
 * The Huffington Post blog
 * Joe Trippi.com blog
 * Not in Our Name.net website.
 * World Can't Wait.org website.

By Cindy Sheehan: articles, commentary, statements, and daily blog entries

 * "Rewarding Incompetence," Tom Paine.Common Sense, December 23, 2004.
 * "The Dangerous Gold Star Families," Common Dreams, January 24, 2005.
 * "It Wasn't Worth It," AlterNet, February 4, 2005: "Now that every lie about the invasion and occupation of Iraq has been exposed to the light, why are our sons and daughters still there? Was my son's sacrifice 'worth it'?"
 * "The Amazing Hypocrites," LewRockwell.com, March 23, 2005.
 * "Murderous Thugs." Transcript of remarks made by Cindy Sheehan, a member of Gold Star Families For Peace, April 4, 2005; posted on Free Republic website.
 * "An Open Letter to Bill Ford, Jr.," AlterNet, May 9, 2005: "As manufacturer of the world's worst fleet when it comes to fuel efficiency, it's time for you to take immediate action to help break our oil addiction."
 * "Stories from the Front," BuzzFlash, July 11, 2005.
 * "Taking the Message to Bush: 'Honor' Our Soldiers by Bringing Them All Home Now; If Cause is 'Noble,' Send Jenna and Barbara. Gold Star Families for Peace, Veteran's for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, and Crawford Peace House Will Hold Protest in Crawford on Saturday, August 6th," BuzzFlash, August 3, 2005.
 * Speech at the Veterans for Peace National Convention, August 5, 2005; posted on bellaciao.org website.
 * 30 Minute QuickTime Video of Cindy Sheehan on the Veterans For Impeachment Tour Bus, August 8, 2005. Link to DC Indymedia posted on democrats.com website.
 * "Day 3 of the Peace Occupation of Crawford," DailyKos, August 9, 2005.
 * "This is George Bush's Accountability Moment," The Huffington Post, August 11, 2005.
 * "Camp Casey, Day Six," The Huffington Post, August 12, 2005.
 * "We Don't Have to Be Angry Anymore Day 7," Daily Kos, August 12, 2005.
 * "We Have the Power," The Huffington Post, August 13, 2005.
 * "WOW. The Peaceful Occupation of Iraq Day 8," Daily Kos, August 13, 2005; The Huffington Post, August 14, 2005.
 * "Day 9 at Camp Casey," The Huffington Post, August 15, 2005.
 * "Putting out Fires Day 10 The Peaceful Occupation of Iraq," Daily Kos, August 16, 2005.
 * "Camp Casey Day 11," The Huffington Post, August 17, 2005.
 * "Camp Casey Day 12," The Huffington Post, August 18, 2005.
 * "Memo to Drudge, et al: It's Not About Me, It's About the War," The Huffington Post, August 18, 2005.
 * "My Mom," Daily Kos, August 19, 2005.
 * "Hypocrites and Liars," posted on BuzzFlash and The Huffington Post, August 20, 2005.
 * "Day 16 The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford: 'Go Home and Take Care of Your Kids,'" posted on Daily Kos and The Huffington Post, August 22, 2005.
 * "My Response to George As He Speaks from his Vacation away from his Vacation. The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford - Day 17" posted on BuzzFlash and The Huffington Post, August 23, 2005.
 * "Coming Back to Crawford," The Huffington Post, August 24, 2005.
 * "Camp Casey, Day 18," The Huffington Post, August 24, 2005.
 * "A Return to Camp Casey. The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford - Day 18," BuzzFlash, August 24, 2005.
 * Exclusive: "Cindy Sheehan speaks to crowd at Camp Casey" (16-minute transcript), The Raw Story, August 25, 2005.
 * "Cindy Sheehan Statement 8/25," Crooks and Liars, August 25, 2005: "Cindy made a statement today talking about the families that don't approve of her anti-war sentiments." WMP and QT video links on page.
 * "Not One More. The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford - Day 21," BuzzFlash, August 29, 2005.
 * "Goodbye to Crawford - But Not to Camp Casey," Hoffmania!, August 30, 2005.
 * "How Does Scotty McClellan Live with Himself? Bring Them Home Now Bus Tour - Day 1 and 2," BuzzFlash, September 2, 2005.
 * "Dangerous Incompetence," The Huffington Post, September 3, 2005.
 * "Camp Casey: On To DC," Hoffmania, September 16, 2005.
 * "Iraq and Katrina: Failed Bookends of a Bush Presidency," BuzzFlash, September 19, 2005.
 * "My First Time," Common Dreams, September 27, 2005.
 * "From Despair to Hope," Common Dreams, October 7, 2005.
 * "I Have Arrived; I Am Home," Common Dreams, October 10, 2005.
 * "Peaceful Day in Iraq," Common Dreams, October 17, 2005.

External articles

 * Angela K. Brown, "AP Exclusive: Cindy Sheehan considering a run against Pelosi," Associated Press (via San Francisco Gate), July 8, 2007.
 * " Cindy Sheehan Will Run for Congress as an Independent," Ballot Access News, July 24, 2007.
 * Articles & Commentary (More external articles)