Supporting Sheehan

The Portland chapter of Veterans for Peace is indeed organizing a daily vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan's efforts to get an audience with George Bush during his vacation, to press her questions about the Iraq War.

Date: Daily starting Monday, August 8, 2005
Time: 12:00 p.m. (Noon) till 1 PM
Place: Terry Schrunk Plaza, facing the Federal Building, SW 3rd and Madison, Portland

(Note: It appears I was wrong when I inferred that the vigil was connected specifically to the rumors of her arrest today, rather than more generally to her effort to hold Bush accountable in some small degree.)

But not everyone can come to downtown Portland at lunch hour. Here are some other ways to support Sheehan:

MoveOn.org invites signatures on a petition of support for Sheehan.

Gold Star and military families will be traveling to Crawford TX to stand with Sheehan.

Cafepress.com offers several "Stand with Cindy" T-shirts for purchase.

True Majority has already raised $30,000 in donations to cover travel expenses for members of military families who want to keep birdogging Bush for the rest of the summer.

Code Pink is inviting people to fast in solidarity, or donate airline miles for those trying to reach Crawford.

Anyway you cut it, Sheehan is being a nuisance to Bush, which will endear her in the hearts of many, although not all.

And speaking of hard feelings running both ways--love her or hate her, but you had to notice she was gone: Maureen Dowd is back from hiatus at the NYTimes. (Apparently when Bush goes on vacation she comes off, and vice-versa. Strange symbiosis.) Dowd brings up the question that has struck me as most odd about the Sheehan affair ever since it moved to the front burner last week:

It's amazing that the White House does not have the elementary shrewdness to have Mr. Bush simply walk down the driveway and hear the woman out, or invite her in for a cup of tea. But W., who has spent nearly 20 percent of his presidency at his ranch, is burrowed into his five-week vacation and two-hour daily workouts. He may be in great shape, but Iraq sure isn't.

A president who had even minimal tolerance (not to mention respect) for disagreement, who wasn't obsessed with winning every confrontation no matter the point or the cost, could have given Sheehan her photo op days ago, let competing press releases duel it out for a couple of days, and then move on.

But not our George. He, more than anyone else, is keeping Cindy Sheehan on the radar screen as a sympathic figure for the anti-war movement. Gotta love him for that.