NationStates Jolt Archive

Pro and Anti-Cindy supporters descend on Bush ranch

Crawford, Texas
Saturday August 27, 2005

The police tape fluttering gently marks the front line. On one side sits a rag-tag collection of tents, home-made placards calling for the troops to come home and a long line of white crosses representing the soldiers killed in Iraq.

On the other side of the small country lane there is a smart collection of garden-style awnings filled with fold-out canvas chairs, lined with glossy placards proclaiming "Bush Country", "IM4W" and "Support Our Troops".

A sign on the highway welcoming visitors to Crawford declares the population to be 705, but today the figure is likely to be at least four times that. Thousands of pro- and anti-war activists are making their way to this little corner of Texas for the culmination of protests that began when George Bush arrived for his five-week "working vacation" at the beginning of August.

Leading the anti-war rally will be Cindy Sheehan, 48, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, whose vigil outside Mr Bush's ranch has given the US peace movement in America a new focus and forced the president on to the defensive.

Ranged against her are various conservative activists and military families, including the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy!" tour, which began in Mrs Sheehan's home town of Vacaville in California and is due to arrive in Crawford at midday today.

Its figurehead is Deborah Johns, the mother of a marine serving in Iraq. The pro-war demonstrators will hold a rally in the little town, not far from Fort Qualls, which was set up in memory of Louis Qualls - a marine killed in Iraq last year but whose father, Gary, is a staunch Bush supporter.

Between them they are determined to drag the spotlight away from Mrs Sheehan, and today's two rallies promise a showdown.

Soccer Mom Kombat!

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/08/16/mother/story.jpg

Soccer Mom Kombat!YEAH :mp5: :sniper: :D

If they can't find enough people in Crawford to drown out the antiwar movement there, Bush really is fucked.

Also, why does Bush have a ranch in Crawford. It's an ugly shithole with nothing of interest for miles. Dude should get a place in Kerrville or New Braunfels.

Between them they are determined to drag the spotlight away from Mrs Sheehan, and today's two rallies promise a showdown.
Of course! The best way to drag attention away from some one is to protest them!

Tiny Crawford Braces for Dueling Protests

By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer 40 minutes ago

CRAWFORD, Texas - This one-stoplight town of 700 residents near
President Bush's ranch braced for thousands of visitors Saturday, most in a cross-country caravan for a pro-Bush rally and others to support Cindy Sheehan's anti-war demonstration.

More than 3,000 people were expected at the school football stadium for the culmination of the "You don't speak for me, Cindy!" tour that started last week in California.

It would be the largest counter-protest since Sheehan started camping out off the road leading to Bush's ranch Aug. 6. She vowed to remain unless he talked to her about the war with
Iraq that claimed the life of her son Casey and more than 1,870 other U.S. soldiers.

The pro-Bush caravan was coordinated by Move America Forward, a group led by former California Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian and Republican strategist Sal Russo.

Indeed. Plus, the anti-war movement is getting angry over the fact that O'riely showed a video of Sheehan saying some pretty nasty things during a protest. Man, did the anti-war movement look bad after that. Do you think the Micheal Mooron squad will get involved. If they do, me and my brother would double-team them. Send them to an early grave. Unless they start spouting out some cheap shots of BS and half-truths. Necks will snap. Brains will coat the ring. Only one team will remain intact. The other gets scraped off. :p

Sheehan vs "IM4W" Showdown... "CNN Watch"

www.CNN.com (4th link)

...Necks will snap. Brains will coat the ring....we shall prevail...We own the spotlight...

You want it back?
Just come and get it!!!

http://www.thewrestlingfanatic.com/images/magazines/wwf_wwe/wwf_wwe_raw/wwf_raw_may_1999.jpg
Talking to him in a language he can understand, I know its like barking-back to the Dog...HEY..Ill will bite him if I have to :-)
:D :eek: :D :D

Cindy sheehan will get beaten like a 5year old in a wrestling ring. One thing you don't do is piss off a Texas mom.

I predict 5 minutes, tops. Maybe a little longer if Sheehan can run after being on her knees for Moore(on) for so long.

Cindy sheehan will get beaten like a 5year old in a wrestling ring. One thing you don't do is piss off a Texas mom.Its not over untill Barbara Bush sings :D :D
That or...Jena(too drunk) Bush singing nakit

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050827/capt.txsw10208271643.peace_mom_txsw102.jpg
Mark Voss, of Crawford, Texas, writes the names of those families who do not want their relatives memorial cross at the campsite for Cindy Sheehan, at a gathering of pro-Bush supporters in Crawford, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2005. The crosses were removed from the makeshift memorials at Camp Casey. (AP Photo)

President Holds Bash for Reporters, 'Pool Report' Takes on New Meaning
Published: August 26, 2005 3:45 PM ET

NEW YORK More than four dozen members of the press corps accepted an invitation to a barbeque at the Bush ranch in Texas last night, even though it was off-the-record and they had to ride a bus past the Cindy Sheehan-led antiwar camp site.

The party was pool side, though no one stripped and swam. The president wore jeans and served Texas beer.

The Associated Press reported, "The casual affair of fried catfish, potato salad, coleslaw, homemade cheese and chocolate-chip cookies followed a tradition in which Bush and his wife, Laura, have the press covering his annual August vacation out to the their ranch in central Texas as a sort of thank-you.

"The event was not held last year because of the busy campaign season. The invitations to the reporters were issued on the condition that they not discuss conversations at the event."

Dan Froomkin, in his online Washignton Post column today, notes that “in spite of all the recent press demands for senior administration officials to stay on the record more often, the press corps can't resist an offer of face time with the president, pretty much no matter what the conditions.”

Nevertheless, he reports, he had been told “that several reporters expressed squeamishness about last night's event, particularly as the press-pool vans drove by antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan's 'Camp Casey' site. And later, a small handful watched askance as the rest fawned over Bush, following him around in packs every time he moved.”

Froomkin noted that Bush kept the “bigfooting” media stars back in Washington, D.C. from crashing the party by issuing invites only at the last minute.

A report on the NBC News blog The Daily Nightly by Antoine Sanfuentes, NBC News producer, observed:

"It is no small feat to organize the White House press corps, over 60 strong, into a half dozen white vans and then motorcade them to the ranch. This summer, of course, has been no ordinary summer, with Cindy Sheehan camped out along the side of the road and those opposing her views on the other - the van ride to the ranch is a reminder that our country is at war and the President we are to visit has much on his mind....

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Laura+Bush&word2=Cindy+Sheehan

Do you think the Micheal Mooron squad will get involved. If they do, me and my brother would double-team them. Send them to an early grave. Unless they start spouting out some cheap shots of BS and half-truths. Necks will snap. Brains will coat the ring. Only one team will remain intact. The other gets scraped off. :p
Ahhhh violence!! The perfect way for America to demonstrate their beliefs in "freedom of speech", and their tolerance towards peaceful anti-war demonstrations.

Get a life? :rolleyes:

Cindy sheehan will get beaten like a 5year old in a wrestling ring. One thing you don't do is piss off a Texas mom.

I predict 5 minutes, tops. Maybe a little longer if Sheehan can run after being on her knees for Moore(on) for so long.
More violence advocated by the right. Shameful!!

This is how they should decide all forgien policy decisions: a rumble. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd show up for that :)

Who needs a rodeo!!?? If this were pay-per-view, I'd soooo pay n' view. You know what? I'll get plane tickets, head down, and tailgate it like a football game! Chili dogs anyone?

I have half a mind to buy a plane ticket and get a ride there only to sit in the middle of it all, holding a sign telling both sides to calm down. Pity I don't even have half the money for that... :D

I have half a mind to buy a plane ticket and get a ride there only to sit in the middle of it all, holding a sign telling both sides to calm down. Pity I don't even have half the money for that... :D

Actually, that's a pretty good idea. Hey! Let's set up a third camp, "Camp Get-A-Life"!!!!! We can all have signs that say stuff like "We don't give a rat's @$$!!" or "Go home! Even MTV's covering!" or "REAL people worry about sports or music, not politics!"

I like that. Here, I'll sweeten the deal, I got the chili dogs. Now if anyone could provide the beer, I kinda got stuck in that whole "underage" problem.

Actually, that's a pretty good idea. Hey! Let's set up a third camp, "Camp Get-A-Life"!!!!! We can all have signs that say stuff like "We don't give a rat's @$$!!" or "Go home! Even MTV's covering!" or "REAL people worry about sports or music, not politics!"

I like that. Here, I'll sweeten the deal, I got the chili dogs. Now if anyone could provide the beer, I kinda got stuck in that whole "underage" problem.
I'll bring the beer. If someone brings a really loud audio system I'll also bring some comedy CDs to help the lunatics lighten up.

More violence advocated by the right. Shameful!!

we should go back in time and re-institute the rite of single combat...

our best vs. their best

one bad-ass terrorist vs. an army delta force (or SEAL, or whomever) special operator

i'd be cheering for our guy...

I'll bring the beer. If someone brings a really loud audio system I'll also bring some comedy CDs to help the lunatics lighten up.

If they're going to loiter, Crawford should put them to work... I'm sure there's plenty of trash to pick up, lawns to mow, etc. hehe

I'll bring the beer. If someone brings a really loud audio system I'll also bring some comedy CDs to help the lunatics lighten up.

I got Blue Collar Comedy Tour!!! I love it, but that should get everybody to go home. That or a lot of Blink-182! :p

I have half a mind to buy a plane ticket and get a ride there only to sit in the middle of it all, holding a sign telling both sides to calm down. Pity I don't even have half the money for that... :D

lol, better bring shoulder pads and a helmet.... you'll have flaming marshmallows coming at you from one direction, bullets from the other.

Actually, that's a pretty good idea. Hey! Let's set up a third camp, "Camp Get-A-Life"!!!!! We can all have signs that say stuff like "We don't give a rat's @$$!!" or "Go home! Even MTV's covering!" or "REAL people worry about sports or music, not politics!"

I like that. Here, I'll sweeten the deal, I got the chili dogs. Now if anyone could provide the beer, I kinda got stuck in that whole "underage" problem.

There's thousands of people there. We could make a killing selling food and drink to all of them! Brilliant!

well well... looks like the screaming Bushites choosed not to go to confront the other side at Camp Casey after all...Apparently they did not get the 3000 strong "small army" they were hoping for...

So they gathered miles away from Cindy Sheehan...and screamed at her...from where they are sure she cant hear them .

Bunch of Chicken-Hawk Pussies!!! :D :D :cool: :D