Cindy Sheehan: Anti-War Icon

Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan (born July 10, 1957) is a resident of Berkeley, California who became a prominent American anti-Iraq War activist after the death of her son, Casey Sheehan, during his service in Iraq. She attracted international attention in August 2005 for her extended demonstration at a peace camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch. She is sometimes referred to by the media as the "Peace Mom".  ~wikipedia

In my cynical view, the MSM initially saw Cindy Sheehan as a useful symbol of opposition to the Iraq War. In a blatant effort to manufacture some kind of Vietnam-era protest movement to discredit Bush the MSM highlighted Sheehan as the symbol of this 'spontaneous and growing movement'. Unfortunately she turned out to be a less than mainstream American. In fact, she is a far-left progressive-- let me put this delicately-- moonbat.

From the wikipedia entry for Cindy Sheehan:

On 6 August, 2005, Sheehan created a makeshift camp in a ditch by the side of the road about 3 miles from George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas and announced her intention to stay (sleeping in a pup tent at night) until she is granted a second face-to-face meeting with the President.[38] Sheehan started her protest the day the President started a planned five-week vacation. A few days later, the media began referring to Sheehan's camp as "Camp Casey."

She spent the next four weeks in Crawford (except for 5 days spent in California to see her elderly mother, who had suffered a stroke[40]). On some days as many as 1500 supporters visited Camp Casey, including members of Congress, as well as several notable actors, singers, and civil rights activists.

Gold Star Families for Peace, of which Sheehan is a founding member, released a TV commercial featuring Sheehan, broadcast on Crawford and Waco cable channels near Bush's ranch. The group conducted a walk to a police station just outside President Bush's Crawford ranch and delivered a bundle of oversized letters written by them to First Lady Laura Bush, appealing to her as a mother for support towards their movement.

On 16 August, Sheehan moved her camp closer to the Bush ranch after being offered the use of a piece of land owned by a supporter, Fred Mattlage, who also happens to be a third cousin of Larry Mattlage, a rancher who had fired a shotgun on his property near the demonstration site several days earlier.

In late August, Sheehan stated that she would continue her campaign against the Iraq war even if granted a second meeting with the President. She also announced the Bring Them Home Now Tour, to depart on September 1 and arrive in Washington, D.C., on September 24 for three days of demonstrations.

Hurricane Katrina, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on 29 August. The following day, President Bush ended his five-week vacation early to focus on relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.