'Peace mom' chides Feinstein on Iraq stance

[RCPJAP]

Cindy Sheehan — whose son, Casey, 24, was a soldier killed in Baghdad in April 2004 — met briefly with an aide to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., before telling reporters the lawmaker's reasons for supporting Iraq's ongoing occupation are "very bogus."

The Iraqi constitution, supported by the United States, is based on Islamic law and severely curtails women's rights, she said, while Iraqi leaders are "puppet leaders who George Bush put into place."

U.S.-trained Iraqi soldiers are seen as collaborators and can do little more than fight for survival, and Iraq's crucial infrastructure continues to be eroded by an insurgency fueled by the U.S. military presence, she said.

Feinstein previously has acknowledged she and other lawmakers were lied to about the reasons for going to war, and that if she knew then what she knew now, she wouldn't have voted to support the conflict, Sheehan said. "Well, if she knows it's wrong, it's time to bring our kids home," she said.



http://www.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_3017317

[MelissaB]

1. another snip

Sheehan said she spoke by phone Friday with U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., whom she described as "100 percent supportive" of efforts to bring the troops home.

...snip

Now "Camp Casey" has dispersed, sending busloads of people across the nation to spread the word before converging upon Washington, D.C., for the United for Peace and Justice Mobilization, Sept. 24 through 26.

Sheehan arrived back in the Bay Area from Chicago on Thursday night, and later Friday was flying to Los Angeles to meet with several members of Congress or their aides; she's headed to Atlanta today

[NNN0LHI]

2. I seen Feinstein "visiting" Gitmo a couple of years ago

She said the people who were living in the US operated death camp there were being treated great. Even the children's wing was very nice she said. The little kiddies were all going to school.

Don

[goclark]

3. Cindy was in Los Angeles last night, awesome !

The Agape Spiritual Center was filled to the brim with people.
Cindy repeated what she said to Feinstein's aide.

Cindy said there were four reasons the aide gave her for Feinstein not being in favor of bringing them home NOW.

All of the reasons were bogus ---the Constitution crap, the police force was not up and running and two more stupid reasons.

Before Cindy came on, the surprise speaker was Maxine Waters, she really socked it to everyone in the crowd.

Cindy and the rest of the audience cheered, "MAXINE for Diane's seat!!! Maxine!!! Maxine!!" It was amazing.

The lack of support for Feinstein in that room was telling, very telling.

Arianna came on to WILD applause. I had never heard her speak before. She was fantastic!! She is a magnificent speaker and the crowd LOVED her.

By the way, she mentioned that she just can not understand why "Clinton is hanging around with Poppy," The crowds response was with her on that one( and I am a Clinton lover but I agree.)

This was the first time that I've seen Cindy speak.
WOW!! She knows how to speak TRUTH to POWER. Smart, compassionate,PEOPLE PERSON, Instant attention from a crowd
.
Cindy is a "Little piece of leather, WELL put together!"


GWB was Stupid and Clueless to not talk to this powerful lady. She will have the last word in this fight.

A National SHE RO is CINDY!!!

[bigbrother05]

6. Keep your friends close

but keep your enemies closer.

[goclark]

8. You mean why Clinton is buddy buddy with Poppy?

I pray you are right.

[Nostradammit]

21. Birds of a feather flock together.

.

[Just Me]

15. Thank you so much for sharing that inspiring experience.

I can almost capture the feeling of being validated and uplifted that must have been happening in that space.

:hug:

[guruoo]

16. IMHO, we need to put taking back this country first....

Domestic issues, particularly those related to freedom of speech (to dissent) and assuring the integrity of the election process are far more important, as without that the bushtistas will be able to wage global war at will without anything in their way to stop them.

[Peace Patriot]

23. I totally agree, guruoo! "Assuring the integrity of the election process"

should be our first priority. Right now, Bushite companies have control of the vote tabulation with SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! They didn't grab this power without some Democratic corruption and collusion (among election officials, locally, and in Congress and the DNC). We MUST change this. We need...

Paper ballots hand-counted at the precinct level (--Canada does it in one day, although speed should not even be a consideration, just accuracy and verifiability)

or, at the least...

Paper ballot (not "paper trail") backup of all electronic voting, a 10% automatic recount, strict security, and NO SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! (...jeez!).


Toss these election theft machines into 'Boston Harbor,' I say! (--or a Louisiana levee might do!).

We need a BIG BROOM, friends! And the Republicans are not the only ones who need their house cleaned.

[pberq]

28. So why can't we do both at the same time?

The situation in Iraq has been deteriorating by the day for the last two and half years. And the primary cause is the U.S. military occupation.

The time to bring the troops home is now!!

Cindy is the greatest!

[xchrom]

4. feinstein = a pro-choice repuke.

pure and simple.

[goclark]

5. We can do a lot better than Feinstein

A lot better.

[leesa]

7. I wonder if her husband got a contract in NO?

Maxine to take her place? Sweet notion!

[goclark]

10. Maxine was quick to say

" I'm not running for anything" when the idea was first mentioned.

But, Cindy and Maxine appear to be very close and Cindy repeated the idea to the audience -- way after -- Maxine said "not interested."

[leesa]

11. Well, she's good where she is too, but it would be sweet.

[Gregorian]

9. When people are making money, don't expect them to stop.

She DID know it was wrong. I wrote Feinstein before the "war" resolution. I felt so guilty saying we would march in the streets like we did in Vietnam. But here we are. Maybe Cindy can bring some sense to these creatures. But the key is to find a way to limit the moneymaking.

[rodeodance]

12. go Cindy go. Get all those centrist Dems!

[John Q. Citizen]

13. I don't even have a problem with the centrist Dems , it's the

right wing Dems I can't stand.

[goclark]

14. I think Cindy will get some of them too

Last night she spoke about some of the Rethugs in Crawford coming over to our side and visiting .

She could charm the bees out of trees with her honesty.

[Peace Patriot]

25. Oh, yes, totally--the war profiteering is the key to it all. But we can't

do anything about it without the right to vote. They've taken that away with Bushite electronic voting, and we MUST get it back. Then, we can try to get the war profiteering and disaster profiteering under control, and maybe even get some of our money back. Halliburton, Bechtel, Fluor and all the war profiteers are already in Louisiana with Bush-awarded contracts. Iraq wasn't enough of a pigsty for them. It's godawful. These global predators need to be disbanded and their assets seized, which we have the theoretical power to do. But we can't do anything without transparent elections. That's why they took transparent elections away. It's so obvious!

Election reform is still doable at the state/local level, where power over election systems still resides, and where ordinary people still have some potential influence. And beware any move to federalize or standardize election systems nationwide. That way lies peril. (Look what electronic voting has wrought--as a result of Congressional funding and mandates! Ye gods!) We need to keep that power local, even though it's messy. And I don't trust any of the national Dems or upper leadership on this. The only one I might trust is Conyers. They've all been silent about this amazing fact--that major Bush donors and campaign chairs and far rightwing billionaires now control the vote count. To me that is just a mind-boggling circumstance, and MUST be changed NOW.

[AlCzervik]

17. i'd love to trade Feinstein in for one of our local Democrats from the

assembly.

[Maat]

18. I so agree!

Wish Mark Leno, a Sacramento California politician, was our second senator.

[IndianaGreen]

19. So Feinstein sent an aide to meet with Cindy Sheehan

How republican has this prowar turd turned out to be?

[mdmc]

20. Pro war dems

very sad...

[feminazi]

24. Not to defend DiFi

but i think she is back in WDC and cindy visited her SFO office.

again, i'm not a feinstein apologist. i can't stand the woman. i'd love to vote for maxine in a primary against feinstein.

[Pithy Cherub]

22. DiFi, the bush enabler, needs to retire.

She was lied to and people died and she can't bring herself to call bush out about it? DiFi is a bush welcome mat, not a senator representing the people of California!

Never, ever again to waste a vote on DiFi!

[pberq]

26. "She was lied to..."

I am so sick of people saying the Dems were lied to.

Anyone with an Internet connection back in 2002 could easily find out that the "reasons" given for invading Iraq were half-truths at best and outright lies for the most part. And you have the gall to say that a U.S. Senator couldn't have found that out?

Give me a break!

These Senators knew exactly what they were doing when they voted for the invasion.

Anyone remember a guy named Scott Ritter, former head of the UN inspection team? Everything he said back in 2002 and earlier about Iraq has been proven true.

[pberq]

27. Go Cindy! - recommended

Cindy is of more value to us than the whole Democratic party at this time.

[goforit]

29. Feinstein says she was lied to? Bull crap!!!...Do your homework!!!

[Voltaire99]

30. Good job, Cindy. Next stop on the tour: Hillary Clinton.

As Alex Cockburn opined recently, Cindy should set up her tent outside Hillary's office.

Let the pro-war Democrats catch hell for their vile support.