Cindy Sheehan Update: A Bona Fide Movement Is Born and Growing

A bona fide political movement was born this week, and it's led by an enraged middle-aged mother with a sore throat and low-grade fever who's camping out amidst a Texas thunder storm and intimidation threats by Secret Service.

A new leader has arisen, and like all leaders of movements, she's self-effacing, passionate beyond reason, determined to sacrifice all for her cause, and yet, a very ordinary person who simply decided she couldn't take the dishonesty anymore.

"If they want me to go, they'll have to carry me" she proclaimed in a calm, determined voice, reminiscent of civil rights champion Cesar Chavez leading the farmworkers' labor movement in the late 1960s.

I just got off the phone from a conference with physically weakened but emboldened Cindy Sheehan. Cindy is the mother of a young soldier killed by grenade fire in Iraq in April 2004. After a June 2004 meeting with the President, at which he displayed callous disinterest in both Cindy and her dead son, Mrs. Sheehan began to ask questions.

And get angry. She's camping outside the President's Crawford ranch, hoping only for a few minutes of his time to ask him what her son, Casey, sacrificed his life for and when the troops will be coming home. So far, the President has snubbed Cindy.

The call itself was more like an electified press conference, with participants competing to ask questions. (Be proud of me, I got the first few questions. I jumped right in there for you, my readers.) Participants included Congresswoman Jan Schakowski (D-IL), Peter Daou of the Daou Report and TruthOut.org, a handful of leading liberal bloggers and scattered press. One London journalist told her that most of Great Britain is cheering for her.

Cindy said people are arriving constantly to join her ......that in the last day, they've spontaneously come from San Diego, Oregon, North Carolina., all across the US. The Crawford town sheriff has been supportive of the peaceful throngs dropping all to join Cindy by allowing them to use the local stadium for rallies and overflow camping.

"We the people have to cause this change," uttered Cindy. "We must honor the sacrifice of the fallen by completing the mission (now), and bringing our troops home."

Regarding the press, she profusely thanked the liberal blogs for getting out the word of her cause to the US and the world. "Thank God for the internet" she exclaimed, though she professes to know little about how it actually works. CNN and particularly MSNBC thusfar have refused coverage of this important sojourn in Crawford. Ralph Nader has written a letter of support. Bill O'Reilly pesters her daily to come on his FoxNews show.

(I confess...amid the griping about the mainstream press, I pointed out that Cindy was the New York Times lead editorial yesterday, for which she expressed profound gratitude. Full disclosure: About.com is owned by the New York Times.)

Here's how you can help Cindy right now. Visit MeetWithCindy.org, and sign her petition, demanding that President Bush meet with Cindy and other families whose loved ones were killed in Iraq. (Be patient...the site has been inundated today.) Send Cindy an email of support at MeetWithCindy@gmail.com.

The Secret Service warned Cindy that she and her supporters will be arrested tomorrow, August 11, as a "security threat" if she doesn't vacate the public property outside the President's ranch. Cindy has no plans to leave on her own accord, until the President gives her a few moments of his time.

Give Cindy your support today. She's not just fighting for herself. She's fighting for all of us. (And say a prayer for her, too.)