Cindy Sheehan

[theknife]

the Prez is back on a five week vacation at the ranch in Crawford Texas for his 50th vacation of his presidency, making him the most leisurely, well-rested president in history. while he attracts many protesters along his travels, he's got one outside the gates of the ranch that just won't go away:

Soldier's mom digs in near Bush ranch
CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- A mother whose son was killed in Iraq says she is prepared to continue her protest outside President Bush's ranch through August until she is granted an opportunity to speak with him. Cindy Sheehan's 24-year-old son -- Army Spc. Casey Sheehan of Vacaville, California -- was killed in Baghdad's Sadr City on April 4, 2004.

Mrs. Sheehan is an angry and distraught mother but she's got some legitimate and relatively straightforward questions for the President and she says not leaving until she speaks to him. the Bushies, sensing the unfolding PR disaster, trot out some fairly high-level aides to talk to her:

Joe Hagin, White House deputy chief of staff, and Stephen Hadley, national security adviser, met with Sheehan for about 45 minutes Saturday, according to White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

Sheehan said that the two men "were very respectful."

"They told me the party line of why we are in Iraq," she said. "I told them that I don't believe that they believed that."

i'll bet they don't believe that either. but apparently the Prez and Mrs. Sheehan have had at least one choice exchange on a previous occasion:

she and her family met with him in June 2004 at Fort Lewis. Mr. Bush, she said, acted as if he were at a party and behaved disrespectfully toward her by referring to her as "Mom" throughout the meeting.

By Ms. Sheehan's account, Mr. Bush said to her that he could not imagine losing a loved one like an aunt or uncle or cousin. Ms. Sheehan said she broke in and told Mr. Bush that Casey was her son, and that she thought he could imagine what it would be like since he has two daughters and that he should think about what it would be like sending them off to war.

"I said, 'Trust me, you don't want to go there'," Ms. Sheehan said, recounting her exchange with the president. "He said, 'You're right, I don't.' I said, 'Well, thanks for putting me there.' "

ouch. no wonder Bush is ducking her.

but he may not be able to do so for long, as her story snowballs. and as it does, watch the GOP smear machine begin to target her, questioning her patriotism, her motherhood, her son's service etc. right out of the Rove playbook. but you might think that our bring-em-on, smoke-em-out, tough-talking commander-In-Chief could handle a one-on-one with a 48 year-old California housewife and answer a very basic question:

"I want to ask the president, why did he kill my son?" Sheehan told reporters. "He said my son died in a noble cause, and I want to ask him what that noble cause is."