I've been wondering just how long it would take Pelosi to even mention Cindy Sheehan's name. And while I'm disappointed in the context in which she finally acknowledges Cindy dogging Bush down in Crawford, at least she's joining Feingold with his resolution for an exit stategy out of Iraq.
Her opening salvo:
Cindy Sheehan's courageous protest outside George Bush's ranch in Crawford, TX has captivated tens of millions of Americans from coast to coast. Her poignant and heartfelt pleas have focused the nation's attention on Iraq in a way that nothing else could.
Yet after 28 long months of our occupation of Iraq, and after 1,873 brave American soldiers -- including Casey Sheehan -- have lost their lives, President Bush has still failed to develop a success strategy. This cannot continue any longer.
DUH
...more down under
Pelosi's been trying to get folks to sign her petition (which of course I have):
Shortly after the Senate reconvenes in early September, and when George Bush returns to Washington from his five-week vacation in Texas, I am personally going to deliver our petition to the White House, calling on President Bush to spell out his plan for Iraq.
You've already signed my Iraq petition, and I can't thank you enough for your support. But now I ask you to invite everyone you know to join us.
Call on President Bush to develop a success strategy for Iraq -- urge your friends & family to sign our petition now! [Note: this is linked in her email, but I don't know how to carry that over to here...]
OK, so I'll promote the concept of everybody signing her petition even if you want the troops home now because at least Pelosi and Feingold are finally doing something. In my mind, at least they're taking some kind of action after doing nothing for almost 3 years of a war based on lies!
She goes on to talk about how proud she is to be standing with Feingold:
I'm proud to stand alongside my colleague Russ Feingold from Wisconsin as a co-sponsor of Senate Resolution 171, calling on President Bush to define a timeframe for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Because it's time -- in fact, it's more than time -- for President Bush to clearly lay out a strategy for the American people that can succeed in Iraq, defuse the terrorist insurgency, and bring our brave men and women home.
That will only happen when the President brings credibility, accountability, and responsibility to a war that has been lacking in all three.
Credibility: It's time for President Bush to stop using sound bytes like "Mission Accomplished" and be honest and truthful with the American people.
Accountability: We need to hear from the Bush Administration about exactly how many Iraqi forces are needed; how to meet that goal; and by when.
Responsibility: We must honor our soldiers and their families -- including mothers like Cindy Sheehan -- every day, by giving them the equipment they need while they are deployed and the health care they deserve when they come home.
Then she really pimps and this pisses me off because she's been silent for almost 3 years, and hasn't mentioned or come out to support Cindy once since Cindy landed in Crawford. Yet, now she uses her name to gain traction? And only after Cindy's vigil gained traction and simply wouldn't die, when you know Pelosi and other Dems just wanted her to go away and not upset the beltway Dems apple cart:
More than 40,000 Americans -- including you -- have already signed my petition, urging President Bush to develop a success strategy for Iraq.
But we need tens of thousands more to make our voices heard, loud and clear.
We need tens of thousands more to stand with us, urging President Bush to set a timeframe for withdrawing American forces.
We need tens of thousands more to stand with Cindy Sheehan and all the grieving mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and family members who have lost loved ones in this war. [my emphasis]
Then she ends with the usual platitudes. But, as much as I want our troops home and want to see Dems fighting like hell to get them home, Pelosi really pisses me off coming out invoking Cindy's name when she hasn't lent not one ounce of support to Cindy while she's been withering away down in Crawford.
I've signed her fucking petition, and I hope you will too, but she's going to hear from me about suddenly invoking Cindy's name and cause for her own agenda when she's been oh so silent since Cindy decided to find out from Bush what noble cause Casey and our other soldiers have died for.
Just WTF isn't Pelosi standing by Cindy's side now? She's using her name - she should now go down and stand by her side and lend her considerable weight as Minority Whip to a noble cause...