One of the bizarre things about blogging is the amount of influence one can have with the MSM. Reporters and columnists routinely mine the blogosphere for ideas and information, and it is always a little odd to find my rhetoric or phrasing turning up in an op/ed piece several days after I blog on the same subject.
Well here’s a chance for you, my loyal readers, to join me in the exciting field of web punditry. The Seattle P-I is asking for your input on three subjects before publishing editorials on Monday, Aug. 15: (1) student education, (2) Rachel Corrie, and (3) car theft. If you have an opinion on these issues I strongly urge you to go to the page and add your comments.
This “Virtual Editorial Board” could be a very interesting experiment in open source journalism, and I’m curious to see the result. So if you could, please cross post your comments in this comment thread, so we can take a look back and so how you all did in influencing Monday’s editorials. Have at it.
or I could not bother ….and let the rag continue to wither and die..:)
hmmmmm…..
Sheehan Family Statement:
The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son’s good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.
Sincerely,
Casey Sheehan’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.
Student Education:
Now that is a broad subject. The only thing I can say is if you want to have your student educated, DO NOT send them to the Seattle public (taxpayer funded) schools.
Rachel Corrie:
It is REALLY DUMB to stand in front of a bulldozer unless you are certain the driver can see you. And even if the driver can see you are taking your life in your hands.
car theft:
NEVER own a car someone wants to steal. The insurance companies publish lists of frequently stolen cars.
Thomas@2-
Your post is not only off topic, but vile and offensive. Apparently the chickenshit in chief is more worried about the whereabouts of grieving Iraq War Mom’s than he is about the “catch him dead or alive guy”. Hmmmmmm…what WAS his name? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Anyway, your cell mate (as in right wing oppo cell) bf posted this drivel on another thread. So smack, smack, smack to you too, tommyboy.
BTW-ALL she wants to know is “what is this noble cause my son deid for, and why does the story keep changing all the time?” And you know what? I do too.
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Keith Olbermann asked Cindy Sheehan about the “family members” calling on her to give up the vigil. She says they are her in-laws, to whom she no longer speaks. She also says her husband supports her, which is not the story making rounds on rightie blogs today.
She’s a great representative for the forces of sanity and says if Bush doesn’t meet with her this August, she’s going to take the vigil to the White House. Yes!
maha’s diary
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Cindy Sheehan was on Ed Schultz today and said this letter was sent by her sister-in-law. She said her husband’s family were all very much Bush supporters, and that since Casey’s death they had not been in contact with that side of the family at all. Sheehan did not sound surprised at all by this letter from her husband’s sister, nor did she seem bothered by it.
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What a bunch of rat-bastards. Smearing a grieving MOM for gawd’s sake.
It is unfortunate that Cindy Sheehan’s grief and her status as mother or a fallen soldier are being exploited by the Soros propaganda machine. In time she will recover her senses and be very ashamed that she was persuaded to disgrace the memory of her fallen son. May God grant her peace, and may the liberals who are exploiting her grief rot in hell.
I am not suprised that the donks would exploit a grieving mom. What is more suprising to me is that anyone would be shocked that the donks would do this.
Fuck you Gary. The very brave Cindy Sheehan has the guts to ask a question A WHOLE BUNCH OF US want to know the answer to. And what’s with all this “Soros is the left wing financier in chief?” If Cindy Sheehan does not agree with you it HAS to be because she’s been “brainwashed”. Can’t anyone have and hold an opinion that is not endorsed by you, Rush Limbaugh, John Carlson, or Bill O’Reilly?? WTF kind of country do you think we live in anyway, asshole. Don’t presume to guess what is going on with this poor woman.
I am so deeply ashamed of the so-called “leaders” of the Democratic party that the pressure on the great prevaricator has to come from ONE very brave woman acting according to her OWN conscience.
If there is any EXPLOITATION going on it’s the incredibly corrupt republican oligarchy…killing OUR Soldiers and innocent Iraqis in the name of weapons that did not exist and a threat that did not exist. Well it didn’t then, but thanks to you c+augustus and your gang of batshit crazies it sure does now.
Don’t hitch you wagon too tight to these traitors, Gar. They’re heading into the ditch. They’ll take you with them if you are not careful.
Oh yeah, and what about the Murdoch propaganda machine trying to grind her into hamburger. All you people can do is smear. Rebuttal by character assasination. #1 in the Karl Rove playbook. Really nice christian gentleman you got yourself hooked up with. REAL nice. Fuckin’ gangsters.
ok I’ll pretend to care …vile and offensive how, and to whom?
“it is always a little odd to find my rhetoric or phrasing turning up”
Yeah, I know what you mean, Goldy. Years ago, I almost got run over by a speeding driver near Green Lake Park, and shook my first at him and yelled “FUCK YOU!”
Now everyone in this town shakes their fist and yells “FUCK YOU!”
Comment on 2
As I understand it, only ONE of Sheehan’s relatives has criticized her — a sister-in-law who has always been a rabid Republican.
3
I leave my car in the park with the doors unlocked, the keys in the ignition, and the engine running, but I still can’t get anybody to steal it.
OK Thomas, I’ll pretend I care as well.
Here is a quote from Ms. Sheehan from a daily diary she is posting:
“Today is kind of a blur to me. From running around from interview to interview, to getting a visit from Viggo Mortensen, today was a whirlwind of activity. I have discovered that the White House press corps is always looking for something to do and someone to cover. We have been happy to oblige them. We had a press conference today with Gold Star Families for Peace and Military Families Speak Out members. It was very effective when people who actually have skin in the game ask the president to be held accountable for the words he has actually said.
Still putting out the O’Reilly fires of me being a traitor and using Casey’s name dishonorably, my in-laws sent out a press conference disagreeing with me in strong terms; which is totally okay with me, because they barely knew Casey. We have always been on separate sides of the fence politically and I have not spoken to them since the elections when they supported the man who is responsible for Casey’s death. The thing that matters to me is that my family: Casey’s dad and my other 3 kids are on the same side of the fence that I am.
Since Congress is not holding George Bush accountable and the media is not doing their jobs and holding George Bush accountable, we the American people need to hold him accountable for lying to us to get us into a disastrous war. November 2 2004 was not his accountability moment: today is. We are finished allowing him to get away with deceiving the American public and abusing his power.
We are mad as hell and we’re not taking it anymore.”
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The vile and offensive part is the attempt to discredit and vilify this very legitimate woman with a very legitimate issue with the man who has been elected by the people of these United States to lead in peace and war. A rapidly growing number of citizens (62% last time I looked) have real legitimate questions…hard questions about the way this war came about…the justifications, the true motives for our actions (I’m giving you credit here for knowing what these questions are, and in light of the new information that keeps seeping out, maybe have asked a couple questions of your own).
But this government does not believe in an informed citizenry. For some reason the principle of transparency and accoutability in government is not a principle held in high regard by this administration. So
Mr. Bush famously packs his townhall gatherings with partisans and is asked softball questions by reporters who turn out to not even be jounalists at all.
As long as Cindy Sheehan was one voice of many crying in the wilderness…no big deal. She gets a little Pub…still no problem. She shows up in Crawford and the SCLM starts picking this up…well we better git after this (“Karl, now make this go away, hear?}.
So they get Matt Drudge to put up this unsigned (by any trackable, interviewable relative insinuating that Ms. Sheehan does not have the support of her family…i.e. that NO ONE in the family supports her. Then as the situation bcomes less an annoyance and more of a nuisance…they threaten to arrest her (brilliant P.R.}…still she doesn’t go away and the howitzers come out as Malkin and O’Reilly attack and smear Ms. Sheehan on O’Reilly’s show. And I fully expect it to get worse. Fortunately, Ms. Sheehan is as articulate as she is determined and this interesting drama is far from over.
And OK…I probably overreacted a little (so what else is new)…BUT…I want this administration to account for what they are doing. Bush said he was going to be accountable to the people of this Country and so far…I haven’t seen it (like just where DID that pesky 9 Billion Dollars that Bremer lost go, anyway).
That’s it. Good Night.
gary@6–
Absolutely right on.
These LEFTIST PINHEADS know absolutely no bounds in their vile hate for Bush. These hate-blinded LEFTIST PINHEADS are certainly exploiting this woman and her family. LEFTIST PINHEADS are soulless cretins.
12-
Don’t forget the SUCK-UPS that apologize for him!
Did I say SHAMELESS SUCK-UPS?
I meant SHAMELESS SUCK-UPS.
My bad.
No — I think you meant SHAMELESS AND BRAINLESS SUCK-UPS!
thomas @ 8 “ok I’ll pretend to care …vile and offensive how, and to whom?”
To every brave soldier, family member of a brave soldier, and all of humanity.
“pretend to care”? That is all the right-wing hate machine can do is pretend to care.
rujax206 @ 13,14
‘Don’t forget the SUCK-UPS that apologize for him!’
No apologies are necessary.
Seems like this an attempt by the P-I going to outsource some of their reporting jobs and save money that only benefits the owners of the company.
so anyone actually take part in the PI thing? I’ve gotta admit, I have nothing really to say about any of them. Oh wait, Education is good, Car Theft is bad.
and to thomas@1 : Bite me, its the best paper in this state. The PI has problems for the same reason that BJ Shey is popular.
Donnageddon@16
Come on now, don’t be sloppy and reread slow. We both know that statement was commnetary on Rujax206’s statement. If I had only known having a family memeber killed while serving entitled one to an audience and explaination from the Commander in Chief, hell I might have to reserve some time.
The point being that, that while most people can sympathize with Ms. Sheehan, they also realize that there is no answer to her questions that will make her feel better. All the lives lost in all the previous wars, were lost for what? good causes? by whose definitions? the victors? Let her grieve, respect her loss, but don’t pretend there is some sort of answer to her question. Only she can answer that. Just like all the mothers of the 3,000+ who dieded never getting off of Omaha Beach. Think about that…..enlist, train, big boat ride….land on a beach…thats it….in one day….3,000 guys….and thats combat, what about all the guys that died during war time, but died in accidents, or by friendly fire, what do you tell their families? Sorry, “Joe” was run over by one of our tanks by mistake, but the cause was just….?
@hijack topic everywhere
Beyond anything else, bush is making himself look REALLY bad by not going to meet her. I thought rove was some kind of PR wizard…?
rujax@4….your post is a classic example of why people will never take anything the far left has to say seriously. how is printing the truth offensive?
careful…your freudian slip is showing.
cindy doesn’t want to talk anymore than you ever do…she just wants to be a shrill whiney carping shrew. she should be totally ashamed of herself for her behavior. basically her son didn’t do what she wanted while he was alive, and so now that he can’t speak for himself she is taking advantage….OF HER OWN SON….to get attention.
that’s just sick.
windie @ 22
‘Beyond anything else, bush is making himself look REALLY bad by not going to meet her.’
All meeting with her again would do is give a platform to those who trash GW with a passion on a daily basis. She has made her feelings known by embracing Michael Moore et-al, and GW could get more political points just getting a sun tan at the ranch. He knows that Ms. Sheehan represents a small minority of actual soldiers and their families, including those who have lost loved ones in Iraq.
http://newsbusters.org/node/232
nowonder@24
Listen, trust me. He’s giving the left far MORE by trying to ignore her than he would by meeting her.
3 scenarios:
1) They’re dumb enough to arrest her: Alot of complaints about civil rights violations, they look like huge facists
2) Bush keeps ignoring her: Alot of talk about Bush being afraid to talk to people that aren’t with him 100% percent (a charge that sticks all too well), enforcing the ‘thin-skinned bully’ image.
3) He meets with her, gives his carefully crafted speech, hears her carefully crafted statement: She goes off satisfied or not (knowing Bush, probably not), and talks about her experience. He makes points for having the guts to meet a citizen he knows doesn’t like him. (Weakening the thin-skinned sentiment)
that make it clear?
JC @ 3 – there is no reason you can not get a good education at a Seattle public school. You may not have all the resources that you would get if you we going to Lakeside but I went to college with kids from Lakeside, Eastside Prep, etc. Their secondary education did not give them any sort of advantage over me. If you or your kid had a problem with learning in the Seattle Schools then I’d say it was more the fault of the student not trying or not being able to absorb the educational atmosphere
windie @ 25
I understand your points. I still do not think GW has much to lose just letting her sit out in Crawford giving interviews. He did address her situation and concerns in a press conference yesterday, although I am sure he did not comfort her.
I agree that arresting her would be stupid.
THe President already met with Mrs. Sheehan once. If the President met with her again because she had a sit in at his ranch, every kook and curmudgeon from Honolulu to Hartford would be camped outside his gate.
Meeting with this pitiful puppet of the Moore/Soros propaganda machine would give the leftist press an excuse to pretend that she represents all grieving parents of fallen soldiers. Most of the grieving parents understand the cause that thier children lived and died for, they do not agree with the left wing hate machine.
michael B and Gary, are either of *YOU* grieving parents, that you feel you can speak for them?
Gimme a break.
Tom @ 26
Congratulations! There is an exception in every crowd but on the whole, SSD is your typical defective public school district. For the past 30 years any parent who cared more about thier children than “public education” and had the means to, fled the SSD. (Isn’t it a shame that so many of our minority friends do NOT have the means to flee.) That is why enrollment in the SSD has declined from around 250,000 in the ’60s to 44,000 today. BTW, are you aware that SSD spend over $13,000 per student each year?
Windie @ 30
Your point is well stated. There are an awful lot of pundits (both armchair and professional) who claim to know this woman’s motivations. Few, if any of them know this woman personally. Moreover, few, if any of them have a son or daughter that was killed in Iraq since this war began. For such people to make statements that declare some knowledge of this woman’s intentions is, in my view, little more than dissemblance.
I can personally see no reason not to take this woman’s views for what they are, nor do I see any issue with her having changed or clarified her position in the months since her son’s death.
The right-wing argument as I understand it hinges on the idea that Sheehan is lying, since her current views are somewhat (but not totally) at odds with her statements in the months immediately following her son’s death. This argument is untenable, because it a) fails to prove her intention to deceive, since that would require personal knowledge, and b) dismisses the possibility of an individual’s views changing over time (especially as new information becomes available).
The first reason to doubt the purity of her motives is the Crawford Peace House web site and the collection of extremist anti- US fringe groups that support it. These organizations would exploit anyone or anything in an attempt to damage the Bush administration. With enough Soros money you can make anyone say anything.
33
Actually, that is no reason to “doubt the purity of her motives”. You seem to be claiming the websites are exploiting her, but that has nothing to do with her motives. Your comment about George Soros seems to be of little relevance (especially the “can make anyone say anything” part of it).
I don’t think she is lying, and couldn’t care less what her motivations are, et al. I just don’t think her situation, opinion…ad nauseum entitles her or anyone else for that matter, to a FTF with the President of United States whenever they want. Diasgree all you want, write letters, plead with congressmen, hell start up a blog….whatever you need to do to cope. Join the club all of us learn to cope.
BTW, are you aware that SSD spend over $13,000 per student each year?
I know what a waste. And the donks still scream that there is not enough money. I can’t emphasize enough how important independent audits are. They should be done on the State and local level. I truly believe that privatizing education would be the best way to go. The charter schools the donks love to point to and say are doing a poor job don’t even get half that amount per student. And the donks wonder why people don’t trust them.
Comments for the PI’s open source journalism experiment:
1) Can’t wait for the PI to go out of business.
2) Not fit to line a bird cage with the PI pages.
3) Why should we do your job for you?