Has anybody heard about that

[Mass]

I found this part in an article in the independant.

I have not heard about that at all? Is it serious?

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article314492.ece

For the group, including Bill Mitchell, whose son was killed in the same battle that Mrs Sheehan's son died in, it has been a packed week. On Wednesday they held a press conference on Capitol Hill, delivered a letter to the White House urging Mr Bush to withdraw the troops and then ended up with an emotional three-hour presentation in front of a packed audience at American University. Yesterday, the group had arranged to meet with Senators John Kerry, John McCain, Edward Kennedy and others before heading off for more public appearances.

[europegirl4jfk]

1. I think that would totally make sense

A meeting with the three senators who always care! And others of course, but they are the most prominent. The two Vietnam vets and Kennedy who already met with Kerry and the protesters in 1971. I really would like to read more about that meeting. Maybe Cindy or Mitchell will talk about it later.

[TayTay]

2. That shows real courage

As you said EG (If I may shorten your DU name to that) Sen. Kenedy was in his 3rd term when he met with a very young (and handsome) John Kerry on the mall in DC in the '71 Dewey CAnyon III protest. (Teddy got elected to fill his brother's seat in '62 in a special election. He then got elected on his own in '64 and '70.)

This should get a lot more press soon. The article mentions that araangements have been made to meet Sens : Kerry, Kennedy, McCain and Clinton (I think) but it doesn't say when the actual meeting was to take place. This is fascinating. I wonder if Sen. Hagel will tag along.

On the one hand it is not exceptional that Sens. Kennedy and KErry would meet with Ms. Sheehan. They did put out press releases that asked * to meet with her in Crawford. On the other hand, I am impressed with this. It shows courage, especially for Sen. Kerry, because he he has taken so much heat for his IWR vote. I hope this gets some publicity and I am very curious to see what the reaction will be. (Ms Sheehan had a nice turnout last Sat when she made an appearance in Boston.)

Boy, things have come full circle haven't they. Now Sen. Kerry is one of the people who have enough courage to meet with people they don't agre 100% with and hash out the issues and listen to people who strongly dissent from the Admin policies. Again, I am impressed with Kerry and the others. Very impressed.

There is nothing at Ms. Sheehan's web site about a meeting yet, but this could just be a data entry thing.

http://meetwiththemothers.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50

[karynnj]

4. It's so much better that they meet privately

I think at minimum with Kerry and Kennedy, she would come away knowing they understand and care about her loss. If Kerry and Kennedy are still not for an immediate pullout, it's unlikely that they will agree, but she may find that the Senators do care and are making recommendations based on their sincere best judgements.

Hopefully, if this meeting occured, she at least felt more comforted than she was during the first Bush meeting - which should be easy as your Senators have far more heart.

Kennedy was sure young when he became a Senator.

[europegirl4jfk]

5. Full circle! Yes, you say it.

I'm amazed how wonderful history can be sometimes. Back in 1971 Kerry was the protester and Kennedy came to talk to him. Now Kerry is a senator and if someone is predestined to understand the new Peace movement, it's him! And I don't mean necessarily agree with them totally, but understand their feelings and motivations. How must he feel these days of "repeating history"?

[TayTay]

3. The article has a press date of 9/23 which is Friday

It says that 'yesterday' meaning, I think, 9/22 that the group had arranged to meet with Sen. Kerry, Kennedy & McCain. I'm not sure if they met on Thursday or arranged to meet sometime this weekend and the arrangements were made on Thursday.

This should be all over the blogs soon. This is pretty big news.

[whometense]

6. Village Voice:

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0539,fergusoncamp,68174,2.html

What Hillary Told Cindy

Sheehan and company get face time with senators Clinton, Reid, Lieberman. McCain’s next.

by Sarah Ferguson
September 22nd, 2005 10:14 PM

Cindy Sheehan and the other members of the Bring Them Home Now tour hit the halls of Congress on Thursday, knocking on the doors of more than a dozen legislators to demand their position on the war—including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

The activists were bringing Camp Casey, named for the 24-year-old son Sheehan lost in Iraq, to Capitol Hill. The first Camp Casey was set up this summer outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.

On Thursday, Sheehan sat down with Clinton and Reid, two of the highest-profile Democrats, to pose the same question she has posed to President Bush: “What noble cause are our loved ones fighting and dying for?"

“I asked them, ‘Are you going to be willing to lead us out of Iraq? Because if you do, the rest of the nation will follow you,’ ” Sheehan said.

Neither Clinton or Reid, who both voted for the war, were willing to reverse tracks and push for a U.S. withdrawal now. Nevertheless, Sheehan reported feeling “fabulous coming out of the meeting.”

“I know their offices are going to be working with us; all we have to do is keep up the pressure on them,” Sheehan said, adding, “Now it’s up to the people of New York to put pressure on Clinton.”

New Yorkers who oppose the war might not feel so encouraged, given the hawkish stance our junior senator has taken thus far.