Democratic Underground - Cindy Sheehan’s SOTU arrest: reports by MSNBC, CNN, BradBlog & HERSELF

BradBlog’s continually updated report is the best place for this story except for Cindy’s own account. Note in the CNN report that "a senior WH official" claimed that Cindy unfurled a banner, but that this was later shown to be false - nice that they included this instead of quietly burying it. The wording of the MSNBC post is generally more sympathetic, it seems to me, and there is more actual information.

If you scroll to the end of this opening post, you will get a treat: a repost of what is in my opinion the BEST of all the classic Cindy Sheehan cartoons, Oliphant’s classic showing Cindy at Georgie’s Crawford gate. Tonight it was the bully police instead of Cheney “running her off,” but Bush is still a coward who never faces the consequences of his own actions.

Of course Cindy herself can tell us what really happened – and she has posted it at dKos:

Here’s a DU thread on Cindy’s dKos post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2430186
and a direct link to the dKos post:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/1/31944/23746#6

Here’s MSNBC’s coverage on Cindy’s arrest:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353

Capitol Police arrest antiwar activist Sheehan

Invited to State of the Union address, she is removed from gallery
NBC News and news services
Updated: 3:37 a.m. ET Feb. 1, 2006

Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the antiwar movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush’s State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.

Sheehan, who was invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. The charge was later changed to unlawful conduct, Schneider said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

(snip)

The T-shirt bore the words “2,245 Dead — How Many More??” in reference to the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, protesters told NBC News.

Police handcuffed Sheehan and removed her from the gallery before Bush arrived. Sheehan was to be released on her own recognizance, Schneider said.

(snip)

Here’s CNN’s coverage:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sheehan.arrest/index.html

Sheehan arrested in House gallery

Wednesday, February 1, 2006; Posted: 1:45 a.m. EST (06:45 GMT)

Caption: A House security officer takes Sheehan out of the chamber gallery before Bush's speech.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Peace activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Tuesday in the House gallery after refusing to cover up a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan before President Bush's State of the Union address.

"She was asked to cover it up. She did not," said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman, adding that Sheehan was arrested for unlawful conduct, a misdemeanor.

(snip – says that that the charge under which Cindy was arrested carries a maximum penalty of ONE YEAR IN JAIL.)

Schneider said shortly after the State of the Union speech that Sheehan was still being held but should be "out sometime tonight."

An early report from a senior House official indicated that Sheehan was arrested for unfurling an anti-war banner, but that was later found not to be the case. Schneider said she didn't know what Sheehan's T-shirt said.

(snip)

And here’s BRADBLOG’s coverage:

BradBlog has the full, updated coverage: blogged by Brad starting 1/31/2006 @ 5:52pm PT and ongoing:
BREAKING: CINDY SHEEHAN ARRESTED BY CAPITOL POLICE INSIDE CAPITOL CHAMBER FOR WEARING IRAQ KIA T-SHIRT!
Was to Attend State of the Union Address! Was Already Seated in Gallery When Arrested by Capitol Police!
PERMALINK: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002355.htm

Finally, time to repost OLIPHANT'S GREAT CINDY AT GEORGE'S GATE CARTOON, the all-time BEST cartoon on Cindy Sheehan's relationship to the WH, in my opinion. They "ran her off" from Bush's SOTU, but I believe and hope this outrage will backfire.