Mother Tips the Balance Against Bush

Cindy Sheehan "...has been the catalyst for the rebirth of the anti-war movement..." She was there at the right time, right place, and provided the story and face.

Her remarkable one-woman stand outside George Bush's Texas ranch has turned into a national phenomenon - and one of the most vicious political slanging matches in recent US history. On the pro-war side, Sheehan has been derided as a traitor to America, betraying her dead soldier son's memory. On the anti-war side she has become a secular saint, laden with the powerful imagery of the avenging mother roused to action. For them, she is the lone soccer mom who is taking on Bush - and winning.
Either way, Sheehan is the most talked-about woman in American politics. She might also be Bush's worst public relations nightmare. For months Washington has been awash in speculation of a 'tipping point', when the majority of American public opinion turns finally and permanently against the war. Many now believe that Sheehan has provided that final push. 'It has definitely tipped now,' said Professor Steve Zunes, a political scientist at the University of San Francisco.

The political legacy left by her summer of protest will last far longer than the ramshackle tents of Camp Casey lining the roads outside Bush's ranch. 'This is now about far more than Cindy Sheehan. She has given people the confidence to speak out about the war that they didn't have before. Finally, its OK in America to be anti-war,'

The choir is singing now. It is very refreshing to see more and more voices locally and nationally calling for an end to the fiasco. Sure some call for an immediate withdrawal, some for a short timeline while W and the Brass are talking about 4 more years (or probably more). But whether it is now or within one year - the voices are finally starting to be heard, recorded and recognized.