Crawford Update: Cindy Sheehan Returns to Crawford, Confronts President Bush In National Television Ad

"Spot Features Cindy Sheehan Directly Addressing Bush With Numerous Questions on the Iraq War

“How many American lives must be lost to justify your war?”

Crawford, TX— Cindy Sheehan, whose son, Pvt. Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq last year, has resumed her vigil in Crawford, and Gold Star Families for Peace announced that their television ad would go to a national cable audience beginning today.

The ad features Sheehan asking the President, “ . . .how many American lives must be lost to justify this war?” Over the past three weeks, Sheehan has been joined by numerous other mothers and family members who have lost loved ones in the Iraq war, at Camp Casey, just outside the President’s Texas ranch.

The ad, paid for by Gold Star Families for Peace, will begin to air on CNN and Fox News nationwide, with an initial buy of $67,000.

The ad has been running in the Waco, TX, market covering Crawford, and also aired during the President’s visits this week to Salt Lake City and Boise. The group of military families will continue to demand a meeting with the vacationing President at his ranch in Texas, and wherever he travels.

Later today, Sheehan and other Gold Star Family for Peace members will receive Casey Sheehan’s combat boots, delivered to Crawford as part of the American Friends Service Committee’s traveling exhibit, “Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War,” a traveling exhibition of combat boots representing soldiers killed in the Iraq conflict. The boots, which Sheehan had donated for the exhibit, were removed from its current display in Philadelphia.

Sheehan says they put the TV ad together because the airwaves seemed to be the only alternative.

AD TRANSCRIPT:

Cindy Sheehan speaking to President Bush

Mr. President, My name is Cindy Sheehan. On April 24, 2004 my son was killed in Iraq.

He was only 24 and he died in his best friend’s arms. Casey was so good and so honest-- why can’t you be honest with us?

You were wrong about the weapons of mass destruction-you were wrong about the link between Iraq and Al Queda—you lied to us and because of your lies my son died.

Mr. President I want to tell you face to face how much this hurts. I love my country, but how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war? How many more soldiers have to die before we say enough?"