Sheehan Considers Challenge to Pelosi

[Ghost in the Machine]

Sheehan Considers Challenge to Pelosi
Published: 7/8/07, 4:46 PM EDT
By ANGELA K. BROWN

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - Six weeks after announcing her departure from the peace movement, Cindy Sheehan said Sunday that she plans to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That's when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group's war protest site near Bush's Crawford ranch.

"Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership," Sheehan told The Associated Press. "We hired them to bring an end to the war. I'm not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn't be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money."

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7815&eeid=5293509&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=0&ck=&ch=ne

[surfermaw]

1. SAD

[uppityperson]

2. ?

[sniffa]

3. MAD

[Swamp Rat]

7. BAD

:spank:

[Cha]

38. Rad!

[proud2BlibKansan]

60. GLAD!

:rofl:

[Jack Rabbit]

8. You bet it's sad

It's sad that impeachment articles have not been introduced against either Bush or Cheney in spite of overwhelming evidence that they manipulated intelligence to sell the invasion of Iraq and deliberately unmasked an undercover agent as part of a vendetta.

[helderheid]

9. GAD!

[Bluebear]

11. CAD!

[stillrockin]

37. You be it's effen sad!!!!

Sad that N.P. is doing NOTHING to end the war. We are freaking FED UP!!!!!

:wtf:

[Clark2008]

45. EGAD

[judaspriestess]

4. Go Cindy

a little rattle here and there may do the trick. I hope so.

[LynneSin]

5. What a joke

Sorry - as much as I've appreciated the work Cindy Sheehan has done, I think Nancy has done a great job and would support her 110%. To be honest, I think most of Nancy's district would also support her. And being that no republican could probably win in that district it'll be nothing more than an embarassment to everything Cindy has worked for these past years when she comes out with 5% of the vote.

[Greyhound]

10. Just what has she accomplished, other than legitimizing *'s crimes

and betraying the American Citizens?

[leftchick]

13. um

nothing?

:shrug:

[LynneSin]

19. You know, I thought Michael Berg would have done a great job running for congress

he ran here in Delaware - got about 5% of the vote, I don't even think it was that much.

Cindy runs for congress and gets a few votes from the radical fringe - and don't kid yourself, she won't beat Pelosi, and it makes Cindy out to be a joke.

I think Nancy has done a great job because she knows an impeachment right now will do nothing but slap Bush on the wrist and say "Bad Boy" We don't have 67 senators to get Bush out of the White House. But by continuing with the investigations that are being done by just about ever committee is starting to expose Bush's crimes to the world - provided that Lindsey isn't in a car wreck, Britney is shaving her head or Paris is going to jail.

If Bush is to be impeached it will not be done by democrats. It will be done by Republicans who realize that he is destroying their party and they need to do something to save their collective hides in 2008.

Nancy is doing a great job and I support her all the way. I'd get upset about your reply but I realize that your post is only a small percentage of all the democrats out there in this country

[Ghost in the Machine]

21. "If Bush is to be impeached it will not be done by democrats.

It will be done by Republicans who realize that he is destroying their party and they need to do something to save their collective hides in 2008."

.... and this will spell DISASTER for the Democrats, thus ensuring that the repugnant ones retain power in '08.

IMPEACH NOW, GODDAMMIT!

[Greyhound]

24. I repeat just what has she accomplished other to enable and support national criminality?

As for all that noise about why it is that we are just so helpless and unable to act, that's all it is, meaningless noise.

[havocmom]

27. In my sig line is a link to what her Congress has pulled off

What has she done? Quite a lot, actually

[Greyhound]

36. Got to go right now, but I wanted you to know I've read the link and done a little research

beyond that.

BBL

[ikojo]

26. What any third party candidate does, if successful,

is to BROADEN the conversation. Currently few are talking about impeachment. If Cindy really got serious and ran, and impeachment was the center point of her campaign, a wide range of topics would make it into the mainstream conversation. That is not a bad thing.

[hooraydems06]

41. Delaware is no 8th CD of California...

... and Michael Berg ran as a member of the Green Party in an at-large district in a state that is still represented by a Republican congressman. How much would he honestly be expected to get when most progressives and war opponents would have been voting for the "D" just to oust Castle?

Sheehan has the potential to get *WAY* more than what Berg got, and regardless of what the naysayers say, there is *NO* way that a Republican will ever win Pelosi's district in the current configuration. Sheehan's splitting the vote will certainly make Pelosi sweat, but it will never cause a Republican to take that district. Believe me.

[DancingBear]

46. That is true

The rest are weak-willed little oafs who will buy ANY of the Democratic bullshit if it comes wrapped with a big old bow and a "really! we're new and improved" sticker on it.

As for those "democrats" out there - well, if your behavior and political "acumen" are indicative of 'em am I ever glad I changed my registration to "I."

"If it keeps on rainin', the levee's gonna break..."

[Big Pappa]

43. Not a lot.

But would Cindy be able to do anything in congress but yell an scream. Maybe she would do better to run against a Republican.

[BuyingThyme]

95. She traded the lives of thousands of innocent human beings for minimum wage.

How can you question that kind of record?

[Forkboy]

96. Even Kennedy,a long time supporter of the minimum wage increase didn't take that bait.

[EFerrari]

53. You don't know this district very well. We're the Left Behind Liberal

District that nearly voted in a Green mayor last time.

[proud2BlibKansan]

61. What has Pelosi accomplished?

We are still in Iraq and there is still a criminal in the WH.

I also think you don't get the point here. We absolutely HAVE TO force our elected leaders to abide by the will of the people. The majority of Americans want our troops out of Iraq and a majority also favors impeaching. Yet, our Congress, with Pelosi at the lead, has ignored the will of the people. So what better way to force them to do what WE want than to threaten to run against them? I think it's a brilliant plan. I also think you better get used to it because this won't be the only long time Congress critter challenged by a more progressive candidate. Fasten your seat belts, cause it's bound to be a bumpy ride if this Congress continues to play nicey nice with bush and cheney.

[Tesha]

84. That's her risk to take, isn't it Lynne? (NT)

[Greyhound]

6. I'd vote for her.

I also want to point out that Cindy did NOT leave the peace movement, she left the Democratic Party.

[northzax]

14. and, let's not forget

this message board is called "democraticunderground.com" not "peaceunderground.com" the minute she declares a candidacy as anything besides a democrat, expressed support for her on this board should become verboten.

[Greyhound]

15. You mean like all those LIEberman supporters that were TS'd?

:rofl:

[northzax]

22. personally, I look forward to hearing Ms. Sheehan's policy opinions

on trade, worker's rights, fiscal policy, energy policy, taxation, well, anything at all. she's a one issue candidate, I bet she would support Ron Paul against Hillary or Obama, simply on that one issue. sounds great.

[ikojo]

29. Oh you mean like all of those other one

issue voters...those folks who will vote for Hillary ONLY because she has a vagina....those people who would vote for a candidate ONLY because they support abortion rights? THOSE kind of one issue people?

If I had to be a one issue person, I'd prefer my issue be PEACE on the planet and ending a war.

[northzax]

31. single issue voters are not quite the same as single issue candidates

tell me, in a presidential race between Hillary and Ron Paul, who do you support, the one that actively opposes the Iraq war and has done so since the start? or the one who's other positions are presumably closer to yours? so, single issue? do you pull the lever for Paul, knowing that everything else he stands for is anathema? that's a single issue voter.

[still_one]

50. Interesting point. Of Course Ron Paul also is for states rights

and that includes his position on most civil rights. There are some issues which cannot be handled at a state level, and civil rights is just one of those

Your point is excellent. There is more to people than just the Iraq war.

Healthcare
Social Security
Jobs
Education

and so much more which the current administration has failed on

She will get a tremendous amount of free press, but not because she has a chance of winning

[ikojo]

28. AMEN and he Democratic Party is oh so very far

from being a party of peace....not with warmongers like Hillary as the anointed front runner.

Cindy has as much right as anyone to run for public office. At least SHE'S willing to put her neck out there.

[Forkboy]

12. Well that would be interesting.

[MasonJar]

16. Does she live in that district?

[FogerRox]

17. I believe so, for many years IRCC

[northzax]

23. well, according to her, no

"I'm not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn't be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money." I think she's from Vacaville, right? the 8th District is completely within the city of San Franciso:

[Ghost in the Machine]

30. I just found this..

Sheehan said she lives in a Sacramento suburb but declined to disclose which city, citing safety reasons. The area is outside Pelosi's district, but according to documents on the California secretary of state's Web site, there are no residency requirements for congressional members.

[northzax]

34. legal carpetbagging is still carpetbagging

who's her local representative? probably Doris Matsui, who, from everything I can tell, doesn't support impeachment either (she was on John Conyers' select committee investigating possible causes of impeachment and did not sign the eventual statement asking for impeachment)

what ever happened to change starting at home? oh, right, this is just a publicity stunt. how can it be anything else? if she really wanted to achieve something, she'd run against her local congressperson, who also opposes impeachment, but this makes a bigger splash, right?

[Yukari Yakumo]

40. Yes, it is Matsui represents Sacremento

And so far, she has said nothing about her stance on impeachment also. So there is no reason for Cindy to target Pelosi except for one thing. I hate to bring those two words up... but, as you said, this is just a publicity stunt.

This is Attention Whoring rearing its ugly head once again.

The only thing Cindy will accomplish is to marginalize the issues further. On both the issues of impeachment and Iraq, this is the last thing we would ever want.

[northzax]

47. What an ugly phrase you use

I may not agree with ms. Sheehan very often, but my mother raised me to never call a woman a whore unless she, well, has sex with men for money. What's next? Attention slut?

[FogerRox]

73. IMHO Your Mom raised you good..... And you know, that is the democratic process

If you dont like someones record, run yourself, or support one who will run.

NJ & Va are the only 2 states voting for all state house seats, this year. Here in NJ we've seen more than usual number of DEM primaries. Most without the so called blood letting. I think that more people should run for office instead of whining, I would imagine some might consider that Cindy is executing her civic responsibility, that one should do more than just vote.

I met Cindy once, we are nearly the same age, I show'd her this front page local paper, me in action doing some honk & wave ....





She autographed the newspaper, hugged me and gave me a kiss just before this picture was taken

[Tesha]

85. How did you feel about carpetbagging when it was Hillary's bag?

(Just wondering.)

Tesha

[northzax]

89. given that hillary's previous residence

had been the District of Columbia, which, as you no doubt know, has no Senators to run for, it's a different story.

[Tesha]

90. But she lived all those years in Arkansas!

But she lived all those years in Arkansas! Wouldn't
it have been a bit more sensible for her to have
returned home and run from the Senate there, rather
than to have been residing at 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue while claiming to understand the needs of
the citizens of the Empire State?

Sorry, but she's just a carpet bagger, and it
was even a pretty tatty bag (that's looking a
lot more moth-eaten these days).

Tesha

[northzax]

92. she was running for an open seat

in New York, which is also a different kettle of fish. there was no strong Democratic candidate, and hey, she won, easily.

[Tesha]

93. What, does an incumbent get special defference in your mind?

And did that defference stretch to Lieberman?

Tesha

[northzax]

97. lieberman was carpetbagged?

huh, that's news.

There is a difference between moving to a new jurisdiction to challenge for an empty seat, or to challenge an incumbent of another party, than in moving to challenge an imcumbent of the party you just left. Sorry, there is. Ms. Sheehan has a local democrat to run against, and one that she would probably be more successful against, so why not do that?

[Tesha]

98. That would be: Because it's Pelosi that really needs being replaced. (NT)

[northzax]

99. why, Matsui doesn't support impeachment, either

yes, Pelosi has more power, and a higher profile, but if her caucus supported impeachment, she'd do it or lose her speakership.

[Tesha]

100. The night is young... (NT)

[NoPasaran]

88. Apparently in 2006 she registered to vote in Texas using her Crawford address

Her current congressman is Chet Edwards... same as Bush.

[FogerRox]

77. Um, that what I meant to say, she lives nearby.... yeah thats it...

thanks..

[leftchick]

18. woo hoo!

Go Cindy! A representative of the people and not corporations and AIPAC? I am in!

[stellanoir]

20. HAD

When the acquisition of elected offices which pay far less than those positions ultimately pay, corruption is guaranteed. . .

We have corruption and democracy is lost and no vestige of representative leadership.

Just a governement of, for, and by the corporations.

See RFK's speech at Live Earth about "corporate todies" for reinforcement.

A "liquidation sale on the Earth's resources" indeed.

That was a great line.

[BlooInBloo]

25. What a non-threat.

[Pushed To The Left]

32. Why doesn't she run as a Democrat and give Pelosi a primary challenge?

Pelosi is in a pretty safe district, so this doesn't upset me as much as it might in other situations. Still, I will never be a fan of splitting the progressive vote.

[Ghost in the Machine]

33. She'll run as an independent...

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That's when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group's war protest site near Bush's Crawford ranch.

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7815&eeid=5293509&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=0&ck=&ch=ne

[northzax]

35. I don't understand why she won't run at home

in her own congressional district, against her own anti-impeachment Congresswoman? oh right, she's not really serious about this, just making noise.

[Ghost in the Machine]

39. Maybe she thinks Pelosi's seat holds more power?

:shrug:

Who knows, but if it lights a fire under Pelosi, or anyone else, more power to her!

[MonkeyFunk]

44. If she thinks that, she's not fit to serve.

Sheehan wouldn't become Speaker if she replaced Pelosi. She'd have exactly the same power as if she won any other seat.

But it won't matter, because she won't win.

[still_one]

55. That is the whole point, she won't win, and it will NOT be about Iraq but about Sheehan

This is just the distraction that the administration wants.

We have the majority of people outraged that Libby has walked free. They are now seeing exactly what this administration has done the last six years, and even some republicans are crossing over

She has every right to run, but in my view it will only be more of a distraction, that will end up helping the republicans, than changing the Democrats, and by help, I mean they will use Sheehan to try and divide the Democrats.

It won't work though, because people realize that it has everything to do with this administration, and NOT the Democrats

They may not have the strength that many here would like to see, but isn't that due to "WE THE PEOPLE" in 2000 and 2004?

Whether they should or should NOT have won, either way it was too close of an election, and the turnout was dismal at best

[LittleClarkie]

65. It won't with Cindy in it, to be sure. Someone else will get the speaker position then

not a freshman.

[hooraydems06]

42. I'm glad, Pushed To The Left...

... that at least you are unlike those people scared that Sheehan's challenge will enable a Republican to win that district, and have actually bothered to learn enough about the district to know that there's about as much chance of that as Bush ending the war tomorrow because he feels bad about the death toll, and then voluntarily resigning from the presidency and turning himself over to the Hague.

On the off chance that a Republican somehow managed to get 33.4% of the vote because hell froze over that particular moment, and Sheehan and Pelosi both got exactly 33.3% apiece, that Republican will have 2 years to enjoy that seat, because they won't have it for long. In any case, no Republican would ever take that seat anyway, since if hell was going to freeze over it would have been in November of '04.

[still_one]

48. No, a republican does not have a chance to take pelosi's seat, and neither does Cindy

What it may do is stimulate an actual discussion of the Iraq war, and why we should be out

What it will probably do is allow the administration controlled MSM to use it to bash the Democrats in hopes that they will divide, and lose in 2008

That won't happen either

Reality, Sheehan doesn't stand a chance. She may help focus more attention on Iraq, but that will now occur on its own momentum, especially since bushco communted libby's sentence.

[hooraydems06]

72. Exactly

Thank you, still_one

Nice to know people who actually understand the district actually post in these "Sheehan takes on Nancy" threads.

[orleans]

76. sheehan wants articles of impeachment introduced against the fuckhead

within the next two weeks--she's going after impeachment.

maybe this will light a fire under nancy's ass


"Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer are not speaking. The majority of Americans believe Dick Cheney and George Bush should be impeached. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, says no. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, I am told by someone familiar with the inner workings of the House, favors proceeding with impeaching Cheney. But Nancy says no. Pelosi is being described by some as Tom Delay in a skirt, in terms of her refusal to pay attention to what the majority of Americans want."

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/

[EFerrari]

52. Pelosi is not in a safe district. She's in a pissed off district.

And I imagine Cindy would have run as a Dem but figures the Dems won't have her and also likely feels betrayed by them.

[MonkeyFunk]

63. She won in 2006 with 80.4% of the vote

and that was before she rose to Speaker. That's a safe seat.

[FogerRox]

74. 80 %, yup, thats safe

[TwilightGardener]

49. First of all, Sheehan shouldn't presume to speak for Democrats, considering

she ISN'T one. I didn't "hire" my Democratic officeholders to end the war--I "hired" them because in general I believe Democrats are closer to my philosophies and belief system than Repubs--war or no war. She's wading into some waters that she may not really be qualified for here--what is her education level, her work history? What will her platform be, other than war? What if the war ends next year--then what? What does impeachment have to do with ending the war? I don't see how they are necessarily related. I don't mind someone calling attention to impeachment--I believe in impeachment. But I'm sure Nancy knows a HELL of a lot more about the politics of it, and of how government works, than Sheehan, and there may be a valid reason why she hasn't acted on this yet. I'm sure Nancy is just shaking in her shoes. :eyes:

[still_one]

51. She has everyright to run, and also lose

When Cindy first came on the scene, she had tremendous backing from most. Once she immersed herself in global politics, i.e., visiting Hugo Chavez, etc., she immediately moved the issue from Iraq, to a socialist agenda, fairly or unfairly, that is the way it was viewed.

If she does run, it will be presented as less about the Iraq war, and more about Cindy Sheehan.

This is the same for the Nader or Perot, they became more important than what they said they believed in.

The trouble always starts when you read the headlines, and start to believe them. History has demonstrated this, time and time again

[TwilightGardener]

54. Agree with you--it's more about her than anything else. She voted for the Chimp, apparently--

Sorry that she now wants him removed from office, but it's just not that simple. She'd do a lot more good by targeting the Republican Rep wherever she's from, than by making a fool of herself plotting to grab the seat of the Speaker of the House.

[EFerrari]

57. But that's how they smear everyone. It's not special to Cindy

or even to anything she's done.

[still_one]

58. No, but it sure was easy to predict, and also it could have been avoided /nt

[EFerrari]

59. Blessed be the risk takers. They talked about Cindy's visit

to Venezuela much as they talked about Nancy's visit to the ME. Both traitorous uppity women. :)

[still_one]

64. In my view it was a big difference, Pelosi was not being used as propaganda

What risk did Cindy take going to Venezuela? Pelosi, definitely took a risk going to the middle east

The only thing Cindy accomplished was moving the attention from the war to her

At least that is what the polls indicated.

[EFerrari]

68. I don't understand how Cindy can be pilloried for going to meet

the most progressive leader in the Western hemisphere and then be asked if she took a risk. :)

[still_one]

69. Obviously, not everyone share that view with you. I don't want to debate Venzuala

I want to debate getting us out of Iraq NOW. It is quite easy for people to get distracted, and the MSM is quite happy to accomodate

You either change through the system or through revolution.

I prefer change through the system. It isn't always fast, and people get hurt in the process, but it does occur.

If nothing else people should realize now just how precious voting is

[EFerrari]

70. There is an argument to be made for challenging people

and for not dumbing down the discussion to the lowest common denominator.


And, btw, Venezuela has cleaner elections than we do although you'd never know it from our press.

[still_one]

71. I have no problem with anyone challenging anyone, but why doesn't she run in her district?

She isn't even from San Francisco.

[EFerrari]

75. No idea. Why didn't Senator Clinton run in Arkansas?

I think we're going to see a good bit of upheaval and I hope we can surf it.

[still_one]

78. Because she couldn't win in Arkansas, that's why. Difference is Cindy will not win in S.F /nt

[EFerrari]

79. Cindy may fail miserably in this district. But, regardless

there will be a challenge from Sheehan or from others because Nancy has ignored and shook off her constituency for too long.

There are consequences when politicians do that.

[still_one]

81. Wow, don't you ever sleep? I thought for sure when I posted it the message would just sit there

Anyway, have a good evening

[EFerrari]

82. You, too. I think we're mostly on the same side of this one.

Let's see how we do.

[still_one]

83. It will definitely generate attention. Let's hope it helps /nt

[EFerrari]

56. She better start shaking something before we vote her out of office. n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

62. Yeah. Challenge A Democrat. That Makes Loads Of Sense. How Utterly Misguided.

She continues to think she means well and I have no doubt she does, but she still is going about things so completely wrong now. I don't agree with this move on her part whatsoever and am a bit disgusted by it.

[Tesha]

86. There are a lot of Democrats who should be ejected.

The "Democratic" members of the Senate's "Gang of
Fourteen" (who brought you John Roberts and Samuel
Allito) come to mind.

The Democratic Party will be a better, stronger
party when we actually *STAND FOR SOMETHING*.

Tesha

[LittleClarkie]

66. What else do I feel Cindy?

Gee thanks for speaking for me, as I am incapable of speaking for myself.

Generally annoys me when folks speak for others besides themselves.

[Mutineer]

67. It's still a free country.

It's her right to run against her I suppose. But she doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning. Or does she? Only time will tell!

[Marrah_G]

80. "Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership,"

Who is she to presume to speak for Democrats? I do not think that all Democrats feel betrayed or even a majority of Democrats feel betrayed. We tend to be a rather intelligent party and in my experience most understand that things cannot change overnight.

I want this war over yesterday. I worry every time I see my mother's number on caller ID that it is means my brother is hurt or dead. Still I feel confident that my Congress Critters are working to get him home. It's just a difficult and time consuming process. I am patient and I still trust them (most of them).

She does not speak for me.

[Tesha]

87. She speaks for me.

I am a Democrat who is routinely betrayed by my
party's elected officials.

Tesha

[NaturalHigh]

91. As much as I dislike Pelosi...

Cindy Sheehan running would be a joke.

[BuyingThyme]

94. Standing up against Pelosi is standing up for Democratic values.

Go Cindy!

:woohoo: