A Shaken, Strong Mother

The AntiCentenarian gives love and support to a woman we declare Saturday, August 6th's American Woman of the Day, Cindy Sheehan.

Mrs. Sheehan marched on Crawford, Texas, with about 50 supporters, demanding the attention of The Administration. While the President vacationed [but don't worry, it's one of many "working" vacations], Sheehan refused to let the impact of his choices drop from his attention.

Her son, Casey Sheehan, 24, was killed in action in Sadr City in early April.

"I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?"'

Sheehan, 48, didn't get to see Bush, but did talk about 45 minutes with national security adviser Steve Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin, who went out to hear her concerns.

Appreciative of their attention, yet undaunted, Sheehan said she planned to continue her roadside vigil, except for a few breaks, until she gets to talk to Bush. Her son, Casey, 24, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004. He was an Army specialist, a Humvee mechanic.

"They (the advisers) said we are in Iraq because they believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, that the world's a better place with Saddam gone and that we're making the world a safer place with what we're doing over there," Sheehan said in a telephone interview after the meeting.

"They were very respectful. They were nice men. I told them Iraq was not a threat to the United States and that now people are dead for nothing. I told them I wouldn't leave until I talked to George Bush."

She said Hagin told her, "I want to assure you that he (Bush) really does care."

"And I said if he does care, why doesn't he come out and talk to me."

Sheehan arrived in Crawford aboard a bus painted red, white and blue and emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour."