First, she got booted from the ultra-liberal website Daily Kos (h/t Ace) due to her decision to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California).
Then, during a visit to Montgomery, Alabama, as part of her “Summer of Love 2007” tour, Cindy was confronted by a Bush supporter who actually asked a rather cogent question that frankly few on the left or in the media care to address: “What happens to Iraq after we leave?”
This prompted a somewhat predictable exchange wherein Sheehan answered questions with questions rather than address the likely horrific genocide that will follow a capricious American troop withdrawal (video available here with relevant section beginning at minute 3:50, partial transcript follows):
Sheehan: "If you'll be quiet, I will answer."
Vucovich: "Alright, say your piece, go ahead."
Sheehan: "How many Iraqi people in Iraq have you talked to? Zero! The people in Iraq want us out."
Vucovich: "So Saddam Hussein would be better?"
Sheehan: "The people in Iraq want us out."
Vucovich: "What happens in Iraq after we leave?"
(inaudible)
Sheehan: "I'm going to answer you if you'll be quiet. George Bush has killed 700,000 Iraqis."
Vucovich: "George Bush doesn't have anything to do with this."
From what I can tell, outside of Alabama and the blogosphere, few media reported this. Neither did they care about Sheehan’s announcement at Daily Kos earlier in the morning that she was being banned due to her intention to run against Pelosi:
I can't post here anymore because my potential run for Congress
is not on the Democratic ticket.I have been deeply grateful for all of your support over the years.
Your love and kindness helped me through lots of sleepless nights
at Camp Casey '05.If Speaker Pelosi does her constitutionally mandated duty and I don't run,
then I can come back and post.I know a lot of you are hostile towards my candidacy. Please
understand that I am doing it for your children and grandchildren
(and my surviving ones.)Love always,
Cindy
Potentially more interesting was the comments section wherein some Kossacks referred to Sheehan as a troll, and defended “management’s” warnings to Cindy as a result of DKos being a Democrat site created to support Democrats.
This seems somewhat laughable given Kossack efforts in 2006 to defeat Joe Lieberman, a longtime Democrat.
As Robert Stacy McCain pointed out at in the Washington Times’ Fishwrap blog Thursday:
Mrs. Sheehan is banned, but Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton is welcome at Daily Kos -- or, to be more precise, YearlyKos, the second annual "netroots" convention, which will be held this year in Chicago.
And, Allah at Hot Air accurately noted:
She failed the litmus test. And now, my friends, she must pay. Exit question: What happened to the dream of people-powered politics driving complacent establishment Democrats from office?
Good point. After all, Markos Moulitsas’ concept in “Crashing the Gate” was the following:
This book lays bare, with passion and precision, how ineffective, incompetent, and antiquated the Democratic Party establishment has become, and how it has failed to adapt and respond to new realities and challenges.
Right now, it seems that Pelosi and Clinton are the leaders of the ineffective, incompetent, and antiquated Democrat Party. Shouldn’t the netroots be welcoming challengers to these pathetic icons rather than banning them?
