I was alerted to Matt Drudge’s latest smear campaign — “PROTESTING SOLDIER MOM CHANGED STORY ON BUSH” — this time against Cindy Sheehan, who’s protesting the Iraq war and the deaths of soldiers, including her son, a few miles from Bush’s Crawford, Texas ranch.

Raw Story did some digging and found out that Drudge pulled quotes out of context, and omitted large sections of the original story — published on June 24, 2004 by The Reporter, a Vacaville, Calif. newspaper — that expressed the Sheehan family’s opposition to the war. The article isn’t published on the Internet, but Raw Story acquired a verifiable copy of the original story.

Hey, Matt. Who fed you that old story that is NOT ON THE INTERNET? The usual suspect(s)? MORE BELOW:


Update [2005-8-8 20:10:24 by susanhu]: Cindy is on with Laura Flanders, subbing for Sam Seder/ Janeane today. nd, Crooks & Liars has Cindy’s interview on The Tony Show today. C&L says she answers questions about the Drudge smear campaign.


Update [2005-8-8 20:15:52 by susanhu]: Raw Story links the full, original article now at Vacaville’s The Reporter newspaper.

Drudge pulled quotes out of context, and omitted large sections of the original story — published on June 24, 2004 by The Reporter, a Vacaville, Calif. newspaper — that expressed the Sheehan family’s opposition to the war:

“We haven’t been happy with the way the war has been handled,” Cindy said.


“The president has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached.”

The 10 minutes of face time with the president could have given the family a chance to vent their frustrations or ask Bush some of the difficult questions they have been asking themselves, such as whether Casey’s sacrifice would make the world a safer place.

But in the end, the family decided against such talk, deferring to how they believed Casey would have wanted them to act. In addition, Pat noted that Bush wasn’t stumping for votes or trying to gain a political edge for the upcoming election.


Perhaps most egregiously, Drudge pulls this quote entirely from its proper context. Drudge quotes:

“‘That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together,’ Cindy said.”


Here’s the proper context for that remark:

While meeting with Bush, as well as Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was an honor, it was almost a tangent benefit of the trip. The Sheehans said they enjoyed meeting the other families of fallen soldiers, sharing stories, contact information, grief and support.

For some, grief was still visceral and raw, while for others it had melted into the background of their lives, the pain as common as breathing. Cindy said she saw her reflection in the troubled eyes of each.

“It’s hard to lose a son,” she said. “But we (all) lost a son in the Iraqi
war.”

The trip had one benefit that none of the Sheehans expected.

For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They
laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle.
For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again.


“That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being
together,” Cindy said.


In other words, it was MEETING THE OTHER FAMILIES that gave Sheehan a brief “gift of happiness.” Not meeting Bush, as Drudge infers.


Raw Story has more on this breaking story: “Drudge Report takes anti-war mom out of contex.”