JOSHUA FRANK: Cindy Sheehan’s Message to the Democrats

[Tace]

By Joshua Frank -- World News Trust

For a fleeting moment it looked as though Cindy Sheehan was going to toss her antiwar weight into the election ring and confront Senator Dianne Feinstein of California in the Democratic primary. But instead Sheehan has subtly withdrawn herself from the race.

Sheehan’s decision, which was announced Feb. 9, came after substantial pressure from elite Democrats who thought her bid could damage Sen. Feinstein. Certainly that was the point of Sheehan’s threat to take on the senator -- and the elites of the pro-war Democratic Party, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, knew it. Since her decision was made public Sheehan has been taking heat from antiwar activists who believe she has given into the Democrat’s coercion. They believe she has succumbed to lesser-evil politics. But I wouldn’t be so quick to jump to such a conclusion.

Sheehan obviously believes the best way to challenge the Democrat’s ineptitude is to continue her activism from outside the party. So don’t go counting on her to endorse Feinstein this summer. If anybody still honestly believes that the Democrats are open to radical changes at the national level, they need look no further than Paul Hackett’s recent demise or the centrist Howard Dean’s campaign during the 2004 elections. If the grassroots of the Democratic Party are engaged and empowered -- watch out -- their challenges to way business is done in Washington, whether genuine (Hackett’s) or spurious (Dean’s), end up becoming just another casualty of Democratic corruption.

Surely Sheehan knows this and isn’t about to exert energy reforming a broken Democratic Party. She wants the troops home now -- that’s her mission. Why get hung up tooling around with DC Dems and their misguided ways? It would be a waste of time.

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http://worldnewstrust.org/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=2404

[Larkspur]

1. Boxer voted against IWR. Frank is wrong again

Sigh!!

[karynnj]

2. I think he finally went far over the edge

If BOXER is part of the pro-war Democrats, who is he OK with? I assume he may be upset as she spoke positively last fall about Kerry's plan to get out - even though - even though no one had a plan of getting out faster. (he and Feingold had a pretty similar time for all to be out. Feingold said Dec 06, Kerry in Oct 05 said 12 to 15 months - Murtha was 6 months, but the troops were to stay in the middle east.)

[LittleClarkie]

3. Nice little pimp slap at Dean. Franks and Counterpunch didn't like him

much. Thought he was a phony. That's fine. I don't like Franks much.

And to Hackett and Sheehan, I say, run for City Council or the House, or State Assembly or SOMETHING first before you make a flying dive at the US Senate.

I tend to believe still, in regard to Sheehan, that Boxer was sincere and correct when she said that Cindy would do more good as an outside force. She wouldn't have damaged Feinstein. Feinstein would have made mincemeat out of her. It's hard to be an activist when you're mincemeat.

As for Hackett, you don't get into politcs and then cry when things get political. I'd have stayed in the race if I were him, esp. after he said he wasn't going anywhere. No excuses. He should have stuck it out til the primaries regardless.