Cindy Sheehan May Run for US Congress in 2008

(APN) ATLANTA – Renowned antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan is considering a run for US Congress in 2008, Atlanta Progressive News has learned in the process of interviewing Sheehan about her upcoming rally in Washington, DC, this Mothers’ Day weekend. Sheehan became an activist in 2004 after her son, Casey, was killed during the US Invasion of Iraq.

“I’m on the National Board for the Progressive Democrats of America and they’re really trying to talk me into running for a Congressional Seat in 2008. It’s almost getting to the time to make my mind up by now. I do have the name recognition. I still can’t make my mind up on whether it would hurt the movement,” Sheehan told APN in a phone interview.

On the one hand, Sheehan feels she is already effective as a grassroots leader and does not know whether she would be more effective in Congress.

On the other hand, Sheehan sees that many in Congess don’t seem to be listening to reason.

“They have their own agenda. They need to realize their agenda has to be our agenda,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan, who considered a US Senate run in 2006 against US Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), said she isn’t sure yet which seat she would run for, because she has ties to several locations.

She has a home in California, but also has “resided” in Crawford, Texas, during her many demonstrations outside President Bush’s ranch. Therefore she has options.

Sheehan says ideally a Congressional Campaign for 2008 would have already begun, but because of name recognition believes there still is more time to “evaluate things.”

MOTHER’S DAY RALLY TO END THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ

“The day after Mothers’ Day, we’ll be having a rally in front of Lafayette Park, and we will march to Congress to end the war and hold George Bush and Dick Cheney accountable,” Sheehan said.

A key component of the rally will be to encourage participants to lobby Congress for impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

“One demand on Monday will be for people to co-sponsor H Res 333 [US Rep. Kucinich’s (D-OH) bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney]. They have to know they have popular support from the grassroots,” Sheehan said.

“We also need an effective campaign to target [US House Speaker] Pelosi and other Democratic leaders to put impeachment back on the table where it belongs,” Sheehan said.

“The grassroots is coming alive and I think it’s very exciting,” Sheehan said, adding, “I wish our politicians would come alive.”

“I think the grassroots movement is gaining steam in this country and we’ve had enough of do- nothing politicians,” Sheehan said.

“I think the impeachment movement and the peace movement have to be linked together. Bush said over and over again the troops aren’t coming home while he’s President. We’re not going to have peace when politicians think they’re above the law all the time, I don’t care if they’re Republican or Democrat.”

For more information on Sheehan’s upcoming rally, please visit http://www.thecampcaseypeaceinstitute.org

About the author:

Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor of Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com.

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