Joan Baez Joins Peace Mom's Cause
Singer Shows Support As Protest Flourishes, Even Without Sheehan
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Play CBS Video Video Bush's Iraq Policy President Bush defends his Iraq policy today, as anti-war protests continue outside his Texas ranch. There is also sharp criticism coming from congress - and from his own party, reports Bill Plante.
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Video Iraq War Vigils There was a national night of demonstrations to for and against the war, which was sparked by one woman's efforts to see President Bush. CBS News' Bill Plante reports.
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Video Mom Now Anti-War Lightning Rod Some of Cindy Sheehan's rhetoric has made her a target for some conservatives. Bill Plante reports that liberal groups are trying to revive her anti-war message with candlelight vigils.
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Peace activist and singer Joan Baez performs at Camp Casey near President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2005. (AP)
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Gary Qualls, of Temple, Texas, kneels in front of a memorial to his fallen son Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Qualls in Crawford, Texas. (AP)
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Interactive Moms On Anti-Warpath Sue Niederer and Cindy Sheehan, mothers of a slain American soldiers, turn their grief into activism.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
"Inside the political circles this campaign has already begun and they're getting worried that Iraq could become a defining issue in that campaign and turn out a lot of the republicans and maybe even endanger control of the senate by republicans," Crawford said.
Downtown, miles from the president's ranch, more supporters of Mr. Bush arrived at a pro-Bush camp that had been set up as a reaction to Sheehan's.
As of Sunday afternoon, more than 150 people had visited the large tent with "God Bless Our President!" and "God Bless Our Troops" banners and a life-size cardboard cutout of Bush.
"When we saw this, we said, `Thank God you're here'," said Frances Lee, who came from Douglasville, Ga., with neighbor Brenda Bohanan. They planned to hold pro-Bush banners down the street from the protesters.
"We said, 'We wanted y'all to know that there are people from all over the United States that care,'" Lee said.
The pro-Bush camp is called "Fort Qualls," for Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Wayne Qualls, 20, killed in Fallujah last fall. His father, Gary Qualls of Temple, said the anti-war demonstrators are being disrespectful to soldiers.
Sheehan's 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, also died last year in Iraq. He is among more than 1,800 U.S. soldiers killed since the March 2003 invasion.
Mr. Bush has said he sympathizes with Sheehan but won't change his schedule to meet with her. She and other families met with Bush about two months after Casey died, before she became a vocal opponent of the war.
Besides "Fort Qualls" camp, a few Bush supporters have stood with signs in the ditch across from the demonstrators' camp.
Down the street, another group of about a dozen set up tents and pro-Bush signs on private property over the weekend.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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