The State of Cindy Sheehan’s Union: Hysterical and Bipolar

By: Steve Yuhas

Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young, wife of Rep. “Bill” Young (R-FL) both had the hottest ticket in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night and both showed up to watch President Bush deliver his State of the Union address to Congress. 

The two women could not be more different and their philosophies are as far apart as the places they call home, but on Tuesday they were both out of luck as their shirts and the rules of the Congress left them both unable to watch the State of the Union live from the House gallery.

Young’s shirt was one that was supportive of the troops; Sheehan’s shirt was not and both women were removed from the chamber long before the speech so no television cameras caught it.

The battle of the shirts has now become a question over whether or not it was appropriate to invite someone like Sheehan, a woman who was cavorting with Hugo Chavez last week.

It is the prerogative of members of Congress to use their tickets any way they see fit, but Sheehan is the new Monica Lewinsky – she was the hottest guest in D.C. after the blue dress became public knowledge; she was little more than an intern with a taste for a President, but everyone wanted her at their table – she was a circus attraction.

No Republican would have invited Lewinsky to Clinton’s State of the Union – it would have been unseemly for one of the few formal occasions our Republic actually observes, but leave it to Democrats from San Francisco to invite Sheehan.

Nobody really cares about Sheehan any more, but every now and then she finds her way to a camera or a reporter willing to print her bad mouthing our President, troops, their mission or the country.  To say she is an al-Jazeera dream is an understatement because without her they would be left only with anti-American items said by Democratic public servants.

Sheehan notified the media that she would be at the speech.  Why?  A lot of prominent people watch the State of the Union in person without sending out a press release so her claim that she was just there to watch seems suspect.  She was there for more than a visit.

Had she succeeded in disrupting the speech she really would have solidified herself as the face of the Democratic Party and the contempt she would have felt today would have been akin to that felt by Michael Moore when he was booed off the stage at the Oscars.

Alas, we did not get to see her in action and I suppose it is for the best.  Her first debate against Dianne Feinstein, who Sheehan is claiming to challenge for the U.S. Senate, should be interesting.  Cameras will find her for that (someone please get her a facial before that – she needs a Donna Frye makeover).

The State of the Union on Tuesday was like any other: a laundry list of items that a President would like to do and major things that they’ve done.  The fact that two Congresswomen were complicit to allow Sheehan to do whatever she wanted at the speech begs for the day when we return to the tradition of not having a speech at all. 

A report to Congress is all that is required from the President by the Constitution and since Democrats would rather embarrass the President by giving a ticket to their jester – perhaps we should return to the days of a simple report on paper.

As for Cindy Sheehan – personally I think the GOP should help America see more of her and help fund her Senate campaign against Feinstein because each time Cindy is on display it is like bringing out the best act of the circus. 

Whenever people see Sheehan they see a Democrat and nothing would be better than watching Sheehan as a Democratic candidate on all of the talk shows.  Stranger things have happened and nothing would help the GOP more than seeing Sheehan night after night on television on stage with the Democrats rallying behind her.

I wonder who she would give her ticket to – Malcolm X perhaps…

Steve Yuhas is a columnist and radio talk show host on KOGO AM 600 and may be reached at www.steveyuhas.com or steve@steveyuhas.com