When Rocky Anderson and Cindy Sheehan speak out against President Bush and his policies Wednesday, they probably will be cheered by thousands who agree.
But more Utahns will see them as aiding the enemies of the United States, according to a poll conducted for The Salt Lake Tribune.
This is the opening paragraph of the headline article in today’s online version of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Forty-five percent of poll respondents said war protesters such as Sheehan and Anderson aid U.S. enemies. Just 27 percent embrace the alternative view – that they “play an important role in the national debate over U.S. policy in Iraq.”
The article also delves into the dissatisfaction by the state’s republicans over the involvement of Salt Lake City Mayor Anderson’s role in the protest at the City County Building.
….anger over Anderson’s participation in the protest could rally Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is holding a fundraiser Thursday afternoon with Bush, said Anderson shouldn’t have invited Sheehan. “He has a right to protest if he wants to, but he also has an obligation to welcome people to our beautiful city. And when the president of the United States comes in, even though Rocky doesn’t like him, he is still the president of the United States. It is an office we ought to respect.”
The Governor of Utah, however, sees it differently:
But Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has no heartburn over Anderson’s activism.
“It’s an important and symbolic message that here in our state we can organize and speak out on both sides of the issue – and do so respectfully and safely,” Huntsman said.
As for Sheehan’s involvement: “She lost her son in combat in Iraq – which is commendable. If we’re going to fight for [freedom of speech] internationally, it would behoove us to do it here.”
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 