Cindy Sheehan is still out in Crawford, TX picketing outside the president’s vacation home along with other protesters and counter-protesters.  As George cycles and clears bush, she stands at the side of the road angry, determined, and maybe a little bit crazy.  (She is also blogging at Huffington Post.)

This Page One issue demonstrates the political and moral weight that a grieving mother possesses.  This power has surprised some pundits, and they have lashed out in unbecoming ways. 

Mothers have always born the weight of grief in war, though they are given no monuments or parades.  Sheehan reminds us of their quiet strength, by not being quiet for perhaps the first time in American history. 

Not only does she remind us of all the women, past and present, who have had to bury their kids, but she also reminds us that some mothers, like Sheehan, are paying a higher cost than the rest of us in this war.  The rest of us have no loved ones in this war.  There are no rations, no tightening of belt buckles. Other than a penny more at the gas tank, the war has no impact on our lives. 

Sheehan reminds of us of the uneven sacrifices, albeit in a somewhat hysterical way, but she’s grieving, so cut her some slack.  She says,

And I want to ask him: “If it’s such a noble cause, have you asked your daughters to enlist? Have you encouraged them to go take the place of soldiers who are on their third tour of duty?” …The people who send our young, honorable, brave soldiers to die in this war, have no skin in the game. They don’t have any loved ones in harm’s way.

She’s hijacked the president’s vacation. At this point, he can’t go out and talk to her, because all sorts of unhappy Americans would then demand access.  If he has the Secret Service haul her away, MAJOR image damage.  Of course, he should have been more respectful weeks ago, but that ship has sailed.  What he should probably do is send out Laura to talk with her as a fellow mother, end his vacation, and starting thinking about a Plan B.