Democracy Now! speaks with Cindy Sheehan, mother of a young U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, about her vigil outside Dubya's ranch near Crawford, Texas.

An excerpt:

AMY GOODMAN: Cindy Sheehan's protest has generated headlines around the world. Military families from around the country are heading to Crawford to join her vigil. Meanwhile, she has come under attack by right wing websites and commentators. Earlier this week, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News suggested that Cindy Sheehan has committed treason.

BILL O’REILLY: I think Mrs. Sheehan bears some responsibility for this and also for the responsibility of other American families who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq who feel that this kind of behavior borders on treasonous.

AMY GOODMAN: Bill O’Reilly. Well, we're joined now on the phone from Crawford, Texas, by Cindy Sheehan. Welcome to Democracy Now!

CINDY SHEEHAN: Hi, Amy, thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. We're also here with Juan Gonzalez. Can you talk about President Bush’s statement yesterday and what your demands are?

CINDY SHEEHAN: Well, I want to know what the noble cause is that Casey -- you know, the supposed noble cause that Casey died for. You know, I don't believe that a war of aggression against a country that was no threat to the United States of America, dying for that is a noble cause. I don't believe sending our children to die for something like that is a noble cause. I would like him to tell me if he thinks it's such a noble cause, does he encourage his own daughters to enlist and go over there and take the place of some soldiers who might want to come home. And then another thing, he always says that we have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the mission. Well, you know what? I don't want him to use Casey's death to justify his killing anymore. And his press conference yesterday, he said, I have his sympathy. I don't want his sympathy. I want answers.

JUAN GONZALEZ: And your response to the fact that now more people are joining you there outside of the ranch in Crawford?

CINDY SHEEHAN: We had over 700 people come through our camp yesterday, and we are expecting thousands this weekend. It is just so incredibly amazing to me. I think people in America just needed a way to stand up and have their voices count. And for some reason, this is a way for them to do it.

AMY GOODMAN: Cindy Sheehan, the Drudge Report has been leading a campaign against you, along with Bill O'Reilly. And one of the points they make is that when you first met with President Bush, you came out with a very different impression, satisfied with the meeting, they say. And then you changed your tune. And they also talk about dissent within your family* about what you're doing.

CINDY SHEEHAN: Well, for one thing, June of 2004 and August of 2005 are two different months. They're 14 months apart. And in June of 2004, we had buried Casey nine weeks before when we met with the President. I was still in a deep state of shock and a deep state of grief. And I'm still in a deep state of grief, and I will be for the rest of my life, thanks to George Bush, but I'm not in shock anymore, and I have informed myself. And I have known that four different reports have come out proving that this war was based on deceptions and lies, and it’s for greed. And not one person should be dead. My son shouldn't be dead. And the killing shouldn't continue. Every day, people are dying, and we need to get our troops out of there right now. And dissent within my family -- the members of my family that wrote that letter are my in-laws. We have never been politically on the same page. But you know what? These people, I think, are using Casey's death, because they didn't know Casey, they didn't have a relationship with Casey, they didn't go out of their way to get to know him. They never spent time with him. And they can't speak for Casey. I can speak for Casey. My children and Casey's father, the five of us are all on the same page, united in our message of this war was a mistake, and we need to bring the troops home.

AMY GOODMAN: Will you continue the protest, if you don't -- if President Bush doesn't meet with you in Crawford, will you go to the White House and continue?

CINDY SHEEHAN: We're planning on going to the White House and setting up a 24-hour vigil until the troops are brought home.

* From the Drudge Report:

In response to questions regarding the Cindy Sheehan/Crawford Texas issue: Sheehan Family Statement:

The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.

Sincerely,

Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.