Go ahead. Support the troops some more.

YOU ARE VISITING THE OLD MALKIN(S)WATCH. THAT'S FANTASTIC. PLEASE VISIT THE NEW MALKIN(S)WATCH WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE.

In an update to the "Cindy Sheehan is crazy" post, Michelle digs herself in deeper.

The left-wing blog, Raw Story, claims that Drudge has taken the 2004 story on Sheehan's meeting with President Bush out of context. But the article excerpts Raw Story highlights, which quote Sheehan's husband, Pat, seem to bolster the case against Mrs. Sheehan even more:

"We haven't been happy with the way the war has been handled," Cindy said. "The president has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached."

"...But in the end, the family decided against such talk, deferring to how they believed Casey would have wanted them to act.

"...We have a lot of respect for the office of the president, and I have a new respect for him because he was sincere and he didn't have to take the time to meet with us," Pat said.

Via a commenter on Atrios, Drudge's original source is pissed:

"That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," she said in the story.

Drudge included that quote in his Monday morning report, but didn't explain that it referred to sharing time with her family, not the president...

The Reporter republished Henson's 2004 story on www.thereporter.com Monday. It drew hundreds of visits within the first hour.

"It's important that readers see the full context of the story, instead of just selected portions," said Editor Diane Barney. "We stand by the story as an accurate reflection of the Sheehans' take on the meeting at the time it was published"...

Sincerity was something Cindy had hoped to find in the meeting (with Bush). Shortly after Casey died, Bush sent the family a form letter expressing his condolences, and Cindy said she felt it was an impersonal gesture.

"I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith..."

While meeting with Bush, as well as Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was an honor (note: reporter Hansen's words, not attributed to the Sheehans), it was almost a tangent benefit of the trip. The Sheehans said they enjoyed meeting the other families of fallen soldiers, sharing stories, contact information, grief and support.

For some, grief was still visceral and raw, while for others it had melted into the background of their lives, the pain as common as breathing. Cindy said she saw her reflection in the troubled eyes of each.

"It's hard to lose a son," she said. "But we (all) lost a son in the Iraqi war."

The trip had one benefit that none of the Sheehans expected.

For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle.

For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again.

"That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," Cindy said...

...(the) article, published June 24, 2004, was called into question on Monday following a story in the Drudge Report.

Under the headline, "Protesting soldier mom changed story on Bush," only portions of our story were printed. Left out were the Sheehans' reservations about the war.

The online report claimed Cindy Sheehan "dramatically changed her account about what happened when she met the commander in chief last summer!"

We don't think there has been a dramatic turnaround. Clearly, Cindy Sheehan's outrage was festering even then...

I don't really get where the payoff is for the Malkins on this one. How would you ever come off well denigrating a gold star mother?