Sheehan to join Rocky in anti-Bush rally
Sheehan will give a speech during a protest at City Hall, said her spokeswoman, Tiffany Burns.
Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed in Iraq in 2004, spent 26 days outside Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch last year in an effort to get him to explain why he sent the United States to war and say what steps he would take to end the conflict.
Anderson, who protested during Bush's speech to a Veterans of Foreign Wars convention here last year, said he expects at least 5,000 people to march the three blocks to the Federal Building as part of the protest.
"We expect huge numbers of people to turn out for this. I think that it's a personal and moral obligation for everybody, especially in any leadership capacity, to stand up and speak out when we see things going so horribly wrong in our country," Anderson said.
The Federal Building is two blocks east of the American Legion convention site.
Anderson had been invited to attend the American Legion convention but not to address it as he did during the 2005 VFW convention.
Instead, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, like Anderson a Democrat, will open the national convention at the Salt Palace on Aug. 29.
During Bush's visit last year, Anderson spoke to about 2,000 anti-war protesters, saying he supported the troops but had to rally against the "deceit" that put the United States at war in Iraq.
Last month, some Legion officials told The Associated Press that some members were skipping this year's convention because of Anderson's criticism of Bush and the Iraq war.
Wednesday, Anderson said he's been told by Legion officials that high gas prices were playing a bigger role in keeping people away.
The president's schedule is not yet solid, but he currently plans to fly into Utah on Aug. 29 and stay overnight before speaking to the convention the next day.
After speaking to the convention, he is expected to visit with the LDS Church leaders and then headline a fund-raiser for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who is seeking a sixth term in the Senate on Nov. 7, the newspaper said.
Bush will be joined on the trip by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The White House declined to confirm details of the trip.
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