I took the letter to work, and can quote it there if you like, basically it’s a form letter thanking me for my interest and referring me to the bio to answer any questions I might have.
Nowhere in the bio does it mention that George is a bigot though.
Most puzzling 
The sad thing is my faith is so shaken, that I don’t feel comfortable hanging the picture in my office.
Somehow I don’t think AA is gonna say they made the whole thing up either. Still, I’d like to get an answer at least.
I’ve now sent AA two emails, and sill haven’t heard anything. This pisses me off because it invites you to as for more info on the brochure piece about the incident.
In both emails I have said that I am not an atheist and have been a supporter of Bush. I was disturbed by the incident described in American Atheist with Mr. Sherman in Chicago, and has been suggested I am writing for more info. Specifically I would like to know if the full text of the letters received from the White House concerning the incident are available, and I would like to know if there is any independant corroboration of the incident from other members of the press. I would like this info for my own personal use as I could not continue to support Bush in light of this information, and also to post on a message board where I am having a discussion on this issue.
I’ve heard back zilch.
I emailed AA, too, and got a response from Ellen Johnson saying they didn’t have the personnel to research it right now. (I didn’t mention I was an atheist in my email.) I suppose I could email Sherman, but I doubt he has any staff to answer miscellaneous requests like that.
I just e-mailed Sherman. Interesting link on his site, presented without coment
http://www.robsherman.com/news1024.htm
I have benn unable to refind the boyscout site (I swear it was there)
What I described as his son’s site seems to be a mirror of the “tour” already discussed.
What “tour” was discussed?
While I don’t find Bush’s surreptitiously using a woman’s clothing to clean his glasses quite the damning indictment of Bush’s character that Sherman does, good lord, that is amazingly tacky.
I saw that Letterman. It’s not exactly what happened.
On the tape he gets the producer’s attention, pointing to his glasses. The producer offers him the clothing, and George cleans his glasses looking embarassed.
What was said, is not know, but the lady in question CLEARLY gave permission.
The radio interview tour and discussion of the Sherman household.
I may have to see that clip myself.
You mean, the radio interview that you claimed was his son’s website that you accused Sherman of faking?
Yeah, that’s the one. 
Some links on the Letterman appearance.
http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,166937-412,00.shtml
Nothing about the glasses though.
Lest you forget, Sherman’s an on air radio personality. His son’s appearance can be accepted in about the same vain we accept that Kathy Lee’s kids wrote their own children story, if you know what I mean.
My email:
Mr. Sherman:
>
> I have just become aware of the incident that occured between you and
George
> Bush in the Chicago airport in the late 1980s. I am not an atheist and
have
> been a supporter of Bush, but find his words as reported by you to be
> unforivable bigotry.
>
> I am writing because the only information I’ve been able to find on the
web,
> is a copy of the brochure describing the incident. I would like to know
if
> it was witnessed and reported on independantly by other members of the
> press, or if it was perhaps taped. I am also curious as to the full text
of
> the letters received from the White House concerning this incident.
>
> I’m sure you understand that I would not be able to support Bush or his
son
> in light of reasonable substantiation of these events. I would like this
> information for my own personal use, and to post on a message board where
I
> am participating in a discussion. Any information you could provide me
> would be much appreciated.
>
Mr. Sherman’s reply:
Vice President Bush came to Chicago on Thursday, August 27, 1987, to
announce that additional townships had been declared flood disaster areas,
subsequent to rainfall of seven inches in one day, earlier in the week. (We
can only deal with an inch or two at a time. Otherwise, we flood.)
He held a news conference at O’Hare Airport that afternoon, which I attended
as Midwest Bureau Chief of American Atheist Press. After taking several
questions about the disaster declaration, the questions turned to politics.
Bush had just announced his candidacy, one week earlier, for the nomination
of his party for President. The Republican National Convention and the
election were one year away.
I asked Bush, “What are you going to do to win the votes of Americans who
are atheists?”
He replied, “I guess I’m pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God
is important to me.”
I followed up: “Do you support the equal citizenship and patriotism of
Americans who are atheists?”
He replied, “I don’t know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor
should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God.”
Other reporters then asked a few questions. I was then able to get in one
more follow-up: “Do you support the constitutionality of state/church
separation?”
He responded, “I support separation of church and state. I’m just not very
high on atheists.”
No reporter thought that this anti-atheist bigotry was newsworthy.
However, the entire Chicago political press corps was there, along with
national reporters. One reporter in particular, who seems to recall this
exchange quite well, is Greg Lefevre of CNN. He is now the San Francisco
Bureau Chief of CNN, right down the block from beautiful Port Angeles. Ask
him. I’ve referred people to him about this several times over the past
thirteen years.
Keep in touch.
Rob Sherman
Huh? The kid was speaking in an on-air interview, it’s not like Sherman could whole-scale put words in his mouth like Kathy Lee could for her kids, since there were no witnesses to Kathy Lee’s accounts of her children’s words besides her and her children. Besides, did you read the interview? The kid displays some very strong agnostic leanings and some questioning of atheism, which I doubt you’d get if Sherman had puppet-like control of him. His son shows no more blindly following behavior than any young child with a forceful, strongly-believing parent, and indeed far less than many. To have a child of a strongly Christian home willing to display the same doubts about Christianity on air in public as Sherman’s son, raised in a strongly atheist home, displayed about atheism is an impressive display of free-thinking. Somehow I’m doubting that Fred Phelp’s kids would go on a radio show and express doubts about God’s existence. Besides, you did say it was the son’s website–which it isn’t–and accused Sherman of ghost-writing it–which he couldn’t. Quit weaseling.
Actually it’s a transcript of the videotape made by the son with special on air appearances at apropos moments by the Mr. and Mrs. Sherman. The purpose of it seems to be to show that life in an atheist household is not oppressive, and that the children are left with the free will to decide these things by themselves. The voiceover as well as a description of the action was played over the radio. The transcript is available at several atheist oriented websites, one of which I mistook for the son’s own (my bad.)
One can check the link and make of it what they will.
BTW. It’s my weasel, and I’ll do with it as I see fit (though I seem to be using it quite a bit.)
Tomorrow I’ll try and call that CNN guy.
Hum, you’re right, I thought it actually was on “All Things Considered.” I am truly disapppointed that they did not attempt to portray atheistic households as oppressive and dogmatic about beliefs. Would it have seemed as disingenous to you if it was an attempt to show allowances for free-thinking in a family with a Catholic father and Methodist mother?
…and that’s the way they became the Sherman Bunch!
::singing:: All of them were atheists…like their father…
So, Scylla, are you going to ask Greg Lefevre about it?
You must be getting old. You never used to miss stuff like that.
Oh, sure, like I’m just supposed to know “that CNN guy” is the one I mentioned?! Sheesh! Some people!