Thousands of Americans want to oust their president. The anti-war one, that is

Duncan Campbell in Los Angeles

Tuesday March 4, 2003

The Guardian

Pressure is growing for the president to lose his job because of his uncompromising stance on the war. That's President Bartlet, as played by Martin Sheen in the hit television series, The West Wing.

Sheen has been one of the leading figures in the anti-war movement, addressing rallies and spearheading the "virtual match" on Washington last week in which legislators were deluged with a million emails, phone calls and faxes.

NBC is under pressure to sack him from its hit show or face a boycott or withdrawal of advertising. Sheen said in Los Angeles the channel's executives had indicated that his high profile could damage the show and had called on him to explain his views. He had also received thousands of hate emails, been accused of being a traitor and accosted in the street.

Many actors and singers are being lambasted by conservative talk show hosts for expressing their opposition to the war. A website, Citizens Against Celebrity Pundits, has been launched, for "American citizens [who] stand against wealthy Hollywood celebrities abusing their status to speak for us".

The site calls for donations for ads to counter the anti-war movement. "We believe that celebrities Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell, Tim Robbins, Rob Reiner, Barbra Streisand and others with them are using their celebrity to interfere with the defence of our country," says the site.

Last week, Fox News, the conservative cable news station, published a poll which concluded that two thirds of those interviewed wanted celebrities to remain silent on politics.

Organisers of the anti-war ads signed by actors and musicians say they are necessary because the mainstream American media has been reluctant to give coverage to the anti-war movement and the cable news channels are overwhelmingly pro-war.

Last week a full page ad in the New York Times quoted former Nato supreme commander Wesley Clark saying that invading Iraq would "supercharge recruiting for al-Qaida". It was signed by around 50 musicians, including Lou Reed, Sheryl Crow, Massive Attack, and REM.