Sheen tops antiwar TV spot
Coalition urges citizens to email, fax, call D.C. to protest
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Sheen -- who plays the popular President Jed Bartlet on "The West Wing" -- and other politically minded celebs joined a long list of church groups and other orgs in announcing the campaign at a Wednesday ayem press conference in L.A.
The umbrella coalition, Artists United to Win Without War, wants citizens to deluge the nation's capital with emails, faxes and phone calls.
Groups emerging in recent weeks to advocate a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis have had a difficult time buying national airtime for anti-war spots. CNN and other nets say they are reluctant to air any advocacy ad, regardless of the issue.
To get around the skittish nets, groups are buying up time from local cable companies. Sheen's ad will appear on both CNN and Fox News Network in L.A. and Washington. The spot will continue running throughout the next week.
Win Without War, headed up by former Capitol Hill lawmaker Tom Andrews, is hoping to buy time in other local markets.
"This virtual march on Washington will allow every American opposed to the war to stand up be counted, by calling, faxing and emailing the U.S. Senate and the White House," Sheen says in the ad.
For years, there were strict federal regs governing advocacy ads, with networks required to give equal time to the other side. Though those rules have been all but erased from the books, nets are still wary about airing such ads nationally.
Other celebs flanking Sheen at Wednesday's press briefing included Janeane Garofalo and Mike Farrell. Orgs on hand included the National Council of Churches, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, Greenpeace, NAACP and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
