Tahoe woman's YouTube question aired during Democratic debate

A Kings Beach woman, whose son soon will be deployed for a second time in Iraq, pressed Democratic presidential candidates on where they stand on the Iraq conflict Monday, when CNN selected her videotaped question to ask the candidates.

Cathy Love said she and her husband, Chris, recorded the sharply worded question on a digital camera and uploaded it to the video-sharing site YouTube.

YouTube and CNN cosponsored the nationally televised debate.

Cathy Love said she needed three to four hours and several takes, but ultimately CNN chose her videotaped question and 38 others from a field of nearly 3,000 videos uploaded to YouTube.

"I never thought I'd be selected," she said. "There were so many others with clever animation. I thought mine was kind of boring."

Cathy Love said she submitted her 30-second question because she and Chris have a "vested interest" in the Iraq war since their son, Sgt. Colin Love, is ready to deploy to Iraq for a second time. The 25-year-old Army sergeant first served in Iraq in 2003. He is training as a medic in Germany, and will join the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry Division in November.

Cathy Love missed the opening of the televised debate, but watched herself later when CNN replayed the debate.

Since their son's first deployment, the Loves have become self-described news junkies, keeping at least three televisions always tuned to a major news network.

The Loves' pointed questions about the Iraq war elicited serious answers from the candidates, but bothered some who viewed the debate.

Chris Love said in a phone interview Wednesday that the couple has received around 50 e-mails, text messages and written responses on the YouTube Web site. Many of the critical comments were insulting or threatening.

"They said 'I hope your son dies (in Iraq),'" Chris Love said. "They said, 'It's a volunteer army, so tough luck.'"

Not all the comments were so harsh. Some supported their wish for a swift end to the Iraq conflict. The soldier's father said a few of the acrimonious comments accused him of being un-American, but he and his wife are still happy they had the chance to speak out.

"To me, being patriotic is asking questions of government," he said.