Cindy Sheehan's wartime vigil outside President Bush's Crawford ranch has become our latest national soap opera. And like any soap, it has a cast of characters whose motives we can cheer, boo and question.

What began two weeks ago as a solitary vigil by a grieving mother who lost a son in Iraq has ballooned into a community of sympathizers, many of whom are piggybacking their grievances onto Ms. Sheehan's. As a result, the road outside the president's retreat is clogged with traffic, suspicious police and throngs of media.

Pennsylvania Sen. Jim Ferlo, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, joined Ms. Sheehan in Texas this week. The Highland Park Democrat and former City Council maverick plans to remain at the vigil until Friday.

Like millions of Americans moved by Ms. Sheehan's willingness to publicly confront President Bush about the death of her son, Sen. Ferlo believes in the value of her symbolic protest. It took only a few days for Ms. Sheehan to become the symbol of this nation's growing disenchantment with the Iraq war. She brings an impressive moral argument to the table and should be heard in full by our disconnected president.

Though Sen. Ferlo has as much right as Ms. Sheehan to speak his mind in Crawford, the presence of politicians, especially those identified with the peace movement, risks alienating those who suspect cynical motives at work.

Sure, it's been a while since Mr. Ferlo has been accused of grandstanding. His behavior in the state Senate has been very responsible, even moderate compared to his past antics on Pittsburgh council. But was it necessary for him to fly to Texas to make his solidarity with Ms. Sheehan known?

In an ideologically volatile political atmosphere, Cindy Sheehan's critics are desperate for any ammunition they can use to discredit her in the eyes of average Americans. Tactically, Mr. Ferlo's presence is the mirror image of Sen. Rick Santorum's visit in March to pray with the parents of Terri Schiavo at her hospice in Florida. We thought that was cynical, and consistency compels us to say the same about Jim Ferlo.

In the end, we believe Ms. Sheehan has the moral standing to be in Texas asking hard questions of the president. We're simply wary of those who have rushed to Crawford to share the limelight, even for a good cause.