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Only rep. to vote against Afghanistan war called a traitor
She was the only member of Congress to vote against war in Afghanistan. Some called her a traitor.
Rep. Barbara Lee faced death threats, insults and hate mail after she voted against a broad authorization used to carry out the war in Afghanistan
Rep. Barbara Lee agonized over her vote, she said later, until that morning, when the California Democrat listened to the prayer of one of the country’s most prominent clergymen.
It was three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and like nearly every other member of Congress, she was attending a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral. In his opening invocation, the dean of the cathedral, the Rev. Nathan Baxter, said, “Let us also pray for divine wisdom as our leaders consider the necessary actions for national security, wisdom of the grace of God, that as we act we not become the evil we deplore.”
When she quoted him on the House floor later that day to explain her vote against giving the president a broad, open-ended authorization for military force, she was called a terrorist, a traitor and close to treasonous. The House vote was 420 to 1. The Senate vote was 98 to 0. . . .
The reaction to her vote was furious, reflecting the strong emotions of the day. The Wall Street Journal called her a “clueless liberal” and asked if she was anti-American. The Washington Times called her “a long-practicing supporter of America’s enemies.” The phones in her office were turned off after they were flooded with calls, The Post wrote, and she received so many death threats that for a time she had a police detail protecting her.
Rep. Barbara Lee faced death threats, insults and hate mail after she voted against a broad authorization used to carry out the war in Afghanistan
Rep. Barbara Lee agonized over her vote, she said later, until that morning, when the California Democrat listened to the prayer of one of the country’s most prominent clergymen.
It was three days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and like nearly every other member of Congress, she was attending a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral. In his opening invocation, the dean of the cathedral, the Rev. Nathan Baxter, said, “Let us also pray for divine wisdom as our leaders consider the necessary actions for national security, wisdom of the grace of God, that as we act we not become the evil we deplore.”
When she quoted him on the House floor later that day to explain her vote against giving the president a broad, open-ended authorization for military force, she was called a terrorist, a traitor and close to treasonous. The House vote was 420 to 1. The Senate vote was 98 to 0. . . .
The reaction to her vote was furious, reflecting the strong emotions of the day. The Wall Street Journal called her a “clueless liberal” and asked if she was anti-American. The Washington Times called her “a long-practicing supporter of America’s enemies.” The phones in her office were turned off after they were flooded with calls, The Post wrote, and she received so many death threats that for a time she had a police detail protecting her.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/08/17/barbara-lee-afghanistan-vote/
She had the foresight that the rest of congress and most of the rest of America didn't.
3 replies
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