Barbara Lee
On Barbara Lee, Afghanistan and Covid Scapegoating
All ye news consumers are probably thinking more about Afghanistan in these last two weeks than at any point in the last 20 years.

All ye news consumers are probably thinking more about Afghanistan in these last two weeks than at any point in the last 20 years.
But if you live in Alameda County, thank goodness you have a representative who showed some backbone against the jingoistic rhetoric from the very beginning.
That would be Rep. Barbara Lee, who after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, stood up to other members of Congress and just said no to retaliating against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
On Sept. 14, 2001, 420 members in Congress said yes to military force. 98 Senators went along with them.
Your congress member was alone in speaking the truth for peace.
Lee warned of “perpetual war,” and she said, “However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say, ‘Let’s step back for a moment, let’s just pause, just for a minute, and think through the implications of our actions today, so that this does not spiral out of control.’”
It was a call for a mindful moment. Politicians typically show no skill at that.
Want to see the cost of being less than mindful in politics? The U.S. has spent by some estimates close to $2 trillion in Afghanistan since 2001. We’ve lost more than 2,400 military lives, tens of thousands of injured sons and daughters.
And now we are in a “smoldering” situation. It’s like extracting yourself from a bungled divorce. The Trump administration began negotiating with the Taliban and presented artificial deadlines. That was the chaotic plan President Biden inherited. It was really negotiating a surrender rather than a withdrawal. But it means the Taliban is dictating everything. The U.S. wants to extend beyond Aug. 31? Taliban says, no and has “red-lined” the date.
The group that had offered to surrender to the U.S. 20 years ago, is now making a mockery of the U.S.
Surely, the Afghanistan situation wouldn’t be quite this way if we had more leaders like Barbara Lee who dared to be mindful when it mattered. The situation remains smoldering.
African Americans Scapegoated
Donald Trump called the Coronavirus the ”China Virus,” and “The Kung-Flu” for laughs. That kind of talk scapegoated Asian Americans and made them targets of the Trump hoard. More than 9,000 instances of anti-Asian hate have been recorded since the pandemic began by the group #StopAsianHate, based at San Francisco State University.
Scapegoating on the virus is dangerous and racist.
Now African Americans are getting a taste after Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick went on Fox News saying that unvaccinated African Americans in Texas are the cause of the virus spread in Texas.
It’s just wrong. Compared with Texas’ Black residents, nearly four million more white Texans are unvaccinated, said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. He even points out that four million fewer Hispanics are vaccinated compared to Blacks. The stats don’t justify blaming African Americans in Texas for the spread of Covid.
But what did we expect to hear from Patrick, a former broadcaster and talk host. He knows how to incite an audience and “make the phones ring.” As Trump did, the TV showman. As does Larry Elder, the African American Republican talk host atop the polls of people who want to be governor if Gov. Gavin Newsom is recalled.
Lesson. Don’t listen to nor elect talk hosts. At least the irresponsible ones.
Need a model for public servant in elective office? We have one in Alameda County in Congress.
It’s Rep. Barbara Lee.
Try putting Elder next to Lee. He wouldn’t stand a chance.
Activism
Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress
“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) expressed deep gratitude to her constituents and marked the end of her 26-year career in public service.
Lee, who is succeeded by Lateefah Simon, a civil rights and racial justice activist, praised people in her community for their support. She also highlighted her dedication to promoting peace, justice, and equity.
“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.
Throughout her tenure, Lee earned a reputation as a principled lawmaker known for taking bold and sometimes unpopular stances. One of her defining moments came in 2001 when she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in response to the September 11 attacks. This decision led to death threats but ultimately cemented her legacy of courage.
Lee’s leadership extended beyond her district, where she fought for social justice, the rights of low-income communities, and global health initiatives. She was a key figure in pushing for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She was a vocal critic of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion services.
The Congresswoman also faced significant challenges in her career, including a failed Senate bid in 2024. Yet, Lee’s efforts have paved the way for more excellent representation, with more Black women now elected to Congress. She worked closely with organizations like Representation Matters to encourage more women of color to run for office.
Lee says she looks to the future, confident that the next generation of leaders will continue her unfinished work, particularly on issues like military force and reproductive rights.
Activism
Ending Months of Public Speculation, Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland
In an exclusive interview Wednesday afternoon at the offices of the Oakland Post, Lee spoke about how she came to the decision to run for mayor in the April 15 special election. She also discussed some of her priorities, including defense of human rights of immigrants.

By Ken Epstein
Part 1
“I’ve never shied away from a challenge – I’m always ready to fight for Oakland,” said outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee, kicking off her campaign this week to become the next mayor of Oakland, speaking with characteristic optimism.
In an exclusive interview Wednesday afternoon at the offices of the Oakland Post, Lee spoke about how she came to the decision to run for mayor in the April 15 special election. She also discussed some of her priorities, including defense of human rights of immigrants.
“As mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve,” she said in her campaign announcement.
In reaching her decision to run, Lee said, “The process was actually doing a deep dive (talking) with many different people, organizations, constituencies here in Oakland, with the business community, with labor, with activists, with nonprofits, with ordinary folks who are just trying to survive on a daily basis.
“It has been and will continue to be a good process primarily of listening and listening for the common threads, because I believe that this city – and I love this city – has had such a great history of working together and being unified, even though we disagree on a lot, but in challenging times, we come together,” she said.
“I (will) be a mayor who is hands-on and helping find solutions. We can’t make big promises, naturally, but I certainly can say we’re all going to try and move forward together.”
Looking at public safety concerns, she said, “People want to feel safe in their neighborhoods and wherever they are, but they also want to see that we’re preventing violence. We (need) a comprehensive strategy.
“I think the city is moving toward and has a good integration” with Ceasefire, a violence reduction program in Oakland, she continued. “We have to bring Ceasefire to scale, (and) also look at the underlying reasons and the root causes of crime. I think we can put together an overall agenda and try to get the resources for a comprehensive public safety strategy, which incorporates crime prevention, violence prevention, addressing the underlying causes.
“We also must make sure we have a police force that does their job, and (we can help) free them up from some of the burdens that they have right now so they can do their job to make sure that they keep communities safe.”
Finding federal resources and funding for the city may be difficult in the current climate, Lee said. “I’m going to talk to foundations, the business community, investors, we need to make sure that we create an environment for investments to come into Oakland.”
“That means, addressing all the cost-of-living issues, the public safety issues, all the issues that we have to address for investments, but also talking to foundations and talking to the private sector.
“Right now, public-private partnerships are going to be key,” she continued. “You hear people talk about it, but not really know what it means. Well, it means that if I win, I’m going to go directly to the source in terms of the foundations.
“In terms of the private sector, (I’ll) talk to them about the beauty of Oakland, its challenges, (and) how, with minimal investment, they can help us move forward. I think that’s the job. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but ‘going to do that.
While public education may be under threat currently, she said she will look at local initiatives, including the effort to bring a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to Oakland.
“Right now, there is no HBCU West of the Mississippi,” except for a medical school in Los Angeles, she said. “This is an important initiative, absolutely important,” Lee said, explaining that while in Congress she served on the Appropriations Committee funding HBCUs.
Lee has a long history as a public servant. She was a U.S. representative from Oakland and the East Bay for 26 years, from 1998 to 2025. During that time, she chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and was co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Before entering Congress, she was a member of the California State Assembly for three terms, elected in 1990. She was elected to the California State Senate in 1996, resigning her position in 1998 after winning a special election for the House of Representatives.
In the State Legislature, Lee was the first African-American woman to represent Northern California. She authored 67 bills in the Legislature that were signed into law by the Republican governor, including the California Schools Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the California Violence Against Women Act.
She worked to defeat California’s three-strikes law and was an early champion of LGBTQ+ rights. She also was a member of the California Commission on the Status of Women and founded the California Commission on the Status of African American Males.
Activism
Barbara Lee Launches Campaign for Mayor of Oakland
“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she said. “If elected I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city, so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”

By Post Staff
Barbara Lee on Wednesday morning formally announced her candidacy for Mayor in Oakland’s April 15 special election.
“Time and time again, Oaklanders have faced our toughest obstacles by uniting to meet our challenges,” said Lee.
“At this critical moment, we must not be a city divided, but a community united,” she said. “If elected, I will bring my hands-on leadership, new ideas, and decades of experience in identifying billions in resources for our great city so all residents and businesses are stronger and safer and our community has optimism and confidence in Oakland’s future.”
“As Mayor, I’ll address our homelessness crisis, prioritize comprehensive public safety and mental health services, and lead with fiscal responsibility to deliver the core City services residents and business owners deserve. Let’s do this – together.”
“I’ve never shied away from a challenge,” said Lee. “I’m always ready to fight for Oakland.”
Watch her campaign video here, which is online at BarbaraLee4Oakland.com
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