Rep. Barbara Lee looking to create a
cabinet-level seat for herself?
|
CONGRESS | Rep. Barbara Lee introduced a bill Friday calling for the creation of a Department of Peacebuilding and a cabinet-level secretary position. Lee also called for a special envoy and open diplomatic relations to Iran.
Lee called America’s culture violent and unacceptable in a press release on Friday. “On our streets and across the globe, the pervasive presence of violence has infected the lives of millions, and it is far past time we address it as a nation. We invest hundreds of billions each year in the Pentagon, in war colleges, military academies, and our national defense universities all to develop war tactics and strategies. Now we need that kind of investment in peace and nonviolence here at home,” said Lee.
The mention by Lee of America’s vast military expenditures is an arrant call for drawing down the country’s military might and instead invest in domestic, peaceful, social services. Lee was one of the few members of Congress to vote against the war in Afghanistan and was even recently awarded Peacemaker of the Decade by the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center. Lee also mentioned former liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich as an influential part of the bill because of his own “peacebuilding” efforts during his time as congressman.
“The Department of Peacebuilding advances the good work of my friend and former colleague Congressman Kucinich and has the potential to reduce suffering on a national and global scale while saving billions of dollars through violence reduction and increased economic productivity,” added Lee.
The proposed department would develop national strategies and programs for violence reduction both domestically and internationally.
“Working across agencies, the Secretary of Peacebuilding would sponsor conflict prevention and dispute resolution initiatives, facilitate peace summits between conflicting parties, encourage community policing, and support efforts by local community and religious groups to reduce gun violence, racial and ethnic violence, and prevent violence against women and LGBT Americans,” stated Lee’s press release.
Cosponsors include Reps. Robert Andrews, Yvette Clarke, John Conyers, Jr., Janice Hahn, James McGovern, Chellie Pingree, and Jared Polis.
Also on Friday Lee introduced the “Prevent Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons and Stop War Through Diplomacy Act,” which would create a high level Special Envoy to Iran, according to Lee’s press release. Although Lee emphases keeping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon she also advocates to pursue “direct, sustained, bilateral and multilateral negotiations,” with Iran in order to prevent war and support human rights.
Lee’s bill wants to eliminate the “no contact” policy that “prevents State Department officers and employees from making any direct contact with Iranian counterparts.”
Original cosponsors include Reps. Earl Blumenauer, John Conyers, John Dingell, Keith Ellison, Rush Holt, Hank Johnson, James McGovern, Jim Moran, Betty McCollum, and Bobby Rush.
By MW:
The USA is considerably wealthier than most other countries, and therefore we should be generous and charitable.
So therefore we should donate some of our demagogues and liberals, er, excuse me, I mean “experts,” such as Barbara Lee, Dianne Feinstein, and Nancy Pelosi, etc, to other countries, and such as for instance Iran, and rather than us being selfish and keeping them all for ourselves.
However I do realize we are presently in a recession, and therefore can only be somewhat generous, rather than giving totally unlimited money to charity. So therefore when sending such jokers as Lee, Feinstein, and Pelosi to such places as Iran so that they can “improve” things there the same way they “improved” things in the Bay area, we will have no choice, unfortunately, but to buy them one way rather than round trip tickets.
NOTE: Some years ago I had an interesting thought. In other words rather than us spending tens of billions of dollars to build nuclear bombs, and also expensive airplanes to deliver those bombs, so that we could threaten our enemies, instead every time we got in a dispute with another country we could just dump a few of our lawyers and politicians on them, and also make it obvious that we would keep on dumping a few more of our lawyers and politicians on them every single day until they agreed to surrender.
The only possible defect in my plan is that the other country might sue us for improper disposal of toxic waste.
LikeLike
isnt she suppose to be represinting california's 13th congressional district (western cities of alameda county)in the USA and not other countries. maybe she shouldnt be worrying about what Iran and whoever is doing let the mucky mucks in DC worry about that and focus on the people and area you represent and who got you voted in??? just wondering??? and i am sure her salary is over $ 100,000 a year with perks.
LikeLike
I don't agree with most of the stands taken by Lee, but she has been consistent and clear about what her approach will be to certain issues. That I can appreciate. It is up to her constituents to decide if her stands on violence have been helpful or not.
LikeLike
Hey, y'all, we've already been lied into an unneccessary, counterproductive war (Iraq). We're still conducted the longest military war in the history of our nation (Afghanistan).
What's the reason you're so anxious to start killing even more people now? And no, posting a bunch of links to the opinions of severe ideologues and the posturing statements of Iranian leaders does not comprise an argument for your views.
The hilarious thing is that a few of you are the types who, in other circumstances, are likely to be screaming “WE'RE BROKE! BANKRUPT!!! CAN'T AFFORD ENTITLEMENTS!!!!!!” Yet you also seem to believe that the megaexpensive foreign wars you wish for us to continue are paid for by Monopoly money?
LikeLike
Hhow about the:
Department of Audacity for Hopeless Stupidity
Way to go Barbara Lee
LikeLike
:Obama planned peace talks are recipe for disaster
Dialogue won’t keep #Iran from going nuclear
http://t.co/z6txdtTs
“@washtimes: Diplomats say #Iran could have #nuke by summer: http://t.co/Rmh1y1HI
“@BloombergNews: Ahmadinejad says Iran won't halt work on nuclear energy | http://t.co/giYtctkN
Trita Parsi was reporting to Iranian ambassador http://t.co/qeHVbyNc
A timely reminder: #Iran wants the bomb, Former Revolutionary Guards commander: ‘Holy Islamic bomb is a must
http://t.co/cCjLFvq9
Must watch: Iranium – Full Length Movie: http://t.co/2VhoRNZL
Trita Parsi head of Iran lobby was reporting to Iranian ambassador http://t.co/43clprNq
You be the judge…….
LikeLike
#Iran could use U.N. talks as cover to build bomb, UN sec general Ban Ki-moon says http://t.co/Bv2xYHr3
“@AP: N. Korea nuclear tests show sanctions alone won't stop Iran's atomic program, Israeli prime ministers says: http://t.co/FbjWfYKW
83% of Americans say development of nuclear weapon by Iran or North Korea a “critical threat” to US vital interests. http://t.co/QxpmQ8Jt
“@washingtonpost: Top Iranian leader says no power could stop Iran from having nuclear bomb http://t.co/wbvr3lG1
Surprise: Mullahs r not afraid of Obama! As US Credibility wanes #Iran Upgrades Its Nuclear Capacity http://t.co/B2giPwww
“@AP: Diplomat says Iran begins upgrade of nuclear program, confirms Iranian report: http://t.co/GE2NSWB3 -KM
You be the judge…..
LikeLike
Khamenei's posturing doesn't deny the NIE report.
LikeLike
Thanks Shane, your point certainly matches all the facts.
From a few days ago
“We believe that nuclear weapons must be eliminated. We don't want to build atomic weapons. But if we didn't believe so and intended to possess nuclear weapons, no power could stop us,” Khamenei said in comments
We should trust him. After all he is a religious man. Importantly, Barbara Lee trusts him.
Good enough for me, I trust her judgement.
LikeLike
It should be noted that America's own intelligence agencies have reported that Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon and have abandoned such efforts in 2003.
LikeLike
5:50 pm,
Your demagoguery stopped working 'round here many decades ago. Feel free to ply your wares in the Deep South; enough people there are more likely to be ignorant and hateful enough to fall for your offensive claptrap. There's many, many other things the DOJ should be spending their time and resources on, and they should continue to reject your scandal-seeking, partisan horse hockey.
LikeLike
Negotiation with terrorist Iran mullahs on nuclear issues has failed time and time again. Iran is buying time to surprise us all with a nuclear bomb. Iran lobby in US ( Trita Parsi and NIAC ) have been very active in pampering people like Barbara lee..
DOJ should investigate the $ trails … No doubt the connections would be a big embarrassment for lee and her ignorant supporters
LikeLike
Get a real job Lee. What a dreamer.
LikeLike
Barbara has not been a very productive congressperson. Like her mentor Ron Dellums, she prefers to waddle in ideology, not substance.
LikeLike
By MW:
If we do create a Department of Peacebuilding, Barbara Lee would be the perfect demagogue, er, excuse me, I mean person, to head it.
She could use the “wisdom” that she and the Bay area's other most prominent demagogues acquired in their “finding” ways to be so super effective in “controlling” the crime rates in such places as Oakland, Richmond, Pittsburg, and East Palo Alto, etc, to give lectures to people all over the world on how they could improve their neighborhoods, cities, and countries.
(NOTE: In fact if the Bay area's most prominent liberals and demagogues all got together as a corporation to study the various issues, they would not comprise a think tank but instead a big birdbrain tank.)
LikeLike
I like peace but stupid as usual. Why hasn't she done anything substantive in over 20 years in office! What has she done to stop violence in her own district.
LikeLike