Back in 2001, Rep. Barbara Lee was the lone vote against the Afghanistan authorization. Today, she is still fighting our presnce, though now the last 8 years have proven her prescient.

It’s time to ratchet up the rhetoric not only against a U.S. troop increase in Afghanistan, but in favor of withdrawing our troops and rescinding the authorization that sent them there eight years ago, Rep. Barbara Lee told a cheering crowd Monday.

Lee, D-Oakland, staged a rally outside the federal building on Clay Street in support of HR3699, a bill she introduced Oct. 1 that would forbid spending any money to expand the nation’s military presence in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is currently considering what to do in Afghanistan; military leaders want more troops, but the public and Congress are divided.(OakTrib 11/23/09)

She praised President Obama for thoughtfully pursuing a redefinition of the mission. However, this President still seems on the precipice of moving at the very least 10,000 troops into a country that clearly doesn’t want us there.

At the recent CDP E-board, a resolution sponsored by Marcy Winograd calling for getting our troops out of Afghanistan sailed through the resolutions committee and general session.  Furthermore, CDP Chair John Burton also called for the President to find an exit strategy.  California Democrats desperately want to see our troops back at home, rather than risking their lives for a nebulous mission for a people that most deeply want to be left alone.

While the President is looking for a better solution in Afghanistan, it is important that Lee and other progressive leaders remind him that there are solutions that the Generals aren’t giving him.