The Peaceniks consists of short biographies of several of the principal dissenters from Americas rush to war in Iraq, Vietnam and World War I. I start with Minnesotas Paul Wellstone, regarding his opposition to both Iraq Wars. Senator Wellstone was one of 23 senators to vote against the resolution giving President George W. Bush a blank check to invade Iraq. He was the only one of the 23 facing a tough re-election fight at the time. Had Senator Wellstone not died in a plane crash 2 weeks before election day, his principled stand may have cost him his senate seat. Afterwards, the book profiles Wayne Morse, Ernest Gruening, George McGovern and Frank Church with regard to Vietnam and Robert La Follette, Sr., George Norris and James Vardaman regarding American entry into World War I. Morse and Gruening were the only American politicians who had the courage to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964. One of the themes of the book is that many of these men were ignored in part due to their reputation as contrarians. This was certainly true of Wayne Morse and Ernest Gruening, and to some extent of Wellstone and La Follette. George Norris was the only U.S. senator to be involved in the debate over going to war with Germany in 1917 and supporting Great Britain against Hitler. He opposed going to war in 1917 but supported FDR regarding Hitler.
8 U.S. Senators who risked their political careers to stop the rush to war in Iraq, Vietnam and World War I
"Biographical sketches of 7 U.S. Senators who risked their political careers to oppose the rush to war: Paul Wellstone (Iraq); Wayne Morse, Ernest Gruening, George McGovern and Frank Church (Vietnam); Robert Lafollette, Sr., George W. Norris and James K.Vardaman (World War I)"--
