Slow Burn: The Road to the Iraq War

Season 5: Bonus Episode 5
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The Politics of the Iraq Resolution Vote

What made members of Congress vote the way they did on Iraq, and how those votes continue to follow some of them today.

Episode Notes

In this bonus episode, Slow Burn’s host Noreen Malone and producer Jayson De Leon discuss interviewing politicians about their Iraq Resolution votes. Then we’ll hear more from Rep. Barbara Lee about the aftermath of her “no” votes, and from veteran political journalist Walter Shapiro about how the political reputation of Democrats at the time might have influenced their decision-making.

Mentioned in this episode:
One-Car Caravan by Walter Shapiro

Production by Chau Tu.

About the Show

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq without provocation. Most Americans supported the war—as did most politicians and intellectuals, both liberal and conservative. Today, it’s universally considered a disaster.

Hosted by award-winning reporter Noreen Malone, the fifth season of Slow Burn explores the people and ideas that propelled the country into the Iraq war, and the institutions that failed to stop it. How did the Iraq catastrophe happen? And what was it like to watch America make one of its most consequential mistakes?

All episodes

Host

  • Chau Tu is a former editor of Slate Plus.