A proposal to to reinstate the draft..

Posted: 10/5/04 at 8:04pm

Democrat Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) Introduced The "Universal National Service Act Of 2003" To Reinstate Military Draft. "A BILL To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." (H.R. 163, Introduced 1/7/03 By Rep. Charles Rangel)

Today, House Of Representatives Will Vote On Rangel's Proposal, Which House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Vows Will Receive "Very Little Congressional Support." "Later today, the House of Representatives will debate and vote on H.R. 163, the Universal National Service Act - commonly known as the Reinstate the Draft Bill. There is very little Congressional support for reinstating the draft." (House Armed Services Committee, "House To Vote On And Reject Military Draft Bill," Press Release, 10/5/04)
Democrat Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) Has Introduced Identical Military Draft Legislation. "A BILL To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." (S. 89, Introduced 1/7/03 By Sen. Ernest Hollings)

Kerry and Edwards Claim It's Republicans Who Want Draft, But Kerry Is Open to Draft

Kerry Raised Possibility Draft Is Returning Under Bush. "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, citing the war in Iraq and other trouble spots in the world, raised the possibility Wednesday that a military draft could be reinstated if voters re-elect President Bush. ... Answering a question about the draft that had been posed at a forum with voters, Kerry said: 'If George Bush were to be re-elected, given the way he has gone about this war and given his avoidance of responsibility in North Korea and Iran and other places, is it possible? I can't tell you.'" (Mary Dalrymple, "Kerry Raises Possibility That Military Draft Could Return If Bush Is Re-Elected," The Associated Press, 9/22/04)

Edwards Hinted Draft Would Return Under President Bush. "Edwards drew his biggest applause from the audience, which was heavy on union members and laid-off workers, when he responded to a question from a woman who said that her 23-year-old son recently graduated from college, and that she is worried about a draft being instituted for the war in Iraq. 'There will be no draft when John Kerry is president,' Edwards said, to applause and a standing ovation." (Jim VandeHei, "Kerry Accuses Bush Of Dishonesty On Iraq," The Washington Post, 9/16/04)

Yet Kerry Told Reporter That If Large Mobilization Is Needed, Draft Is "Only Fair Way To Do It." REPORTER: "Senator, some in your party have called for reinstating the draft. Do you think that is a good idea?" KERRY: "Not at this moment. I don't. If we had a need for a general mobilization at some time in the future, then I think that's the only fair way to do it." (WLVI's "Keller At Large," Interview Taped 12/2/03, Aired 9/26/04)

Administration Has Been Clear: President Bush Opposes Draft

Secretary Rumsfeld Called Allegations "Absolute Nonsense." "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld heatedly denied yesterday that the military plans to bring back the draft and boost reserves and National Guard callups after the November election. 'That is absolute nonsense,' Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'It's absolutely false that anyone in this administration is considering reinstituting the draft.'" (Richard Sisk, "No Draft, No Extra Troops - Rummy," [New York] Daily News, 9/24/04)

Vice President Cheney Said Rumors Were "Hogwash." "And the notion that somebody's peddling out there that there is a secret plan to reinstitute the draft, hogwash, not true." (NBC's "Nightly News," 9/29/04)

President Bush: "We Don't Need The Draft." "No, we're not going - we don't need the draft. Look, the all-volunteer Army is working. ... I know Senator McCain and I agree on this issue for certain, the all-volunteer Army works." (President George W. Bush, Remarks At Okaloosa-Walton College, Niceville, FL, 8/10/04)

Posted: 10/5/04 at 8:31pm

**BUMP**

Don't y'all have anything to add?

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 8:33pm

These threads rarely get any replies.

If there's a draft, call me. If you want a dedicated person (who can't do a pushup), I'm in.

Posted: 10/5/04 at 8:40pm

you're probably right.

Posted: 10/5/04 at 9:01pm

bump

Posted: 10/5/04 at 10:48pm

bump.

C'mon? Are you all in denial?
I didn't make this shat up.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 10:54pm

This was discussed to death a couple of weeks ago.

Posted: 10/5/04 at 11:27pm

no no no no no

this is NEW action!

TODAY! by the DEMOCRATS!

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 11:30pm

Democrats are psychics. They really are.

Posted: 10/5/04 at 11:46pm

bump

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 10/5/04 at 11:48pm

it got voted down today 402-2 or some such ridiculous margin.

Posted: 10/6/04 at 8:42am

but the point is tye brought it up in an attempt to make Bush look bad.

fvcking democrats

Posted: 10/6/04 at 10:39am

**bump**

All you Kerryheads need to read this!

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 10:58am

Shh...they don't want to change their vote.

(Not that many people here are voting on the draft issue anyway- but a ton of 18 year olds that I know are voting on it...maybe I should walk around school and hand it out)

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:01am

"but the point is tye brought it up in an attempt to make Bush look bad.

fvcking democrats"

yet, had it been the other way around, you'd be full of praise...

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:08am

For the record, I'm against the draft the way it exists today.

Specifically, I think it's bull**** that you don't have to go if daddy is sending you to college. How is that different than telling the Irish immigrants in the 1860's that they could buy their way out of the draft if they paid $300. $300! a poor immigrant! in the 1860s! Might as well been 3 million. Yes, I know that applied to everyone, not just the immigrants.

AND I think it's bullshat that the current draft laws exclude women.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:14am

"For the record, I'm against the draft the way it exists today."

well, since there is no draft today...

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:17am

Actually you are incorrect my friend. There have ALWAYS been draft laws in effect. The difference is that it has an on/off switch. The switch has been turned to 'off' for about thirty years. 1976 I think.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:18am

* sheepish grin *

thanks for clarifying...

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:24am

you're certainly welcome.

:)

[Plum]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 11:46am

Yup. There's a reason all guys have to register. (That's what they have to do, right?)

I actually considered joining the ROTC or doing some other kind of service to help pay for college, but my parents (both ex-military) discouraged me, especially since it was post-9/11. Also, I would have had to go off-campus to do it, which is kinda inconvenient in an area with little mass transit. But I did investigate enough to discover I'm too short for the Air Force. :)

In other words, if there's a draft, I'll go. If the rest of my family can do it (and in Israel, no less), so can I.

It stinks in a thousand different ways that Bush couldn't just concentrate on Afghanistan and decided to stretch our troops past their limits by starting a full-scale nation-building project in Iraq, as well. But in a democracy, everyone has to accept the consequences of the country's actions. Even the people who hated those actions from the start. Without collective responsibility, we aren't a real nation at all. Updated On: 10/6/04 at 11:46 AM

Posted: 10/6/04 at 12:25pm

The really crazy thing is that with all this talk of draft and too few soldiers and needing more Army, etc. The Navy is actively getting rid of people. My nephew's contract with the Navy is up in February and they still haven't decided if they're going to LET him stay in or not. I understand why, technology has changed so much that one cruiser with a crew of 400 can do the job of 10 destroyers 20 years ago.

Posted: 10/6/04 at 4:39pm

bump

[mominator]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 4:43pm

Plum my son is in ROTC (Air Force), and loves it (much to his and our surprise) He feels if there is a draft it is better to go in as an officer.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 10/6/04 at 4:52pm

I have to say that i have been very angry at Kerry/Edwards for being very ambigious on their stance on the draft.

I do not agree with Bush on many issues. this is probably the SOLE issue of which I completely agree with Bush's stance.


But that doesn't change the fact that I agree with Kerry on nearly every other issue.