Senior Democrat renews call for military draft:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An influential Democratic lawmaker on Sunday called for reinstatement of the draft as a way to boost U.S. troop levels and draw a broader section of the population into the military or public service.
U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives’ tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.
Asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, “You bet your life. Underscore serious.”
“If we’re going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can’t do that without a draft,” he said.
Rangel, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, also said he did not think the United States would have invaded Iraq if the children of members of Congress were sent to fight. He has said the U.S. fighting force is comprised disproportionately of people from low-income families and minorities.
“I don’t see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical,” he said.
The New York Democrat had introduced legislation to reinstate the draft in January 2003 before the Iraq invasion. The Pentagon has said the all-volunteer army is working well and there is no need for a draft, and the idea had no traction in the Republican-led Congress.
Why did Rangel originally introduce legislation to reinstate the draft in January 2003? Via CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Rep. Charles Rangel introduced a bill in Congress Tuesday to reinstate the military draft, saying fighting forces should more closely reflect the economic makeup of the nation.
The New York Democrat told reporters his goal is two-fold: to jolt Americans into realizing the import of a possible unilateral strike against Iraq, which he opposes, and “to make it clear that if there were a war, there would be more equitable representation of people making sacrifices.”
“I truly believe that those who make the decision and those who support the United States going into war would feel more readily the pain that’s involved, the sacrifice that’s involved, if they thought that the fighting force would include the affluent and those who historically have avoided this great responsibility,” Rangel said.
“Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country,” Rangel said. “For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance.”
Now that the Dems have control of Congress, his reasons, of course, have ‘evolved.’ How convenient.
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just like a Dem…say what it takes…
I thought Bush was the one who would bring back the draft???
I am going to link to this…come on over everyone and say hi
Comment by The Game @ 11/19/2006 - 1:58 pm
Hi, ST!
What makes Charlie think that his Nutroot financial backers (DU, Kos, Soros) will touch this suggestion with a barge pole, let alone cozy up to this idea?
Just curious.
Jack.
Comment by Jack Deth @ 11/19/2006 - 1:59 pm
Hey…with tactics like thgis they are SURE to win in ‘08.
Comment by TedintheShed @ 11/19/2006 - 2:46 pm
And there are still people who think the Republicans are the greater threat to their liberties. It is to laugh.
Comment by Francis W. Porretto @ 11/19/2006 - 2:54 pm
Francis,
I’m not a fan of either party. What I am not a fan of is hypocritical behaviour.
Both parties are threats to our liberties. It is up to us to defend those liberties. Unfortunately, the overall complacency of the citizens of America is making this more and more difficult each day.
Comment by TedintheShed @ 11/19/2006 - 3:06 pm
Recently the thought keeps getting stuck in my brain that the new direction the American people voted for is backwards. See how petty these guys are. Good Lord you would think one of the two parties would learn what the American People want in their representatives. No the American people don’t want to cut and run or divide and hide or…. They want to bring out troops home in victory. Not with their tails tucked between their legs and the enemy snapping at their heals. They don’t want these pet projects that make these idiots look like vengeful morons. And when this gets voted down Charlie, what then?? You are just going to bring it back up in 8 months aren’t ya?? What a lowlife, how New Yorkers keep voting this guy into office is just beyond me. - Lorica
Comment by Lorica @ 11/19/2006 - 3:34 pm
I’m not surprised by this at all. They HAVE to reinstitute the draft. How else are we going to staff the military if they insist on removing all traces of military life from civilian life? How would we be able to fill a volunteer army, when recruiters are not allowed within 1000 feet of children?
Comment by Lanie @ 11/19/2006 - 4:00 pm
Once again with the canard that the military is composed of low income minorities. At this late date, Rangel cannot claim ignorance, he is flat out lying, and nobody - not one damn reporter - has the stones to call him on it.
I really am so fed up with the military being slandered by cowardly lying treasonous pissants that I am ready to punch somebody so hard he’ll be pissing blood and shitting teeth. Good thing I live in rural America, where such creatures never venture.
Hell, there are rabbits and squirrels where I live that would give Rangel and his ilk an atomic wedgie.
Comment by Steve Skubinna @ 11/19/2006 - 4:45 pm
Let’s just reinstate the draft, and then we can all say it’s Bush’s fault.
Rangel is and idiot.
Comment by arcman @ 11/19/2006 - 5:11 pm
Maybe two years of stupid Democratic proposals will be what it takes to guarantee a Republican in the White House in 2008 and retaking the House and Senate then as well?
Comment by Carl @ 11/19/2006 - 7:10 pm
Well if it goes through, I say lets put Charlie Rangel in the very front of the front line of fire.
Comment by Phil @ 11/19/2006 - 8:29 pm
Do Democrats have a political death wish? Between tax increases, cutting-and-running in Iraq, corrupt leaders, and now the draft….
Or is it the invisible hand of Karl Rove?
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 11/19/2006 - 10:11 pm
I’d love to see them start by drafting those brown shirts that shut down the Minutemen’s event at Columbia. Wouldn’t that be poetic justice…
Comment by Great White Rat @ 11/19/2006 - 10:45 pm
I don’t know, GWR - giving the brownshirts of Columbia U access to guns, bombs, tanks, etc. It would be like recruiting al Qaeda fighters for the US Army.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 11/19/2006 - 11:26 pm
On the other hand GWR - maybe Rangel wants the Columbia U brownshirts to have access to guns, bombs, tanks, etc. Perhaps Chalie is not as crazy as I thought.
Of course, once Charlie and the Columbia U brownshirts have their way and the US becomes an Islamic Republic they will be employed as cannon fodder anyway. Or does anyone seriously entertain the notion that the Islamofascists will let these morons run around loose?
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 11/19/2006 - 11:46 pm
MD - Nah, you’d split them up. The Columbia brownshrts (can we call them CBS for short?) only show any courage when banded together. Separate them into different units and they’ll be the whimpering losers we know they are. Then have each one of them take the point on missions looking for IEDs. That way we wouldn’t have to risk losing real soldiers or Marines.
Hey, if Charlie is complaining that the poor are overrepresented in the military, what better place to start correcting the imbalance than by drafting the spoiled campus libs at places like Columbia? Maybe it’ll give Kerry an idea for his next “botched joke”.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 11/20/2006 - 12:26 am
Let’s put the liberals through an “OLD CORPS” bootcamp.
Any Marines care to explain to the civvies what I mean?
Comment by PCD @ 11/20/2006 - 8:02 am
PCD, They won’t make it… Plus, they’ll call it torture…. !!
I’ve only heard stories. I only went to Navy Bootcamp in 1988 and I heard that it too was much tougher pre-1988. I guess I lucked out. But my company commander spent time in submarines and seemed like a hard a** to me… not to mention that he glowed.. (not enough sun)
Comment by Baklava @ 11/20/2006 - 2:52 pm