I originally blogged this item a thousand years ago on September 26th. Given some of the latest buzz on the issue however — for example, Josh Marshall asks why then we have a Selective Service at all, and contingency plans now to draft medical workers as discussed in today’s NY Times if, as Bush says, there will be no draft — it seems a reminder might be in order.
As originally blogged 9/26/04…
A Draft? Read Between the Lines.
It’s the carefully chosen language, Stupid.
In the buildup to War on Iraq, when the idea was very unpopular amongst Americans just prior to the 2002 Elections, Bush and his surrogates went out of their way to tell the American people that he had no plans for war on his desk…
“I told the Prime Minister there are no war plans on my desk.” – June 23, 2002 to Australian Prime Minister Howard
“I told President Chirac, I have no war plans on my desk.” – May 26, 2002 to French President Chirac
As we later learned, of course, plans for War on Iraq were being readied at the time by the Pentagon even if they weren’t yet “on Bush’s desk”.
This morning, on ABC’s This Week Colin Powell made a careful mid-sentence correction when answering a question about whether there are plans for re-instating the Draft in the U.S.:
In other words, Bush “has no plans for a Draft on his desk.“
We report, you decide.
(Fool me twice, shame on me?)
Brad,
i used to teach high school and i would hear these excuses all the time. It is common for 15 year olds to look for technicalities when telling lies. For instance when Bush apologized to the Chinese but at the same time claiming that he used a word that was not exactly an apology. i guess that sort of thing depends on what "is is". These guys are just dishonest at a basic level. i wouldn’t know how else to explain it. Think about Cheney making claims that he didn’t make certain statements when they were on video; it goves a whole new meaning to pathological.
To be quite honest i am shocked that the Dems, or one of the 527s, havent cobbled together a commercial of these balf faced lies.
A draft? Just another scare tactic as we all know very well.
Bush can’t just call upon a draft. It has to be proposed and passed in the Senate and House, *then* signed by the President.
I’m in the age group that would be *drafted* if this was to happen. It won’t. At least not during a this President’s time in office.
Troll,
i think the point is quite clear: there is a chasm between what Mr. Bush claims is on his agenda and what is actually on his agenda. Faced with the fact that many in the military are becoming disgruntled and there already is a backdoor draft, i just think its not beneath these people to do this.
Troll,
Words of Wisdom: No President can take the question of reinstating the draft off the table because the moment he does he effectively removes our military capablity.
For example; if Iran and North Korea both raise the level of threat against America, the need for foot soldiers would out weigh the demand of current rates. The only way to contour that is to hope that we had a problem where a million or more men and women in your age group would volunteer. 🙁
This was just voted on by congress…wasn’t the vote like 402-2…I know only two voted for it. Lets just say those two that voted for a draft weren’t part of the party which Bush belongs to.
Henry – perhaps, but if something happened like that, I feel that many people *would* volunteer, just like after Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Hell, we’ve got troops stationed around the world in places like Europe where there’s nothing to protect! They will be reorganized first. Has it also occured that we’ve got more troops now then at any time in history? For being so short on troops, that sounds a bit odd.
Although we’ll keep some troops in Iraq for a bit, once the situation is mostly over, I’ll be on having a much larger available force in case something *does* require it.
"Has it also occured that we’ve got more troops now then at any time in history?"
Uh…anybody wanna fact-check that for Troll?
Troll,
This was a vote in the months before the election. What this vote shows, more than anything, is that these right wingers dont want to be thought of as feeding the kids of their constituents into the hellhole that Iraq has become.
You have yet to give a reason why this Administration can be trusted on its statement in this regard over against its other misleading statements.
Troll,
Figuring we 300 million citizens and there is 6.5 Billion people in the world, I would say we are out numbered. Although Congress voted against this draft bill, there is an emegency draft bill in the vault of the Pentagon for that reason.
Knowing 60 countries have active terrorist cells, no one can predict if we can take them down one at a time or will have to face all 60 at one time. Therefore, Bush spoke an other untruth when he said he would not renstate the draft. Or he is willing to put our country in jeopady by sticking to his principle as he did with no 9/11 Commission. 😥
Troll is 100% right again and this is a subject that really pisses me off.
The draft bill was written by Rangel and he even voted against it. Michael Moore is lying to college students. If Kerry were the president and the Republians kept talking about a draft, you liberals would pounce on that. Hypocrites again!
Sigh…Our friend Paul really helps to display what the recent report showed; Bush Supporters have no clue about their President’s positions or what policies actually are in this country.
The vote that Paul refers to was not on the bill. It was on tabling the bill. And so yes, Charlie Rangel voted AGAINST tabling the bill.
Knowledge of policies and reality is not a strong suit for Bush Supporters. Read the report.