Posted on 09/29/2004 5:01:10 PM PDT by Diago
Ratherbiased.com (whose site is down now) and Little Green Footballs detail how CBS News last night used discredited documents to attack President Bush:
In a story that was a textbook example of slipshod reporting, CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger used debunked internet hoax emails and an unlabeled interest group member to scare viewers into believing that the U.S. government is poised to resume the draft. At the center of Schlesingers piece was a woman named Beverly Cocco, a Philadelphia woman who is 'sick to my stomach' that her two sons might be drafted. In his report, Schlesinger claimed that Cocco was a Republican and portrayed her as an apolitical (even Republican) mom worried about the future. Schlesinger did not disclose that Cocco is a chapter president of an advocacy group called People Against the Draft (PAD) which, in addition to opposing any federal conscription, seeks to establish a 'peaceful, rational foreign policy' by bringing all U.S. troops out of Iraq. Like Schlesingers Cocco, the group portrays itself as 'nonpartisan' although its leadership seems to be entirely bereft of any Republicans. The groups domain is registered to a man named Jacob Levich, a left-wing activist who in a 2001 essay compared the Bush Administration to the totalitarian government portrayed in George Orwells 1984. CBS News also reported that there are two bills in Congress to reinstate the draft, but failed to mention that they were both introduced by Democrats.
HINDROCKET adds: The Selective Service System has added this statement to its website:
Notwithstanding recent stories in the news media and on the Internet, Selective Service is not getting ready to conduct a draft for the U.S. Armed Forces -- either with a special skills or regular draft. Rather, the Agency remains prepared to manage a draft if and when the President and the Congress so direct. This responsibility has been ongoing since 1980 and is nothing new. Further, both the President and the Secretary of Defense have stated on more than one occasion that there is no need for a draft for the War on Terrorism or any likely contingency, such as Iraq. Additionally, the Congress has not acted on any proposed legislation to reinstate a draft. Therefore, Selective Service continues to refine its plans to be prepared as is required by law, and to register young men who are ages 18 through 25.
UPDATE: Here is a "mirror" of the original piece by Ratherbiased.
KERRYS SECRET DRAFT PLANS
FOR AGES 18-26. MEN AND WOMEN. NO COLLEGE EXEMPTIONS. THIS NEEDS TO BE CIRCULATED AROUND ASAP. Subj: U.S. Military Draft expected to start under John Kerry - READ this
Importance: High Subject: Military Draft expected under John Kerry If there are children in your family, READ this. John Kerry has now called for increasing the U.S. military by 40,000 troops, probably in order ``to match its new missions'' in the war on terror and homeland security.
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=71000001&refer=us&sid=apQHTegvEtDo
This includes sending more troops to Iraq. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-04-18-kerry-nbc_x.htm
Kerry has gone on record as stating that As President, John Kerry will call on young people to help strengthen America's security.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040210043828/www.johnkerry.com/issues/natservice/
There is pending legislation in the House and Senate HR163 and Senate S89 by Democrats Charles Rangel from NY and Fritz Hollings of South Carolina to reinstitute the draft.
Here is a link to the CNN article about the Rangel bill http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/
All the supporters of this bill are Democrats: Mr. RANGEL, Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. STARK, and Mr. ABERCROMBIE
These bills will time the program's initiation so the draft can begin as early as Spring 2005 -- just after the 2004 presidential election.
The democrats are quietly trying to get these bills passed now, while the public's attention is on the elections, so our action on this is needed immediately.
See the following websites to view Bills: http://www.hslda.org/legislation
Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and HR 163 forward, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] 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."
These active bills currently sit in the committee on armed services.
Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era. This plan, among other things, eliminates higher education as a shelter and includes women in the draft. College students would not be exempt under the new draft. Kerry has stated that A Kerry Administration will offer Americans the chance to earn the equivalent of their state's four-year public college tuition in exchange for two years of service.
http://web.archive.org/web/20040210043828/www.johnkerry.com/issues/natservice/
Actions, actions, actions:
Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents.... And let your children know - it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change! Please also contact your representatives to ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills -- and contact newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.
The draft $28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (sss) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. Selective Service must report to the next president on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.
Please see website: http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the SSS annual performance plan - fiscal year 2004.
WHAT TO DO: >Tell all your friends!!!!! >Contact your Senators & Reps and tell them to oppose these bills!!! >Send this email to everyone you know, and ask them to forward it to draft age teenagers and their parents.
We need to stop the kerry draft before it is too late!
the above post was from Freeper, Behind Enemy Lines.
I agree with him that we all need to cut and paste this into an e-mail and send it out to everyone in our address book.
I don't think Rather even cares anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts doing the news in a black beret.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1230938/posts
Somebody Feel a Draft? The politics of fear & division...
various FR links | 09-29-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
Posted on 09/29/2004 6:50:24 PM CDT by backhoe
THE File
In the immortal words of Buckhead..."This needs to be pursued aggressively."
Thanks!
What is really the surprise here?What do they have left?They have nothing to lose any more.They have been exposed to the public and will retain the lunatic far left.The unindicted co-conspirators at NBC,ABC,CNN,PBS,MSNBC,NPR,too many more to mention also know the lines have been drawn.We should all expect the liberal partinship to become more blatent as thet gradually admit to what and who they are.
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