Posted on 10/09/2004 1:22:27 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko
St. Louis (CNSNews.com) - Republicans had no sooner shot down rumors of a military draft when Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe warned a group of College Democrats on Friday that President Bush would call them up for duty if re-elected."I know it's controversial to say it, but don't think for one second that if George Bush gets re-elected and we have another conflict in some other theater of the world, we're going to have to reinstitute the draft," McAuliffe said. "It is very controversial to say it, but it is what it is."
McAuliffe spoke to about a hundred of Washington University's College Democrats at a coffee house near the campus Friday afternoon. Afterward, he told CNSNews.com he stood by his comments to the students.
"It's clearly a possibility," McAuliffe said. "What if we have another conflict where we have to commit troops? We don't have them today."
He added: "I'm not trying to do this to scare young people, but they've got to understand this is a possibility in this country."
Rumors have circulated on the Internet about the possible return of a draft. E-mails have targeted college students in particular.
A spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign immediately dismissed McAuliffe's comments as a tactic to scare young voters.
"It's completely baseless," said Taylor Griffin, deputy communications director for the Bush campaign. "This administration believes in a volunteer military. The only people who've proposed a draft are Democrats in Congress."
In fact, the House of Representatives this week voted down a Democrat-sponsored bill that would have reinstated the draft. Republicans brought up the measure, sponsored by Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), only to shoot it down in a 402-2 vote.
Following McAuliffe's speech, even some of the Democrats in attendance said they thought the party chairman was bluffing when he made his pitch.
"I had a little problem with that," said Steve Chemtob, a junior in earth and planetary science. "There's a little bit of contradiction there. [McAuliffe] talked about how Bush was going to reinstitute the draft, but also how [Kerry] was complaining there weren't enough troops in Iraq."
"I don't think [Bush] would institute the draft," added Spencer Wein, a sophomore business major. "But I think there's less of a chance Kerry would institute it."
Others at McAuliffe's speech weren't so sure it was completely outside the realm of possibility.
"It's something that could legitimately take place, and I think the Democrats have considered the idea, and I think the Republican have, too," said Matt Klasen, a junior political science and environmental studies major. "I think it's being turned against the Republicans simply because they're in power."
Junior Nicole Soussan, president of the Washington University College Democrats, defended McAuliffe after the speech. She agreed that a draft under Bush might be very likely.
"If [Bush] continues on this pattern of unjustified preemptive warfare, then by all means, there really is no physical way that we have enough troops to continue on the present path," Soussan said. "I think it's scary."
I'm confused too. I thought I read somewhere that Effin' wanted 2 years of mandatory national service for college students or something like that. Mandatory national service....now what does that sound like to you?
that's a gooood question.
anyone have the address on audio?
The Romans didn't kidnap their recruits. In the early empire only Roman citizens could join the legions. Later, Roman citizenship was used as an inducement for enlistment, and in the latter days of Rome, the legions were made up largely of foriegn mercenaries, largely Germanic "barbarians", a few of whom became Emperors.
You may be thinking of the British Royal Navy, which indeed used "press gangs" to kidnap new sailors, including American citizens on American ships. This was one cause of the War of 1812.
Regardless, mcaullife is a liar.
What a despicable human being. Glad to hear these young people aren't buying it.
Terry "The Punk" McAuliffe is one P.O.S.!!
How do you know when McAuliffe is telling a lie?
His mouth is open and moving.
What a lying piece of sh!t King Rat Terry McAwful is.
You know that he didn't bother to tell these dumbass college kids who would fall for such lies about Kerry's plan to REQUIRE volunteer service from all high school students as a graduation requirement. Unpaid service is so much better, right Terry?
I wonder if DNC sponsored knock and drag/get out the vote efforts count.
The mandatory service part leads me to believe that it is unpaid service. Young slaves for Kerry!
If 10,000 screaming hordes of Islamonazis start to blow up England and capture grade schools, I would be all for increasing the size of our military with a draft.
Such a reality exists, even if it is quite small. Any American who would resist the call to arms for such a holy war, 21st century crusade, or World War IV, would just as soon give up.
All macawful wants to do is keep the BS going. Alot of those people on college campuses are not wanted or needed in todays all volunter military because they could not or wouldnot pack their own gear. Thats why the people that are there are the BEST of the BEST. If that upsets people it can but it is the truth and that is a problem for some people.
in such an eventuality, any able-bodied male between 18 and 45(?) can be called up as part of the militia as defined in US code.
anyone who failed to volunteer to fight in such a circumstance... I wouldn't want him at my shoulder on the lines.
If Kerry is elected, you will see a mass-exodus of folks out of the military. They will not serve under Kerry.
They will leave through attrition and early-outs. No one is going to re-up under Kerry.
The DEMS, particularly Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Senator Fritz Hollins (D-SC), who introduced legislation to reinstate the military draft for young men may just have to reinstate the draft after all the GI's flee the service.
Well, McAuliffe doesn't think much of the American young people does he? Has he determined no young person, if we were attacked by a foreign power or cataclysmic Terrorist attack, would have any desire to SIGN UP and defend their country? American men (and now women) have been good to defend their country in time of war. As usual, appealing to the lowest common denominator of the populace.
McAwful should wear toilet-paper shirts in case any of the crap he spits out dribbles down his front.
McAuliff's propaganda is about as intelligent as the rest of his degenerate party.
Here's how you can tell when a Dem is lying - their lips are moving.
bump
His policy of surrender will cause the voluntary military to leave as quickly as possible because Frenchurians strategy and tactics would simply waste their lives. Nobody would join, selfish libs won't serve, patriots won't throw away their lives to surrender, the result: not enough troops to intervene in all those Kosovos that Mr Heinz said he would unilaterally start up, and bingo the draft. The only up side to this is how popular the draft made Lyndon (Tonkin Gulf incident) Johnson.
The issue of a national draft was brought before Congress this past week. For some time, this bill HR163, languished in committee. Recent talk of a possibility of a draft was brought up, so the bill was voted out of committee and put up for a floor vote. The bill was DEFEATED, 402-2.
The President has no AUTHORITY to call for a draft now, and from all appearances, the House of Representatives would not now give the President the authority. President Bush is PROHIBITED from calling a draft, no matter how desperately some may believe it may be needed.
Democrat constituents everywhere are safe from a draft as long as Bush remains in office. Of course, if a President Kerry would need a draft to fill the ranks on the expanded army he would put in the field, it may be necessary to reconsider similar legislation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.