Bush says No Draft

[GenMarshall]

After comparing policies from both websites (www.georgewbush.com & www.johnkerry.com) I have noticed this little article in George Bush's campain site.

It stated that he is not planning to reinstate the draft and that it was a scare tactic by Kerry.

President Bush Says No Draft

"No, we're not going -- we don't need the draft. Look, the all-volunteer Army is working. The all-volunteer Army... I know Senator McCain and I agree on this issue for certain, the all-volunteer Army works."

~ President George W. Bush, August 10, 2004

President Bush is committed to keeping participation in the United States Armed Services voluntary. The President’s cabinet has stated that a draft is not being considered. Recruitment and retention rates remain strong, and the military has not had any problem maintaining a strong force. President Bush is confident in the current state of the military and has assured that Nation that the all-volunteer military force is working well.

President Bush's Administration has Remained Consistent on the Draft

* Vice President Cheney says all volunteer force "works extraordinarily well."
"I don't foresee a situation in which we'd want to go back to the draft. We made a decision after Vietnam to go with an all-volunteer force... The all-volunteer force has produced an absolutely remarkable group of men and women in the service. And I think it works. It works extraordinarily well. And I'm a great believer in it... I suppose, at some point down the road we'd have such a national crisis or emergency, but it would have to be on the scale of World War II before I would think that anybody would seriously contemplate the possibility of going back again to the draft. I think what we have works very well." (Vice President Cheney, Oregon City, OR, September, 17, 2004)
* Secretary Rumsfeld calls suggestion of Bush initiated draft "nonsense."
When asked if by the Armed Services Committee about initiating the draft, Secretary Rumsfeld replied, "That is absolute nonsense... It's absolutely false that anyone in this administration is considering reinstituting the draft." (Donald Rumsfeld, Senate Armed Services Committee, September 23, 2004)


John Kerry is using the draft to scare young voters and veterans.
During campaign stops, John Kerry has worked to scare voters by suggesting that President Bush will initiate a draft. "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 [a draft] possible? I can't tell you." (John Kerry, September 22, 2004)

I was not sure if this article was brought to everyone's attention (IE, not sure if there was a duplicate thread on this)

 

[Cuivienen]

I may be wrong, but I don't think Kerry ever accused him of possibly instituting the draft. I think it was just a liberal rumor going around.

 

[amadeus]

The draft bill, intoduced by left-wing Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel, failed 402 to 2.

Rangel voted against it.

 

[Immortal]

Considering it wasn't Bush, or the Republican parties sponsorship, Im not surpised it failed.

 

[GenMarshall]

I may be wrong, but I don't think Kerry ever accused him of possibly instituting the draft. I think it was just a liberal rumor going around.

The first time I have heard of the draft rumor was from another student in college. I remembered she said "Dont vote Bush, he will bring back the draft".

 

[Duddha]

Why should we trust Bush?

 

[BasketCase]

DON'T trust him. Keep a wary eye on him.

And keep a wary eye on Kerry as well. You can't trust him any more than Bush.

They are both politicians.

 

[stratego]

When he says no draft, he really just mean he has no plans. See when you do an essay, you first make a draft and you go ahead. With the Bush administration we can skip the draft part when it comes to the military. We'll just send our troops in without any armor and without any plans whatsoever for a safe exit strategy.

 

[amadeus]

Why should we trust Bush?

Unless he plans to dissolve the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court, there isn't going to be a draft.

What part of the fact that CONGRESS MUST PASS A DRAFT BILL before any draft can be instituted do people have trouble understanding?

 

[Duddha]

Unless he plans to dissolve the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court, there isn't going to be a draft.

What part of the fact that CONGRESS MUST PASS A DRAFT BILL before any draft can be instituted do people have trouble understanding?

Both the Supreme Court and Congress are controlled by Republicans. If Bush wants it, he is going to get it.

Let me make a prediction right now.

IF Bush is reelected and there is another terrorist attack within the US or Bush finds it necessary to invade another country, the Draft will be reinstated.

Neither one of these conditions are entirely unlikely in a second Bush admin.

 

[Contempt]

People hate the draft = bad idea to vote for it as a senator/rep. if they want to get re-elected

 

[FriendlyFire]

American Political Suicide, A.K.A. Hari-Kerry

very nice.

Seriously it would be political suicide to state your going to have a draft on the eve of an election. The Bush administration is going to have to make some very tough decisions after the election. With Afganistain threaterning to become a failed drug state and continuing escalation in Iraq.

Bush has effectively ruled out the option of "Withdrawel" and "Conscription". It will be interesting to see how it is played out.

_

 

[stratego]

What part of the fact that CONGRESS MUST PASS A DRAFT BILL before any draft can be instituted do people have trouble understanding?

If our military is in danger no congressperson would just let our existing troops die. Any person with at least half a brain have made it clear that we need more troops in Iraq, Paul Bremer have even said it. Now with Coalition troops leaving, and new recruits at an all time low, where are we going to get these troops? If the situation gets to a point where we need 10,000 more troops were are we going to get it? If a congressperson is in a situation were he/she is forced to choose between breaking Bush's promise of no Draft or allowing our existing troops to die, who in the right mind would chose to allow our troops to die?

 

[Fifty]

The whole scare over the potential for a draft is just an attempt to fool the average uninformed, easily impressionable, conspiracy-loving American voter (particularly the young ones)

Darn dirty politics!

 

[Azadre]

"My opponent seems to be willing to say almost anything he thinks will benefit him politically," he said. "After standing on the stage, after the debates, I made it very plain we will not have an all-volunteer army." - George W

 

[PantheraTigris2]

There will be no draft, as things are now. If there is another (large) war, of course it is a possibility. But unless a new, major theater of operations opens up, it will not happen - because for another thing, it isn't remotely necessary. They'll call back the entire IRR before they reinstitute the draft. And they've barely recalled 5% of that.

Draft... yeah right.

 

[IglooDame]

The whole scare over the potential for a draft is just an attempt to fool the average uninformed, easily impressionable, conspiracy-loving American voter (particularly the young ones)

Darn dirty politics!

And it isn't being perpetrated purely by politicians, MTV is pushing young people to the polls based at least partly on the fictitious draft issue:

http://www.rockthevote.com/draft/

 

[FriendlyFire]

What BUSH actually said

"we will not have an all volunteer army" - Bush 18-10-04

then he corrected himself

"Let me restate that. We will not have a draft"

?????

ummmmm

 

[Serutan]

While I'm certain that contingency planning for a draft has been
done (lots of such plans are made and wind up gathering dust),
it would take a lot to reinstate a draft. Not all non-draft options
have been exhausted yet. As PT said, more of the IRR could be
called up. Also, the Army loosened its requirement for a high school diploma to make more people eligible to volunteer.