This anti-Rangel hysteria is just so damned silly

[wndycty]

First of all have any of us seen the bill he wants to introduce? He could tie the need for the draft to us staying in Iraq, he could say that a draft will be necessary when troop levels sink to a certain level, his draft could also give the Congress more oversight over the war.

I understand the concern of parents with draft age children and DUers of draft age or younger, but I think we should learn more about the bill he wants to introduce before we lose our minds. I know its the DU way to over react without getting the facts first but we must move past that.

This is an obvious attempt to say to the president as well as to all of America if we must send our kids to war everyone must serve, I bet you America's attitude towards war will change.

[movonne]

1. This is really one way to stop this war...

[LostinVA]

11. I agree -- it's one of the main reasons we pulled out of Vietnam

Now, if the MSM would actually show, night;y, what happened to our men and women over there... and their bodies being brought him...

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. I agree

He's crazy...as a fox.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Mr. Rangel is playing games and I for one won't play along.

Mr. Rangel most likely won't introduce any bill, or if he does, it won't get anywhere. Associating a resumption of the draft with the Democratic Party is political suicide and the party leadership is aware of that. So Charlie is having a bit of rhetorical fun, playing this dangerous game of his, knowing that it won't (we hope) ever see the light of day. Well screw that. I've got three draft age sons, and I do not appreciate Mr. Rangel making his rhetorical point by threatening the lives of my children. I am not interested in seeing what bill he wants to introduce if that bill entails a resumption of the draft. I don't need to see the details, thanks. I need Mr. Rangel to stop.

[Cascadian]

12. Rangel is playing with fire.

And it will be all of us who get burned. I don't understand why more people are against this. It is political suicide and I think would be the death of the Democratic Party. No kidding! I am going to write to my Senators and some influencial congresspeople to not support this piece of legislation. I advise everybody to do the same.


John

[Nite Owl]

4. If this were to pass

and it won't because they don't want to send their own children to war, Dennis Kucinich would be our next President. Maybe that isn't a bad thing.....

We'd have peace breaking out all over.

His bill is about the cost of war to the families of the poor and the rich sitting back and thinking it's patriotic to send them.

[Kagemusha]

5. Think of it as the German Army deployment against France in WWI

IF the draft ever gets in, no matter what Rangel's intentions are, it's in, and it will have a momentum all its own. The penalties for avoidance of the draft will kick in, in full. The President - this one ,and the next - will have the weapon necessary for expanding the Army to be able to fight in more countries like Iraq such as, say, Sudan, Somalia... and we will be ceaselessly preached to about how the world needs America and the President is the Decider and, polls be damned, the military obeys the Commander in Chief, and the draft means that all those forced into the military have their choice to refuse stripped from them... by an Act of Congress, sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, (D).

I see you're tempted to laugh but, is the point Rangel's making worth the risk, now that he has an actual chairmanship and real influence?

[Karmageddon]

6. How about a bill that the Prez's and Congress's kids/grandkids go first

In any war, all those who vote for the war automatically have their "of age" kids, grandkids, neices and nephews automatically inducted first. Then we start thinking of a draft, if necessary, after that.

That will make them think twice about rubber-stamping a madman's toy-soldier fantasy.

[Bitwit1234]

7. No Archives

A lot of you were too young to remember all the demonstrations during Viet Nam.. The were so many people in DC in the mall they were wall to wall. The demonstrated everywhere. One thing different then the media reported on Viet Nam. They reported on things that affected this country. They did not hide events that happened, like the hide and change everything negative that pertains to the republicans. THAT'S ONE OF THE DARN PROBLEMS. THE MSM NEEDS TO GET A SPINE. BUT SINCE THE REPUBLICANS OWN ALL THE NEWSPAPERS AND TV THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

[Cascadian]

8. I like Charles Rangel but I say he wrong..

DEAD WRONG. I think to reinstate this draft, you will only add more fuel to Bush's fire. Not only that, the Karl Rovian spinsters will play it up and blame the Democrats and make them look bad. On the other side of that, Bush could use conscripts for their pending war on Iran. It just won't work!


John

[bowens43]

9. Bottom line, anyone in favor of a draft for ANY reason

is a jackass and should be ignored. The man is a blithering idiot.He makes us look not only like hypocrites but like complete fools.

[Cascadian]

10. That's a bit harsh. I would say misguided and naive.

Bringing back a draft will only blow up in the Democratic Party's face and set us back and all the gains we made in this past election. If this happens, you might as well kiss all branches of government goodbye for good.


John

[beaconess]

20. Rangel "misguided and naive?" LOL!!!

Nothing like armchair quarterbacks second-guessing one of the great stallwarts of our party.

I think Rangel knows what he's doing - he hasn't gotten where he is by being stupid. And I suggest that any DUer who thinks they've got more on the ball than Charlie Rangel should move to Harlem and run against him - see how far you get.

[TankLV]

16. And anybody who doesn't see the bigger picture is a bigger idiot...

[Virginia Dare]

13. Yep, this is his way of saying...

America, put up or shut up. This war will be over within 30 days of instituting a draft.

[kentuck]

14. I agree wndycty...

It's different than when you have your own toy soldiers to play with....after all, they volunteered for wahtever you want to do to them...

[TankLV]

15. Agreed totally.

Some people just cannot see the bigger picture...

[Azathoth]

17. Dude, you really, really, really don't get it

All we need are headlines declaring "DEMOCRATS ATTEMPT TO REINSTATE DRAFT" and you can say goodbye to any hope of having a Democratically-controlled branch of government in the foreseeable future. People won't give a shit if Rangel is trying to "say something to the President". They won't care about the specifics of the bill or the political maneuvering behind it. All they will see is "DEMOCRATS ATTEMPT TO REINSTATE DRAFT", and then they'll turn on their radio to hear Rush Limbaugh orgasmically declaring "I told you so!" and that's all they'll need to make up their minds. The Democrats are in power because they won the moderates and independents. Do you have any idea how many of those voters we are going to alienate by getting behind an ill-conceived political stunt like this?

[Cascadian]

18. Exactly!

Doesn't anybody get this? HELLO???

Only two weeks after the victory and now things are started to unravel before they even begin. What the Hell's next?
People are already forgetting that the mainstream media-right-wing spin machine is genius. They will twist and turn this into a "Democrats screw it up again" affair and then what? I cannot believe people are falling for this ill-conceived idea. I really hope it will not pass.


John

[wiley]

19. Very silly. Gonadless shrieking. When a Democratic leader plays hardball

we hear gasps. When they don't, they are called spineless. When they do, they are called opportunists running for President or DINOs.

[TheFarseer]

21. This is as silly

as people thinking Bill Frist is a reasonable guy because he voted against some of the most vile GOP initiatives as a procedural maneuver.

[Rowdyboy]

22. With you 100% on this one.....

Sometimes I wonder if people are being intentionally dense.

[GoneOffShore]

23. You are right on the money with this

Rangel has been called a hero on this board so many times and now, when he plays hardball, he's a goat.

Which is he people?

As the OP says - "This is an obvious attempt to say to the president as well as to all of America if we must send our kids to war everyone must serve, I bet you America's attitude towards war will change."

It will change. And we will change it.

Remember, DU is a rather small constituency within the bigger picture. I'd hate to see people turning against the Democratic Party because of this issue, because we need all the votes we can get.