Hoyer says NO to draft

[Lone_Star_Dem]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112000484.html


Top House Democrats to bar military draft plan

By Richard Cowan
Reuters
Monday, November 20, 2006; 1:21 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A reinstatement of the military draft, being pushed by a senior Democrat, will not be slated for consideration in the House of Representatives, the chamber's newly elected top leaders said on Monday.

"We did not include that" in legislative plans for early next year, said Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who will be House majority leader when the new Congress convenes in January under Democratic control for the first time in 12 years.


New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, who is in line to chair the House Ways and Means Committee next year, has renewed his call for the draft, saying the war in Iraq is being fought by American soldiers who disproportionately are from low-income families and minorities.

Over the weekend, Rangel said he would seek passage next year of the universal draft legislation he has long sought. "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," Rangel said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

More..


OK, it's dead, gone, bye bye. Now can we put it to rest and move on?

[Selatius]

1. Rangel will reintroduce it every year from now on

The man is quixotic.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. Quixotic accurately describes Rangel

He's tilting at windmills.

[Dems Will Win]

28. READ THIS OR BE FOREVER IGNORANT ABOUT THE DRAFT!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2767636

TOP 5 DRAFT MYTHS DEBUNKED!

[Arkana]

3. Rangel doesn't actually support the draft.

If he can pull this off, it'll be one of the most politically brilliant moves ever.


Over the weekend, Rangel said he would seek passage next year of the universal draft legislation he has long sought. "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," Rangel said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

Think about it. It gets people to talk about the war--something Chimp and his entourage don't want, and it forces people like Deadeye Dick to explain where all the extra troops would come from to invade Iran and North Korea--something, I would assume, most people don't want either.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. I understand now and before why he proposed this action

I'm not even bashing him for his methods. Really, I'm not.

The way I see this is if he encourages a few more people to stop and think of how unjust our current system is, then good for him.

I do not support a military draft, and yet I didn't go off reacting to his words without taking the time to actually hear them all. What I find annoying is all the foolishness every time he does this coming from our own.

[elocs]

11. Brilliant, and way over the heads of the average American voters. n/t

[queenbdem87]

4. Great News....I would like us to keep congress for at least a little while.

[elocs]

15. You are certainly being too pragmatic.

There are many here who seem to believe we are invincible with our slight majorities in both houses. If the Democrats can maintain power for a good number of years as well as regaining the White House we can do good that will help millions of Americans and improve their lives. Instead there are many who are under the misapprehension that we have won an election and are now god-like, being able to do as we please without consequences. Because everything we do is "right" and "good" and "noble" and the American voters will not fail to appreciate it and continue to keep us in power in the future. I think the political instincts of the average American are more primal and intricate political machinations are beyond their caring or understanding.

[FormerDittoHead]

5. Not without thanking Charlie for making us spin our wheels...

Nothing like a draft proposal to take the warmth off of all that election victory!

Nothing like this to make EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE Presidential candidate have to tie up our news cycle in order to speak out against it.

Thanks, Charlie! Maybe you should mention it again during the 2008 primaries???

[bluestateguy]

6. Interestingly, Jack Murtha favored a draft

He always has, and was one of 2 members to vote for the draft when it came up for a vote in 2004.

[cali]

7. Post that info as an OP and you

can start quite the DU brawl.

[elocs]

12. That might be a refreshing change from the other all-consuming subject here since 8 Nov.

[Homer Wells]

22. But-But-But

What about Tom and Katies wedding!?

Where are our prioroties here????

:sarcasm: :spray: :spray: :popcorn:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. A draft adds value to the average soldier in the eyes of citizens.

Because that soldier could very well be you or one of your loved ones, no matter what class or economic status you hold. As it is now our military is mostly made up of those who are from lower economic families. This creates an imbalance that removes most Americans from the risk of losing someone they love in a war. Which in turn makes people more apathetic about the reasons we go to war.

[MoonRiver]

9. I'm really glad our leadership is demonstrating common sense.

Rangel will, hopefully, just be perceived as some lone eccentric, on this issue.

[EdwardM]

14. Yes, I am so glad that Hoyer got elected majority leader.

We don't need leaders like Rangel and Murtha talking about reinstating the draft. I know some people are saying it is some sort of "political genious move" but I must of missed it. Also, most Americans seemed to have missed it also. The only thing I see now is that the talking heads are calling the Democratic Party a pro draft party, and I don't see how that helps anything.

[MoonRiver]

17. I didn't really have a preference one way or the other.

But if Murtha would have supported this insane idea about a draft, then thank goodness Hoyer was chosen.

[EdwardM]

19. He was one of two people who voted for Rangel's draft measure in 2004.

[MoonRiver]

21. Well, I'm glad he lost then.

[Robbien]

18. Oh yes, Hoyer is a fine pay-to-play moderate

Hoyer's PAC (AmeriPAC, Fund for a Greater America) is a real doozy.

Hoyer's PAC donors included Accenture, one of the nation's leading job outsourcing firms, and the American Chemistry Council, whose members resist anti-pollution laws and tougher homeland security codes.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061120/1046685.asp

In Hoyer's case, being called pro-draft is much better than his pay-to-play label. Give me a Rangel any day.

[EdwardM]

20. I'll take a corrupt politician over someone sending my ass to Iraq any day of the week.

[Robbien]

23. Since no one was ever really sending your

so called ass anywhere, you are now stuck with a pay-to-play politican with his hand in your pocket while you are looking elsewhere crying about a non-event draft.

[EdwardM]

24. Jack Murtha voted for the draft.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/05/politics/main647612.shtml

And he is also a corrupt moderate. So when choosing between two corrupt moderates, I'll choose the one who doesn't support a draft.

[Robbien]

26. Sure, support a DLCer who doesn't support a non-existant draft

but who will sell out to every polluter, BigOil and BigPharma in town.

Your choice. It is a bad one, but have fun. Hope you are good at the pay to play game.

[EdwardM]

27. And John Murtha has a zero percent NARAL rating.

http://www.issues2002.org/PA/John_Murtha.htm

Pick your poison. I'll pick the one who won't force women to carry their rapist's babies and doesn't force me to go to Iraq thank you very much.

[Robbien]

13. Who cares what Hoyer says. Pelosi said no, so no it is.

Stupid Reuters trying to downplay Pelosi on this.

[MoonRiver]

16. His is another voice. The more the better.

I hope we hear this loud and clear from Democrats: NO DRAFT.

[KharmaTrain]

25. It's Gotten People Talking And Thinking

It's almost the same reaction Charlie got when he made this same proposal in 2004. It sure didn't become a campaign issue, but it got a lot of people...especially on our side of things to think about the real cost of a war...what sacrafices are really to be made and how unfair the war was being on the poor and mis-informed.

Right now, we have a regime that's still rattling sabres...talking about escalating this mess...to send more of our kids into this mess and then expand it into Iran and who knows where else. We also have the same incompetent and corrupt people in the exceutive who are continuing to make decisions that are killing more people each day and something has to be done to make this ugly war so unpopular and politically toxic that we this regime is forced to "cut and run". Charlie's calling their bluff.

These ass monkeys are trying to squirm out of their responsibility by saying we didn't have sufficient manpower or "the people" gave up...looking for anyway to pass the buck and try to blame this quagmire on someone/anyone other than on themselves. Charlie just got in their faces and is calling them on their bullshit.

He's also giving cover to people like Hoyer and others who supported this ugly war to now distance themselves and hopefully allow us to investigate the profiteering and mismangement of this "enterprise" so that those culpable of this travesty are held accountable. Charlie knows how to play the beltway game...and plays it shrewedly.

[Jed Dilligan]

29. Good for you Hoyer!

Now let's see a plan to get out of Iraq before DRAFT sinks in as the "Democrat's solution" in everyone's mind.

Because not having a plan is equal to bringing back the draft, in practice. We will need one sooner or later if we don't pull out.