Well, It's Now Officially a Campaign Issue

[Guest MikeSC]

Kerry: Potential great for return of draft

 

By THOMAS BEAUMONT

REGISTER STAFF WRITER

October 15, 2004

RODNEY WHITE/THE REGISTER

 

There is "a great potential" for a military draft in the United States should President Bush win re-election in November, Democratic challenger John Kerry said Thursday during an interview with The Des Moines Register.

 

"With George Bush, the plan for Iraq is more of the same and the great potential of a draft," Kerry said during a meeting with Register reporters and editors before headlining a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

 

Bush campaign aides dismissed Kerry's comments as "irresponsible" and "the mother of all cheap political scare tactics."

 

Kerry and Bush have both said repeatedly that neither would reinstate the draft. Bush pledged during the debates to maintain the "all-volunteer army."

 

Kerry has said a draft is "possible" under Bush and has characterized the heavy use of National Guard and Reserve troops as a "backdoor draft."

 

Kerry's comments Thursday went further.

 

"With George Bush, the plan for Iraq is more of the same and the great potential of the draft. Because if we go it alone, I don't know how you do it with the current overextension" of the military, Kerry said.

 

The comments came as a broad countercharge to Bush's accusation that Kerry's criticism of the war has made it more difficult to win allied support in Iraq.

 

Bush campaign Iowa spokesman Dan Ronayne responded: "Senator Kerry's comment is irresponsible, patent nonsense and the mother of all cheap political scare tactics. He knows better, and that statement is just another example of John Kerry's willingness to say absolutely anything he thinks will benefit his political fortunes, and as a result he is losing credibility with the American people."

 

Kerry also said Thursday he expected the election, now less than three weeks away, to be a referendum on the war. However, he acknowledged Bush had an advantage in public opinion polls on the issue of Iraq because he is an incumbent president.

 

Kerry repeated his proposal to begin bringing U.S. troops home within six months of his term, a goal he said would be achievable by speeding up training of Iraqis with help from allies. (I guess his consistent, never-changing opinion on Iraq is, uh, the same as it always was?)

 

Bush has given no timeline, saying only that troops will come home when Iraq is able to maintain its own security. He has pledged to have 125,000 Iraqi troops trained by January and 200,000 trained within a year. Bush has said Kerry's six-month proposal gives terrorists and insurgents incentive to hold out until troops leave.

 

Although the race is tightly knotted nationally and in Iowa, Kerry continues to trail Bush on the question of who is better able to handle the situation in Iraq.

 

Kerry aides point out that the Democrat has edged closer on the question since the first debate on Sept. 30. Kerry was widely viewed as having won that matchup, which focused on Iraq and foreign policy.

 

But polls also show attitudes about Iraq at their worst, with a CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll this week showing a majority of Americans - 54 percent - say the war was not worth fighting.

 

Bush has flatly ruled out reinstating the draft. "We're not going to have a draft, period. The all-volunteer army works," Bush said during last week's debate in St. Louis.

 

"We don't need mass armies anymore. . . . We're beginning to transform our military."

 

Kerry has made his criticism of Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq a centerpiece of his campaign. Bush has accused Kerry, who voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq, of hurting chances of allied support by criticizing the war as a diversion from the global war on terror.

 

Kerry expanded his attacks of Bush's Iraq policy Thursday, saying a draft was more likely under Bush because the administration failed to plan properly for the postwar occupation.

 

"It's because they've had to do this on the fly, and without planning and without building alliances that we're bearing the burden we face," he said.

 

"There will not be a draft, and there doesn't need to be a draft if we have a foreign policy that is in keeping with the values and the history of our country," Kerry said. "This president has created greater overextension than needed of our armed forces."

 

Kerry has recently accused the Bush campaign of using scare tactics to influence voters. In September, he charged Vice President Dick Cheney with trying to frighten voters by saying terrorists would be more likely to strike the United States if Bush lost re-election. Cheney later clarified the comments to say he didn't think a Kerry victory meant an imminent attack.

 

Kerry met with the Register's editorial board at the newspaper's request. He has met with the editorial boards of the Miami Herald in pivotal Florida and the Columbus Dispatch in key battleground Ohio, aides said.

 

Bush has been invited to meet with the Register's editorial board but has not yet accepted. He has also met with the Columbus Dispatch's editorial board. Bush is expected to campaign in Cedar Rapids today.

 

Kerry later headlined a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, where he was joined by vice presidential nominee John Edwards.

http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...395/1001&lead=1

So, in addition to trying to use the VP's family against the Republicans (and they really don't seem to give two shits about Cheney's OTHER daughter), Kerry is now implying that a vote for Bush brings a great possibility of a draft.

 

The only plus is that you don't make such smears unless your internal polling isn't looking good.

-=Mike

[Guest GreatOne]

"With George Bush, the plan for Iraq is more of the same and the great potential of the draft. Because if we go it alone, I don't know how you do it with the current overextension" of the military, Kerry said.

 

I guess all those stationed in Japan/Germany that are getting re-stationed in the next decade are all the sudden irrelevant to Kerry, other than the day he whined about how doing so was 'dangerous to the American people' or whatever....................

[2GOLD 0]

Ok, if this is true then the Democratic Party can burn in hell and I'll vote for Bush despite how much I hate the scumbag.

 

I'm tired of this from the Democrats.

 

They are the ones who purposed the draft and so they blame Bush for wanting one? Give me a god damn break.

 

John Kerry may be the biggest dickweed since Jerry Falwell.

[Guest Cerebus]

I'm with 2Gold on this.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Ditto what 2Gold said.

[Guest Cerebus]

I do find it hilarious that this is coming from the guy who wants to increase the Army by two understrength divisions (which is what 40,000 would amount to by the way) and water down SOCOM by doubling it. What a moron.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Ditto to that. First the Cheney daughter comment, and now this whole draft crap is really just scumbag-like.

[KingPK 0]

And, of course not even a month ago:

 

Answering a question about the draft that had been posed at a forum with voters, Kerry said: "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 it possible? I can't tell you."

 

So in 3 weeks, he's went from "I don't know if there will be" to "OMG DRAFT! LAST TO ONTARIO EATS SAND!!"

 

Hopefully the youth vote that DOESN'T look to P. Diddy for political advice, sees right through this.

[Guest MikeSC]

I'm just wondering how Kerry can claim Bush wants to have a draft when HE is the one who is planning on a rather sizable increase in troop numbers.

-=Mike

[2GOLD 0]

I'm just wondering how Kerry can claim Bush wants to have a draft when HE is the one who is planning on a rather sizable increase in troop numbers.

-=Mike

 

It's all part of his plan of an army of super robots he likes to call "Terminators".

[NoCalMike 0]

Would now be the appropriate time to say, Go Nader? LOL.

[2GOLD 0]

Ok, be honest with me Republicans. You can trust me, I won't tell anyone.

 

Kerry is really a Republican spy, sent in to grab the nomination and make the Democratic party look like the worst of two evils. Right? Come on, you can tell me. I swear.

[Guest MikeSC]

As I said earlier, I wish Rove was this diabolical. It would be nice to think of somebody that clever being on my side.

-=Mike

[2GOLD 0]

As I said earlier, I wish Rove was this diabolical. It would be nice to think of somebody that clever being on my side.

-=Mike

 

Well, if Kerry loses he might become a free agent. Republicans can pick him up and give the Democrats a conspiracy to scream about for four years.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Hell no, we don't want him.

[therealworldschampion 0]

Haha, it's like the 1978 AL East divisional race when the Red Sox blew that huge lead in the division to the Yankees with Don Zimmer managing. Only the Red Sox are the Dems, the Yankees are the Repubs, and Kerry is the Gerbil.

[Styles 0]

Absolutely digusting, what a scare tactic. If you tell a lie enough.... It's just pathetic being surrounded by fellow college students who already have a media fueled bias against Bush, and hear this stuff without thinking much about it, and when asked why they're voting for Kerry it's "Bush will bring back the draft..." How much more clear than "there will not be a draft under my presidency" can Bush be? God, Kerry/Edwards have run a DIRTY campaign consisting of cheap shots and lies, at least Bush has kept to Kerry's voting record.

[UZI Suicide 0]

I think there's a good chance of a draft no matter who wins.

[Guest MikeSC]

I think there's a good chance of a draft no matter who wins.

I will say it --- there is NO chance, whatsoever.

 

The GOP doesn't want it and they aren't about to lose Congress.

-=Mike

[teke184 0]

I think there's a good chance of a draft no matter who wins.

I will say it --- there is NO chance, whatsoever.

 

The GOP doesn't want it and they aren't about to lose Congress.

-=Mike

Agreed. Bringing back the draft is political suicide and, because the Republicans control the House and Senate, there's no chance it will pass.

 

 

That being said, anyone else think that this is a Hail Mary by Kerry because he's having trouble in the polls? A sane person sure wouldn't be bringing this up if they were close in several battleground states and could pull off a victory without getting dirty.

 

If Kerry doesn't win this election, I think his political career will be DOA by the time his Senate seat comes up in a few years. In his last Senate election, he nearly lost it to a Republican in MASSACHUSSETS for God's sake...

[Guest INXS]

He's quite correct - if Bush does carry on as he is then there is a distinct possibility of a draft.

[Guest MikeSC]

He's quite correct - if Bush does carry on as he is then there is a distinct possibility of a draft.

And the sheer idiocy of the comment is proven true.

-=Mike

[Guest Fire and Knives]

John Kerry is possibly the most entertaining politician that I have ever seen.

 

God bless this man.

 

K.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

He's quite correct - if Bush does carry on as he is then there is a distinct possibility of a draft.

...

 

WOW.

 

Are you sure you aren't some sort of gimmick poster? Because you've been delving into Kamui-levels of idiocy and I don't think any sane human being would actually believe that given all the times it's been refuted.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Just ignore INXS, he's proven time and time again he doesn't understand how things in the U.S. work.

[therealworldschampion 0]

He's quite correct - if Bush does carry on as he is then there is a distinct possibility of a draft.

 

Please kill yourself.

 

And I'm still adhering to my Kerry-Zimmer philosophy.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

If Kerry doesn't win this election, I think his political career will be DOA by the time his Senate seat comes up in a few years. In his last Senate election, he nearly lost it to a Republican in MASSACHUSSETS for God's sake...

In 2002, Kerry was the first Massachusetts Senator to ever come up for re-election without major party opposition, he won by an 80%-18% margin

 

He did beat Bill Weld by a 52%-45% margin (almost 200,000 votes) in 1996

[teke184 0]

If Kerry doesn't win this election, I think his political career will be DOA by the time his Senate seat comes up in a few years.  In his last Senate election, he nearly lost it to a Republican in MASSACHUSSETS for God's sake...

In 2002, Kerry was the first Massachusetts Senator to ever come up for re-election without major party opposition, he won by an 80%-18% margin

 

He did beat Bill Weld by a 52%-45% margin (almost 200,000 votes) in 1996

My mistake... thought the Weld election was in 2002 and not in 1996.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

If Kerry doesn't win this election, I think his political career will be DOA by the time his Senate seat comes up in a few years.  In his last Senate election, he nearly lost it to a Republican in MASSACHUSSETS for God's sake...

In 2002, Kerry was the first Massachusetts Senator to ever come up for re-election without major party opposition, he won by an 80%-18% margin

 

He did beat Bill Weld by a 52%-45% margin (almost 200,000 votes) in 1996

My mistake... thought the Weld election was in 2002 and not in 1996.

No real huge deal.

 

Weld sorta disappeared after 1997 though. When Jesse Helms held up his nomination to be Ambassador to Mexico.

[NYU 0]

Ok, if this is true then the Democratic Party can burn in hell and I'll vote for Bush despite how much I hate the scumbag.

 

I'm tired of this from the Democrats.

 

They are the ones who purposed the draft and so they blame Bush for wanting one? Give me a god damn break.

 

John Kerry may be the biggest dickweed since Jerry Falwell.

Hilarious.

 

I just love how melodramatic some people get over certain issues that barely deserve drama in the first place.

 

Edwards mentioning Reeve's death: "It sickened me to the core"

 

Kerry mentions Bush supporting the draft: "The Democratic party can burn in hell"

 

I really hope some of these comments are said in jest, because otherwise they are not just depressing but incredibly alarming as well.

 

I doubt either man supports a draft. When Kerry says that Bush could support a movement on the draft, it may very well not be true. But on the grand scale of lies, it's comparable to Bush saying that Kerry has only passed five bills on health care - trying to prove that Kerry has absolutely no experience with the issue of health care - when Kerry has passed 56 individual bills he has written himself, along with signing off on various amendment bills. This is comparable to Cheney saying that his debate with Edwards was the first time he has ever met the man, despite the fact that there is photographic evidence he's already met him at least three times. There are lies and half-truths being told from both parties. To single out one party for mudslinging on an important issue - like the military - while ignoring the other party for mudslinging on an important issue - like health care - is just irresponsible.

 

Kerry saying that Bush supports the draft isn't fair, because it isn't true.

 

Bush saying that Kerry has no experience with health care bills - and Cheney trying to make an untrue point about Edwards' "excessive" absences in the Senate - aren't fair, because they aren't true either.

 

Just accept the campaigns for what they are, instead of retaliating in these threads with a ridiculously absurd, biased response. We seem to be getting more of them lately as the election gets closer.