Republican National Committee “survey” taps fear of military draft to raise funds
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 4:22 pm
- 10 Comments
“Are you in favor of reinstituting the military draft, as Democrats in Congress have proposed?” That’s one of 15 questions the Republican National Committee uses to drum up funds in a “2010 Obama Agenda Survey” that arrived in Minnesota mailboxes this week. A search of current legislation suggests that no such proposal is pending in Congress.
It has been almost three years since U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, a Democrat from New York, last introduced his bill to bring back the draft. Rangel’s effort has been less pro-draft than anti-war; his gambit is that conscription, or even talk of it, would act as a brake on United States military adventures.
Rangel’s list of current bills doesn’t show any legislation regarding the draft. (A call to his office to confirm that hasn’t yet been returned). An online search for any bills in Congress concerning “conscription” or a “military draft” comes up empty.
Bill Galvin, counseling coordinator at the Center on Conscience and War in Washington, D.C., tells the Minnesota Independent he hasn’t heard of any recent legislation regarding the military draft.
But you wouldn’t know that from the RNC’s mailing. The “survey,” RNC Chairman Michael Steele writes in a cover letter, “is your opportunity to let Republican leaders … know where you stand on the policies and programs being proposed by Barack Obama and his Democrat allies in Congress.” It isn’t long before he gets to the sales pitch: “I’m asking you to include a contribution to the Republican National Committee …”
The Central Committee on Conscientious Objection appears to agree with the RNC assessment that the draft could come back: “It’s not a matter of ‘IF’ the draft will return … It’s a matter of ‘WHEN.’”
But the newly confirmed director of the Selective Service System, Larry Romo, told Congress he hopes there is no need for a draft. Still, he plans to ramp up compliance with military registration systems through marketing programs and direct-mail — the vehicle the RNC uses for its “survey.”
The military draft is an interesting issue for the Republicans to try to raise cash with. The politically independent base that the party needs to enlist for electoral battles to come in 2010 and 2012 may be of two minds. Former Gov. Jesse Ventura recently said he favors the return of the draft, while U.S. Rep. Ron Paul seemed to suggest he’d lead a Libertarian resistance movement in remarks he made in Minnesota after the 2008 Republican National Convention.
10 Comments
Comment posted December 17, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
Will grassroots Republicans ever start fact-checking the distortions that come from their party? Or is lying a family value?
Comment posted December 17, 2009 @ 10:22 pm
How can you support our troops and be against the draft? These opportunists are just back at the old scary knee jerk tactics.
Comment posted December 19, 2009 @ 4:58 pm
Obama is still in his first term, there is no way he would ever consent to instituting a draft. There is no way ANY politician in his/her first term would commit career suicide in that manner. Common sense, people!
Comment posted December 20, 2009 @ 12:55 pm
I guess funds are running a little short at the RNC.
Comment posted December 21, 2009 @ 9:12 pm
I would agree for bringing back the draft as long as there is a normal president in the oval office who is not insulting Christianity, protecting muslims, bowing to Saudi kings, and claiming America is the “largest muslim nation on the planet.”
Mitt Romney as President in 2012 and a draft would make sense for America.
Comment posted December 22, 2009 @ 9:43 am
So, what is their stance on economic and job conditions so poor that people are seeking work and turn to military service when other options short of black market crime have been exhausted? The “invisible draft” has been in effect for many years already. Recruitment numbers have greatly benefited from the economic recession. Republicans seem very mired in supporting the military industrial complex (as do the Dems.) Unless they abandon their political backers that very much benefit from war, the Pubs better find a different rally cry than “anti-war.” What a crock!
Comment posted December 22, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
The military industrial complex has won long ago, much to to the chagrin of Eisenhower, who did warn us. As did JFK, who lost his life warning us of that same truth.
Now at this point of time, neither the Democratic party nor the Republican party has the interest of the American people in heart.
I support the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and I vote according to those – who either follow or usurp its dictates. This document is all we have to supress the various and numerous forms of tyranny being pushed upon us by those who do not care about liberty or freedom. Maybe that makes me a republican, but I havn’t voted for a republican since before Ron Reagan, since I have found them heinous offenders of these last vestiges of freedom and independence.
So, ummmm, find a new canard to ride off into the sunset. The old “rethuglican” band wagon beat does not fit todays modern political paradigm.
I certainly am anti-war. I certainly am not for universal health care. I certainly am for freedom, independence, and liberty. I am not for control, dictates, and mind control/manipulation. I was for Obama (even voted for change), until I saw he continually pushes the Bush agendas, now I am anti-obama because of it. Change, indeed! Is this Bush’s third term???
Comment posted December 22, 2009 @ 3:25 pm
Charlie Rangel’s not anti-war as much as he’s pro-Rangel.
http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/summaries/rangel.php
His argument is stupid on its face–let’s bring back the draft, because the draft prevented military adventurism in the past? Most Americans, thankfully, now recognize conscription as slavery by another name. Now we just need to bury selective service once and for all…
But it is at least amusing to see the center-left play the right-wing “patriotism” card. Many of Rangel’s persuasion are positively giddy about the prospect of mandatory “national service”: a draft-lite. Perhaps the Democratic Party is just going back to its roots as the pro-slavery party?
Comment posted December 22, 2009 @ 5:09 pm
Mitt Romney, for President, that’s pretty funny.
Comment posted December 27, 2009 @ 11:12 pm
Yeah, Mitt Romney would be funny as a president.
Let me see he is a sucessful businessman who turned everything he touched into gold during his career. Never raised taxes, limited gubmint spending, refunded money to the citizens when budget allowed, turned the Salt Lake City Olympics into a profitable venture when earlier it risked losing huge sums of money, owns his own mega-profitable corporation, led and managed several hundred employees for years in his own corporation, was governor of a leftist state later elected as a republican turned its fortunes around, etc, etc.
Yeah, now lets look at Obama.
Umm, he went to law school, graduated, and stood on a corner asking people to register for voting.
Moron never even managed a lemonade stand.
Yes, Mitt Romney could never compare to that Obama resume.
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