John Kerry has spent all year running the Rona Barrett Presidential Campaign, whose slogan seems to be No Rumor Too Petty For Us. First he talked about the Bush adminstration being "the most lying, corrupt" people in his memory. Next he fueled the fire on Bush's National Guard service. In this month alone, he's pushed the discredited memes about stem-cell research bans and the disenfranchisement of one million African-Americans in Florida. Today he ups the ante, again in Florida, where he told supporters that a second Bush administration would result in a renewed military draft (via Power Line):

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, citing the war in Iraq and other trouble spots in the world, raised the possibility Wednesday that a military draft could be reinstated if voters re-elect President Bush.

Kerry said he would not bring back the draft and questioned how fairly it was administered in the past. 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."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials have been asked numerous times whether they thought a draft would be necessary to maintain force levels in Iraq. They have said consistently that they think it is neither necessary nor desirable, since today's military is built on volunteer service and professionalism.

He went on to scare the elderly by telling them more fairy tales about how eeeevil Republicans were scheming to steal their benefits, but that's rather pedestrian in comparison. Bush and his entire administration have been adamant that they neither need nor want another military draft. It causes far too much disruption, and the all-volunteer armed services has achieved a high degree of professionalism and esprit de corps that would be lost with conscripted and sullen enlistments.

In fact, although Kerry forgets to mention it, the only people agitating for a resumption of the draft are from Kerry's own party -- Senator Fritz Hollings and Rep. Charles Rangel. Both have tried introducing legislation to restart the draft, but it's not to provide more resources for a purportedly strapped Army. They want the draft reinstated to ensure that rich kids get sent to war, which in their minds would force Bush to retreat against terrorism.

Kerry's continued flirtation with urban legends and outright lies only underscore the character and honesty issues that the Swiftvets first revealed and the ongoing campaign has slowly uncovered. Assigning the draft rumor that his party started to George Bush is dishonest, sleazy, and cowardly.

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry is

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Urban Legends Come Alive In Kerryland:

» Klueless in Kerryland from Sparse Matrix
Funny how coordinated Leftsville can be. From Captain's Quarters: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, citing the war in Iraq and other trouble spots in the world, raised the possibility Wednesday that a military draft could be reinstat... [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 4:06 PM

» Kerry Is Daft When He Threatens A Draft from Knight Of The Mind
John F. Kerry and Johnny "Sunshine" Edwards want us to believe the draft is in for re-runs. It's about as likely as Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia. They promise, if elected, never to bring it back. [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 4:07 PM

» Throwing spaghetti against the refrigerator from NDegrees.net
This is basically what Kerry is doing, seeing if anything will stick. I know that there's a sucker born every minute but do you think that anyone will actually believe this? Interestingly enough, there was a bill introduced to reinstate... [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 4:09 PM

» No evidence? No problem! from The H-Bomb
Apparently, only John Kerry is being told about George Bush's unpopular secret plans. A few days ago, Kerry revealed Bush's secret plan to call up more National Guard and Reservists. Today, in a fit of desperation, Kerry has decided to [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 5:21 PM

» Edwards: No Draft (Someone Please Tell Democrats) from A Stitch in Haste
If John Kerry will not permit the reinstatement of the draft, then why are Democratic congressmen still advocating it? Will Kerry publicly denounce the bills currently under consideration and demand that the sponsors withdraw them? [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 5:35 PM

» Desperado, Why Don't You Come to Your Senses from infidel cowboy
Can you smell the desperation? Kerry and company are reduced to parroting the draft reinstatement scaremongering ravings from the fever swamps in campaign speeches. This comes on the heel's of Kerry claims that Bush lives in a make believe world... [Read More]

Tracked on September 22, 2004 6:00 PM