President Bush Says No Draft

George W. Bush ^ | September 28, 2004

[RWR8189]

No, we're not going -- we don't need the draft. Look, the all-volunteer Army is working. The all-volunteer Army... I know Senator McCain and I agree on this issue for certain, the all-volunteer Army works."   

~ President George W. Bush, August 10, 2004
 
President Bush is committed to keeping participation in the United States Armed Services voluntary.  The President’s cabinet has stated that a draft is not being considered.  Recruitment and retention rates remain strong, and the military has not had any problem maintaining a strong force.  President Bush is confident in the current state of the military and has assured that Nation that the all-volunteer military force is working well.

President Bush's Administration has Remained Consistent on the Draft

• Vice President Cheney says all volunteer force "works extraordinarily well."
  "I don't foresee a situation in which we'd want to go back to the draft. We made a decision after Vietnam to go with an all-volunteer force... The all-volunteer force has produced an absolutely remarkable group of men and women in the service.   And I think it works. It works extraordinarily well. And I'm a great believer in it... I suppose, at some point down the road we'd have such a national crisis or emergency, but it would have to be on the scale of World War II before I would think that anybody would seriously contemplate the possibility of going back again to the draft. I think what we have works very well." (Vice President Cheney, Oregon City, OR, September, 17, 2004)     
  
• Secretary Rumsfeld calls suggestion of Bush initiated draft "nonsense."
  When asked if by the Armed Services Committee about initiating the draft, Secretary Rumsfeld replied, "That is absolute nonsense... It's absolutely false that anyone in this administration is considering reinstituting the draft."  (Donald Rumsfeld, Senate Armed Services Committee, September 23, 2004)  

John Kerry is using the draft to scare young voters and veterans.  
During campaign stops, John Kerry has worked to scare voters by suggesting that President Bush will initiate a draft.  "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 [a draft] possible? I can't tell you."  (John Kerry, September 22, 2004)

[Phantom Lord]

If memory serves me right, the only ones pushing for legislation to bring back the draft are democrats. Especially Charles Rangle (D-NY)

[sierrahome]

Your memory is right on target. Both the house and the senate bills were put forward by Dems in Jan of 2003

[r9etb]

I can't wait for the debate. Bush will be able to point out that he's already doing the good parts of Kerry's "plans," and he can likewise point out where Kerry is lying about what Bush has and has not done.

[weegee]

The Brownshirts For Kerry NEVER mention the Democrat sponsorship of these bills (all 16, now 15, signers were Democrats).

I have asked why there aren't ANY Republican signers if the administration so much wants this.

The dumb kids in college actually think that this is a Bush led effort. As if Shiela Jackson Lee has ever been on his side.

I've seen a recent effort to step up this crap scare tactic (fliers/graffiti in bars, posting on apolitical forums, et al).

The history books will never note all of the LIES that are being told by the party faithful as a whisper smear campaign.

F. DemocRats.

[NWO Slave]

While most people seem to think that George W. Bush is plotting to draft your children after he wins the election this November, it would be wise to consider that there are two bills in Congress seeking to reinstate the draft - both being pushed by leftwing Democrats!

H.R. 163 (14 cosponsors) and S. 89 (no cosponsors) were both introduced by Democrats Charles Rangel (NY) and Ernest Hollings (SC) respectively. The bills were introduced in January 2003 and would require both men and women to either perform mandatory military or civilian service. Both of these pieces of legislation are currently stalled and there's no indication that they are going anywhere anytime soon.

[EdReform]

See also:

HR 163 & SB 89 Exposed: The Honest Truth About the Draft (why the Dems pushed the draft in 2003)

DRAFT LIKELY TO RETURN UNDER BUSH (LIAR ALERT! KERRY TRYING TO SCARE YOUNG VOTERS!)

[A.A. Cunningham]

Rosen: Draft bills a cynical ruse

[Denver Ditdat]

The dumb kids in college actually think that this is a Bush led effort.

Proof that education doesn't always equal wisdom, especially when said learning is chiefly four years of leftist cheerleading.

[Meldrim]

That's a shame, I hope he changes his mind after the election. BTW, an attrition rate of over 50% of white females during their first enlistment period does not qualify as "extraordinarily well" by my estimation.