KRT Wire | 11/20/2006 | Rangel says he's serious about reinstating the draft

KRT Wire | 11/20/2006 | Rangel says he's serious about reinstating the draft

Now, this is precisley the kind of absurdity that I do not want to see the Democrats engaging in. While its an arguement to say that the threats we face currently in the world require a larger military (a view echoed by Abizaid in the recent hearings), addressing that need with the draft is not necessary. Beefing up pay and benefits for the armed forces could accomplish the same without all of the attendant issues that come with conscription.

The only reason for Rangel to float this is as a way to embarrass the President and rub his nose in the mess that Iraq certainly is. But thats not what the vote on 11/7 was about. The American people already know its a mess and that we are not winning. We want Congress and the President to come up with a strategy for winning, not to play political games with it. This is the kind of political stupidity that left unchecked will certainly damage the hopes of the Democrats to beat back another decade long absence from the majority.

Its also an interesting light on Pelosi as speaker. Either this is the kind of posturing her liberal viewpoint is comfortable with (a bad thing) OR, she does not have the political strength as Speaker to enforce discipline or forge consensus on strategy with powerful committee chairs like Rangel (also a bad thing). Either way, this is playing politics with the war, and the public is just not going to stand for it. Dems will pay a bitter price in 08 if they don't get a grip.