Congressman Fired Up by Prospect of Draft

Aug. 12, 2007 — -- The so-called war czar who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has once again raised the issue of whether or not America might consider reinstituting a military draft.

"I think it certainly makes sense to consider it," Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute told NPR. "And I can tell you this has always been an option on the table. But, ultimately this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security one means or another."

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is a long-time champion of the idea. The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee said he believes a draft would spur a change in the war.

"They'll get out of Iraq so fast if they thought that Middle America had to make any sacrifices," Rangel said today on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition." "But I do believe that any time our great country is at war, it shouldn't be sacrifices just by the low or middle-income people. Everyone should share the sacrifice."

He said it's more difficult to justify a war when the children fighting are your own.

"It's easy to talk about supporting a war if someone else is fighting that war," he said.

Rangel suggested the draft include no deferments for men or women, and include people from ages 18 to 26.

"You serve. You have to do something for your country," he said. "And believe me, when a Congress knows you're talking about their community and their families, you're reluctant to go to war in Iraq as speedily as we have."

According to Rangel, an involuntary draft exists already.

"We have an economic draft," he said. "We're holding hostage reservists, National Guard. We're enticing kids that come from the highest unemployment areas, with $15,000, $20,000, $30,000. But for the middle class and the kids of the Congress and the Pentagon and the White House, they're not involved so you find a situation where people support the war, but not my kids."

Rangel, who served during the Korean War, contrasted service in Iraq and Vietnam.

"Vietnam had a political draft," he said. "All you had to do is what Cheney did, what Bush did. All you had to do was know a politician and get deferments."