McCain: World War III Would Justify Draft

John McCain said last night during a campaign tele-conference that he would bring back a military draft in the United States only in the case of a 'World War III' scenario.

Reuters reported:

Many Americans are fearful the U.S. government will be forced to reinstitute the draft given the prolonged Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Asked about that possibility by a potential voter in Florida during a telephone "town hall meeting," McCain said: "I don't know what would make a draft happen unless we were in an all-out World War III." ...

McCain, a Vietnam veteran, said the draft during that conflict weighed most heavily on lower-income Americans, and that this should not be repeated.

But McCain may be more open to the draft than it seems. During a July 2006 interview on CNN, McCain was asked about the following statement by Newt Gingrich: "We're in the early stages of what I would describes as the Third World War and, frankly, our bureaucracies aren't responding fast enough." Asked whether he agreed, McCain said:

"I do to some extent. I think it's important to recognize that we have terrorist organizations which -- who are dangerous by themselves, are now being supported by radical Islamic governments, i.e., the Iranians, which makes them incredibly more dangerous because they are trained, equipped, motivated and assisted in every way by the Iranians."

Also, as ThinkProgress noted, "Last October, President Bush himself warned of a coming 'World War III' with Iran. 'I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III,' said the President. 'It seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.'"

Comments

[DFL]

THATS ALL THE REPUBS LIVE FOR, NON STOP WAR, WITHOUT WAR THEY GOT NOTHING ELSE TO RUN ON, NOT ONE SINGLE OTHER ISSUE IS POLLING GOOD FOR THEM.

[lornejl]

No one likes war, thats why repubs use it as a first resort.

[shyamg22]

Is it really that hard to dodge a draft?

I wasn't alive the last time it occurred and my parents and prior to them aren't from the US so they never had selective service/draft stuff.

[k6007]

During the last draft, the priviledged received 'deferrments', the poor were threw into the grinder, and can a da opened her borders to all who could make it.

[shyamg22]

something tells me if we have another draft, canada won't be opening her borders voluntarily this time around to take in US citizens who didn't want to get drafted.

argh, i just i need to get dual citizenship with some other country soon.

[JohnTalbutt]

It varied by draft board. An editor of the Harvard Law Review with a Wyoming draft board was a pfc with me in the infantry. His draft board took him before he could take the bar. His name was Peter Junger and he died almost two years ago. Really decent guy. When some of us got in trouble he successfully defended us in military procedings..

Poetic justice. He later beat the feds in a landmark free speech/academic freedom case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Junger

[TrueBlueMajority]

a draft would end this war within weeks. bring it on.

[robodweeb]

Having been subject to the draft in 1968 I can assure you a draft would not mean the "connected" would be drafted.

Back in the day they got into the National Guard to avoid the war. Names like Bush and Quayle.

For those of us who didn't have those connections there was a two year waiting list.

[luvobama]

That needs to be the condition. No deferments period. War over 48 hours.

[naturallight]

Who is he talking about 'we'? Does he have a mouse in his pocket?

If world war 3 breaks out, i do declare, john mccain will be the last person we will be listening to.

Whats he gonna tell us?
How to crash our planes?

Just b/c your daddy made you play GI Joe, John, does not mean we have to play with you.

[RaraAvis17]

You ALL need to watch this on LIE-ber-Man. I just received this email from BraveNewFilms. All Democrats please take the time to sign this and then pass it on.

http://liebermanmustgo.com/?utm_source=rgemail

[TruepatriotinRI]

Is it just my imagination, or do I see foam around the mouths of these guys?

[VolvoBirkenstock]

That's not foam....

tap tap tap

[white mende man]

John McCain did promise to veto every beer that comes across his desk...

[indypete]

Woooo.... Nasteeeee!

[mivogo]

If McCain says he is open to a draft, I have more respect for him. I'm voting for Obama, but to be open about a draft takes real guts. If there had been a true draft, we wouldn't be in Iraq right now. But since just the working class and poor serve, most people could care less. One thing the left and right agree on--yes, our country must be defended sometimes, but not by our children! If Kennedy made his "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" speech today, he'd be laughed off the podium. Sad.

[marc1antony]

this is exactly what will happen, world war 3 or not - they are not able to fill their enlistment quotas right now, and will have to reinstitute the draft soon to replace the dying soldiers. MCSame cares nothing about your sons and daughters - he will send them to the slaughter.

[RoSull]

Pardon my naivety, but where do you find out information about current enlistment numbers? I would be curious to know who is enlisting and other info like that.

[BlackbirdHighway]

So, is he saying that the volunteer Army is not "weighed most heavily on lower-income Americans"?

[k6007]

Stop-loss effectively cancels the 'volunteer' myth. It is like the roach motels of old, 'you're free to check in, but you can't check out'.

[robodweeb]

I thought that was the Hotel California.

[indypete]

Don't they call it "Economic Draft?"

[DallasMike]

A volunteer army is just that VOLUNTEER
So if it is "weighed" down by low income Americans the fact remains THEY VOLUNTEERED.

[gintheb]

I actually am writing this comment in reference to the picture of George Bush with the bone through his nose. What's up with that?!. I'll be as happy to see W leave the White House as much as the next man, but I find this truly offensive. What if some conservative or racist site did the same to Obama? I don't know what its supposed to represent, but I ask that you please consider taking it down.

[white mende man]

Hey Huffo I'm still waiting for my first two posts... we are all adults here mind you, or is your truth the only truth?

[white mende man]

well thank you very much i just saw one, you are most kind

[CrapWhisperer]

.

Uh oh ... kiss kiss
.

[JoJoKewl]

Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran
Draft draft draft Start up the Draft.

I'm Senator John W. McBush and I hope you're stoopid enough to vote for me.

[joefazio]

The real danger to this country, is people like McCain and people
like him who advance "war with anyone" talk in order to
realize thier own adgenda.

[Zhonni]

I tell you what, I am trully starting to believe that McCain is dangerous to the health of this country.

He would BALLOOOOOON the deficit and national debt and may put us on a path where it would be difficult to continue our world leadership.

Has anyone noticed when he twitches and blink his eyes at the same time? It seems as if there is a glitch somewhere. Someone who passes out as a result of holding his breath is obviously disturbed. I don't care if it happened when he was much younger, hell, at that age I never thought it was possible--I just never comprehended or considered holding my breath because I was mad. I just couldn't help but breath. I understood from an early age that the present is what it is the present and won't dictate the next day or the next hour for that matter.