Letter to * from Senator Clinton: she wants draft remarks clarified:

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/aug/13/hillary_demands_bush_clarify_position_on_military_draft



August 13, 2007

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I write with great concern over recent comments by the Deputy National Security Adviser, Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, which suggest that a military draft “has always been an option on the table.” Since raising the prospect of a draft contradicts the previously stated policy of your Administration, I ask that you clarify your current policy regarding the possibility of re-instituting a military draft.

Our volunteer military is the best in the world and has been performing heroically under difficult circumstances in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. As you proclaimed in 2003 on the 30th anniversary of the all-volunteer force, “For the last 30 years, we have been fortunate to have a military composed entirely of volunteers… Since that time, our volunteer Armed Forces personnel have upheld the finest traditions of our military and our country.” A year later, Department of Defense spokesman Lawrence T. Di Rita, said, "It is the policy of this administration to oppose a military draft for any purpose whatsoever. A return to the draft is unthinkable. There will be no draft."

While our forces, in particular the Army and Marine Corps, are under strain, re-establishing a draft is not the answer.

The seeds of many of the problems that continue to plague our mission in Iraq were planted in the failure to adequately plan for the conflict and properly equip our men and women in uniform. Whether the problem has been inadequate body armor on the ground in Iraq or inadequate treatment for injured soldiers at Walter Reed, there has been a deeply disturbing trend: a failure to serve the men and women who signed up to serve our nation. Rather than raising the specter of a draft, the administration has a duty to focus on providing our current service members with the equipment and benefits they need and deserve.

In previous years, when asked about a draft, your Administration has stated that it is the Administration’s policy to oppose a military draft and support the all-volunteer force. Given Lieutenant General Lute’s comments last week, I ask that you clarify whether there has been a change in your Administration’s opposition to reinstituting a draft.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

CC: The Honorable Stephen Hadley, National Security Adviser
The Honorable Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense

[spanone]

1. i imagine hadley & bu$h* will wipe themselves with said letter.

[HeraldSquare212]

2. Dear Hillary,

Trust us, we know what we're doing

George


Dear George,

OK

Hillary

[janx]

7. ...

:rofl:

[bigtree]

3. perfect

this needs to be repeated

[ccpup]

4. ah, that's DU for ya

damned is she does, damned if she doesn't

new sig line: DU -- the Home of Selective Outrage

[babylonsister]

5. I don't understand your comment; I don't think anyone has yet

disparaged her on this thread for writing the letter.:shrug:

[ccpup]

6. check out #2

"Trust us, we know what we're doing

George


Dear George,

OK

Hillary"

and this is flattering to Hillary how?

[babylonsister]

8. I just took it as something the

dim one might have thought after he got the letter, providing he even does and/or reads it. IOW, I took it as a putdown of Clinton by *, not a putdown of Clinton.
OK, carry on.

[ccpup]

9. and you could be right

that's what's interesting about language and perception. A simple exchange can be seen many different ways. No harm done.

:-)

[tblue37]

13. No, it is also--and primarily--a put-down of Hilalry. It presents a scenario that

embodies the criticism of Dems that they talk tough and then immediately back down when Bush says "Trust me."

[Marr]

16. Yes, I know- it's horrible how people have different opinions.

Hillary's a DLC hack. I judge her by her voting record, not by the silly, toothless political statements she makes during a primary season.

[SoonerPride]

10. BREAKING: Army says questioning the Commander in Chief supports our enemies

"How dare Clinton question our dear leader during this time of crisis. She is giving aid and comfort to Al Qaeda."

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Thank you, Hillary. This mother appreciates your letter.

[endarkenment]

12. How do you "adequately plan for the conflict"

when the realistic assesment is: quagmire?

This is just the 'Democrats can manage the war better than Republicans' bullshit.

[progressoid]

14. "re-establishing a draft is not the answer"

Actually, re-establishing a draft could be an answer. It would immediately mobilize Americans against the war and we would be out of Iraq in a heartbeat.

A draft won't ever happen. But, politically, just the idea of a draft would benefit the anti-war movement and any Democratic presidential candidate.

[earthlover]

15. Now Hillary is upset about "the table"...

So the draft is on "the table".

Well, just a short while ago, Hillary made the point that, of all things, nuclear weapons should still be on "the table". Telling our enemies what we would or would not do is bad, Bad, BAD! Even though Hillary said the same thing a year ago. Well, you know how women change their minds? Or does candidate Clinton simply flip-flop?

Isn't it ironic that the administration has not said it wanted a draft, it hedged its intention with the same hedge Hillary used? Now they can say it is just an option, it is just on the table, and it would be weak, etc to not at least have the draft "on the table"....

So what a thing to watch! Hillary and the Bush administration and the table!!!

This table is getting a workout with all this bs about the draft and nukes.