The Huffington Post has published another “blog post” from Rep. John Murtha, indicating (again) his support for re-instating the draft:
The political ends of Congressional Democrats are best served by creating the impression that the U.S. military is at the breaking point. It weakens support for the Iraq effort and for deployment of the military generally. As to whether it’s true, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Richard Myers stated in a conference call yesterday that while there are “dangers,” and that expanded funding is needed, much alarmist rhetoric constitutes “hyperbole.” He said that while we must be careful, the United States has a “better force” than it did on September 11. If Murtha really believes that we need a larger military–which we do–what’s the appropriate policy response? Well, today’s all-volunteer force is dramatically smaller than it has been in the past, and the military has been successful in meeting recruitment targets–so it should be possible to significantly expand manpower without actually resorting to a draft. Plus, the last time the House voted on it–less than three years ago–the draft was defeated handily. A true advocate of a larger military would probably find it more effective to push for expanded funding for recruitment and salaries–and everything else that supports a larger force–as this magazine has repeatedly done. What’s the first step? Well, Murtha could quickly take measures to increase the size of the force, if only he could get the support of the Democratic leader who oversees military spending. (Note: If you’re interested, I’ve written before on the Democratic drumbeat to bring back the draft).
