Veterans React to McCain's Admission That He'll Need a Military Draft

By VoteVets.org | Press Release
PUBLISHED: August 20, 2008

WASHINGTON – Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans today reacted to John McCain’s statement that
he doesn’t disagree that we would need a military draft to do
everything he wants. At a town hall in Las Cruces, NM, a woman said
she could not see doing everything McCain wanted, and would not have
the troops under his plan to follow Osama bin Laden to the “gates of
hell” without a draft. In response, McCain said, “I don’t disagree with anything you said.” The video of that can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRMFwXGBMfI

Jon Soltz, Iraq War
Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org said, “At least Senator McCain is
being honest. A vote for him is a vote for the draft. Period. Unless
Senator McCain radically changes his worldview, there would be a draft
to implement his plans.”

Soltz added, “When
you take into account his indefinite military commitment to Iraq, his
desire to send more troops to Afghanistan, record lows in recruiting
and retention, and possibly more wars he is looking to get into, like
“Bomb Bomb Bomb” Iran, his numbers don’t add up without a draft.
Whether America likes it or not isn’t relevant – a draft is the only
way to do everything Senator McCain wants to do. I give him points for
being honest and upfront, though, that we’re going to need a draft if
he is elected.”

This isn’t the
first time that Senator McCain has hinted at a reinstitution of the
draft if he is elected. Asked on September 29, 2007 in New Hampshire
about the draft, McCain said he would, “consider it.”