I don't believe in the draft. I don't believe it's good for the country, and I don't believe it fits within our country's mythology of freedom or fairness. And I don't believe it's a good anvil to pound for responsibility in choosing our military efforts.
So I think Charlie Rangel is completely misguided in this effort to pound the anvil. Either he actually believes that the country needs a military draft, or he believes that the prospect of a draft will change the way people see our military choices because he doesn't believe the country wants a draft. I think this is a fire the Democrats should not even consider playing with, because I don't see this as a wedge issue. There are other forces at play, and it should be this simple: if you believe there should be a military draft, period, at all times, then support the idea. Otherwise, oppose it.