Read my lips -- no new draftes!

On Monday, President Bush promised voters in Iowa, "We will not have a draft so long as I am president of the United States."

What did he mean? Certainly, it was more than "Under current circumstances, I do not intend to have adraft." The promise sounds more like, "No matter what, we will not have a draft."

Is this really sound public policy? Aren't there some circumstances where it would be appropriate to have a draft? We needed a draft back in WWI and there was broad public support for that war. Can we really be so sure that we will not need one for what young people consider to be an unpopular war.

Or to put it another way.... Bush criticized Kerry for giving other countries a veto on when the U.S. goes to war. But Bush turns around and gives 18 and 19 year olds a veto on our ability to wage war.

Kerry certainly isn't going to call him on this. He isn't going to say, "Well, actually I can imagine instances where a draft would be appropriate."

But Bush is leading a race to the bottom here. At the next debate it might be appropriate to ask the President, "Since you're so sure that we will not have a draft, do you support repealing the requirement that 18 year olds register for the selective service system?"