UPDATED: Rangel to reinstate draft?

Don't look at me, America...you voted for these guys. From the Washington comPost:

Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Sunday he sees his idea as a way to deter politicians from launching wars and to bolster U.S. troop levels insufficient to cover potential future action in Iran, North Korea and Iraq.

"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," Rangel said.

Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose a measure early next year.

In 2003, he proposed a measure covering people age 18 to 26. This year, he offered a plan to mandate military service for men and women between age 18 and 42; it went nowhere in the Republican-led Congress.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the left oppose the draft during the Vietnam era? Considering that the left refers to Iraq as "Bush's Vietnam", I find it curious that they would now support something they once opposed so vehemently.

To be fair, I don't know if a majority of leftists feel that way (though a sizeable minority of them do):

Repeated polls have shown that about seven in 10 Americans oppose reinstatement of the draft and officials say they do not expect to restart conscription.

So Rangel, never having to fear electoral defeat, thinks that his party will benefit by pursuing an agenda that repulses 70% of America? If there are many more stupid attempts at unpopular legislation like this, my prediction that the House Dems will rule for more than two years may be incorrect.

By the way, "Gang of 14" turncoat Lindsey Graham (RINO-SC) is on board with Rangel here:

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, said he agreed that the U.S. does not have enough people in the military.

"I think we can do this with an all-voluntary service, all-voluntary Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. And if we can't, then we'll look for some other option," said Graham, who is assigned as a reserve judge to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.
...
Graham said he believes the all-voluntary military "represents the country pretty well in terms of ethnic makeup, economic background."

What, are we now measuring success of our armed forces in terms of affirmative action? Un-freakin'-believable.

UPDATE (11/20/06 - 01:49 p.m. EST): As Texas Rainmaker observes, wasn't it the left who propogated fears that if Bush were re-elected in 2004, that Bush (and not House Democrats) would reinstate the draft? In light of Rangel's idea, it's time to call out these lying, two-faced, hypocritical shameless sonsabitches on their dishonesty.