[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
PoliticsOL.comDaily Briefing
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Graham Favors Mandatory National Service Program
Saying that "maybe it's time for us all to take turns standing on the wall," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said last night that he will work with Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) to enact a "hybrid" mandatory national service program.
Rangel introduced legislation last week to require compulsory military service by men and women after they turn eighteen. Graham made his comments on Hardball with Chris Matthews.
"The idea that a lot of people are unconnected with the consequences of sending people overseas based on income or race, even the perception that that's real, bothers me," Graham told Matthews.
Differing with Rangel, however, Graham noted that such a national service program does not have to be limited to solely military service, but could include service in the health care sector, border patrol and homeland security fields.
Graham, who was elected last November to replace the retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC), served in the U.S. Air Force as a prosecutor and judge advocate. As a reservist, he was called up to active duty and served stateside during the Persian Gulf War. He was elected to the House in 1994.
Articles published for January 15, 2003 Articles older than 30 days available to members only. Sign up for a free trial!
WASHINGTON - Trying to head off a proposal to reinstate the military draft, the Pentagon on Monday disputed charges that blacks and poorer Americans bear an unfair burden in fighting the country's wars. "Contrary to myth, data show that the enlisted force is quite representative of the civilian population," the Defense Department said in an 11-page paper arguing the merits of the all-volunteer force that has been in place for nearly 30 years. The position paper was in response to a proposal by...
Jan 14, 2003 - Bradenton Herald (from the web) (446 words)
A partisan fight over reorganization of the Senate spilled onto the Senate floor last night, with Republican leaders demanding greater control over committee assignments, financing and office space, and Democrats insisting that they retain their chairmanships until they get what they view as an equitable power-sharing arrangement. A casualty of the dispute was the confirmation hearing for Tom ...
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the president's plan to eliminate corporate dividends will have little or no effect on aiding the nation's economy. "I would not have done it," he said. O'Neill, speaking out for the first time since being forced from his post, said money from the president's $674 billion tax-cut plan would be better spent on Social Security.
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, a Democrat from Harlem, wants you for the U.S. Army. Actually, what he and his longtime colleague, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., desire is reinstatement of the draft. And the campaign is on: Over the weekend after new year's, Rangel made the rounds of the TV chat shows, published an op- ed piece in the New York Times, and this past week he and Congressman ...
Jan 13, 2003 - Knight Ridder Tribune News Service (851 words)
FLORIDA WAS A geological afterthought, the last portion of the contiguous 48 states to emerge from the sea. Florida Sen. Bob Graham's probable quest for the Democratic presidential nomination emerges from his emphatic thought that President Bush's conduct of the war on terror is dangerously tentative. Graham's astringent criticism places him, alone among Democratic presidential aspirants, well to ...
WASHINGTON - Already, New Jersey Sen. Jon S. Corzine has had one nugget of welcome news in his uphill battle to lead the Democrats to majority status in the Senate. Sen. Tom Daschle's decision to seek a fourth term in the Senate, rather than run for president, means South Dakota is one less potential battleground where Democrats will need to find a strong candidate.
Jan 12, 2003 - Record, Northern New Jersey (429 words)
Sen. Susan Collins learned a harsh lesson last week on the allocation of scarce resources. The Maine Republican had to give up a committee assignment that resulted in some of her most prominent accomplishments in recent years after she rose to chair another committee. It was hardly a trade-off. She now heads the influential Governmental Affairs Committee, which is overseeing creation of the ...
On Tuesday, I introduced legislation in Congress to reinstitute the military draft. In brief, my bill would establish a system in which all American men and women, as well as legal permanent residents, ages 18 to 26, would be subject to military or alternative civilian service. The president would determine the numbers needed and the means of selection. Deferments would be limited to those ...
Jan 10, 2003 - Knight Ridder Tribune News Service (568 words)
Philip Roberto is a consultant and speaker on how grassroots organizations can enhance their advocacy efforts through the Internet. Sign up to receive his FREE valuable e-book on E-Activism at: http://www.politicsol.com/ebook.html
Graham Favors Mandatory National Service Program