I’m really quite pleased by the trend of politicians posting on blogs; I realize that those on the right will also be doing it, but the ones I’ve seen so far from the center-liberal side of things are refreshing — although I hesitate to use the term “left,” even for such worthies as Senator Feingold.
Case in point: today, Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Washington) posted to the diaries on MyDD a very good discussion of our military situation, and the relation between weak recruiting and a little-publicized but odious provision of the “No Child LeftBehind” Act:
Section 9528, an Orwellian provision that takes money away from any school that denies military recruiters equal status with colleges and prospective employers, plus access to students’ home phone numbers. “Go after the unsuspecting and innocent and those easily impressed” — that seems to be the plan.
Charlie Rangel faced a Korean wartime draft and saw combat. I faced a Vietnam wartime draft and served as a military psychiatrist — deciding which trauma cases got returned to duty status. In the debate leading to this war, we introduced H.R. 163, a bill authorizing a military draft.
I am the last person who wants to see Americans drafted. (We both voted against H.R. 163 later that year.) The whole point was to raise awareness and force the Administation to face this war’s open-ended cost.
It wasn’t until I saw his later points that I realized who he was. Kudos to Congressman McDermott for embracing the new medium, and I sincerely hope that other politicians will follow.
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