Badnarik campaign challenges another Democrat about conscription

Libertarian campaign response to Congressman Tom Udall's (D-N.M.) pro-draft statement.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) August 7, 2004 -- Rhetoric regarding military conscription is increasing in tempo as the nation draws nearer to the presidential election. Today, staffers at the Badnarik/Campagna 2004 headquarters were informed that Congressman Tom Udall (D-N.M.) was on television issuing a statement about the military draft.

Badnarik staff researcher Rock Howard placed a call to the Albuquerque NBC affiliate to confirm the quote. From the KOB-TV assignment desk, Ryan Crow verified that Udall said, We may have to re-institute a draft if reenlistments fall off and you have the pattern we are falling into right now."

When asked how he felt about Udalls statement, Howard responded, This is yet another case where the Democrats and the Republicans seem to see the draft as a foregone conclusion. Our only hope to get out of this situation is to vote for the Libertarian Party."

Udall joins a growing list of politicians of both major parties making statements which are somewhat supportive of the military draft or other forms of mandatory national service. Others on this list include Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Senator Ernest Hollings (D - S.C.), and Congressman Henry Rangel (D-N.Y.).

While Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik, on the campaign trail in north Florida, was unavailable for immediate comment, campaign spokesperson Stephen Gordon prepared a brief statement on his behalf. He [Badnarik already stated his position on the draft most eloquently with 'Imagine! People are not volunteering to go to foreign countries and die the way they used to! Imagine that!"

To expound on Badnariks statement, he continued, One of the key issues upon which the Libertarian Party was founded thirty-some-odd years ago was opposition to conscription. Then, like today, both major parties seemed to support it. In 1968, the Democrats also proved themselves to be in favor of military adventurism, an issue on which Kerry so proudly runs today. With Bush and Kerry arguing about who will be the most aggressive war president, it is plain to see that our children will be ones to suffer the fallout of their political battles."

In a Rasmussen poll of likely voters from New Mexico released yesterday, Kerry led with 50 percent of the vote, with Bush at 43 percent and Badnarik at five percent. Independent candidate Ralph Nader is not on the ballot in New Mexico. Badnarik will be campaigning in New Mexico from August 8 to August 13, 2004.

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