Okay, let’s go through this in order.
At the top of the list, we have Bill Clinton, the highest ranking recent official who evaded the draft. I don’t think any honest reading of his record wouldn’t conclude that.
Remember, his draft board deferred him only because he promised to join ROTC, which he never did.
I’ll list some more later, from both parties, being much more fair than Fear Itself, who seems to believe that cowardice resides only on the Republican side. 
Yes. Vietnam was a fucked-up war, and I don’t really blame anyone for dodging it, but I’m disappointed that some of those that did went on to get us into another fucked-up war.
I’m sorry if you think I’m a drive-by moron, but I think your opinions would be taken more seriously if you dialed back the spite a notch.
I think that is the rub. No one need apologise for doing what they could to avoid drafting into a war that was so plainly wrong.
It is a whole other kettle of fish to support the war and just bug out cos you didn’t fancy it (or had ‘other priorities’. Shit - everyone who fled the country had these. Like staying alive and in one piece) and then make a career out of beating the war drum and sending people off into another fucked-up from the off debacle.
Whether or not it meets a narrow definition of draft dodging is irrelevant. The fact is that the chickenhawks decided not to fight and in Bush’s case not to even take the risk of the draft. He secured himself a position where he wasn’t going to fight. And as for Cheney - the man’s excuse, such as it is, is risible.
A pig is a pig, even if it’s wearing lipstick and a frock.
Of all of the current Cabinet and Cabinet-rank officials, none are draft dodgers by Monty’s description.
So, now I’m wondering who the highest-ranking person in government is who did the Canada thing?
Of all of the current Supreme Court justices, none are draft dodgers by Monty’s definition.
Under the rules of the draft from 1948-1973, it would have been quite simple to age out of the draft by attending graduate school and getting an associated educational deferment. The men young enough to have been involved in such a draft attended law school, and were thus eligible for these deferments.
Since 1973, the law has been changed. Any new draft will provide educational deferments to allow for completion of the semester, or the academic year if the student is a senior. This will address questions of the impact of the draft on people with means.
No person who fled to Canada ever became prominent in government in the United States. Given the nature of politics here, that was the surest way to end your political career.
On the other side, though, Michael Hendricks, who was very active in Canadian politics as a gay rights activist, originally fled to Canada to avoid the Vietnam era draft.
Monty, would you consider a man who made himself eligible but drew a high lottery number and thus didn’t get called a draft dodger?
By the way, a very good friend of mine drew a low lottery number, went through his pre-draft physical and then joined the Army Reserve to get out of active service. He refers to himself as a draft dodger as did all of the guys in his unit who did the same thing.
High lottery number = not a draft dodger.
Honorably discharged veteran of the reserves or Guard = not a draft dodger.
IMHO, of course. But the thing for me is following the rules you’re obligated to follow. Nobody is forced to do more, though some obviously do.
Also, it should be noted, medical deferment = not a draft dodger. Those idiots on the right and left who take Rush Limbaugh and Howard Dean to task for this ought to keep their pieholes shut.
Limbaugh and Dean should be taken to task for things that matter. I can provide a list at any time.
Monty
You are arbitrarily setting the “draft dodger” standard by adhering strictly to the letter of the law. However, in the case of someone like John Engler (2 pounds overweight at his draft physical), isn’t there just a possible hint of a chance he was trying to avoid military service?
And who’s to say others won’t arbitrarily set the bar too low. I’ve seen the chickenhawk brush used against politicians too young to have been drafted. Their only “crime” was choosing not to volunteer for an all-volunteer force.
If the law is unfair, the law ought to be changed, as it has in the case of the academic deferments. If a politician hasn’t served, or shirked duty in some way, I think he ought to be held to account for it by voters who evaluate his character in other ways. However, I don’t think it would be fair to use this as the sole reason for voting against someone, and I think applying these standards in a partisan way (like in the above list) is transparantly wrong.
I think most people on these boards would agree with the above paragraph. It seems to me the only fair way of looking at things.
Wait you missed Powell on your list. Except he was the voice of reason in a war mongering admin. What does that say ?
I was misinformed. Is that the only error you could find?
Not at all. I said it was a partial list. I would like to see if the list you produce is more even-handed than mine.
You have to be kidding. “Did not serve” ≠ “Draft dodger”. But you already knew that… And I’m sure it’s just an accident that there are no Democrats on your “did not serve” list. :rolleyes:
Rick Santorum was born in 1958, making him too young for the draft as well.
Jeb Bush registered for the draft, but it was being phased out as he became eligible for it.
Tell you what, instead of me checking your error-ridden list, why don’t you come up with a better researched one?
I said it was only a partial list. Feel free to fill in the gaps with all the Democrats who chose not to serve.
Monty,
of course this is your thread and you can set the parameters.
Nevertheless, I’d like to compare Prince Harry (third in line to the UK throne) with President Bush.
As I understand it, Bush served in a local Air Force training unit thus making sure he didn’t see combat.
Prince Harry is off to Iraq as a tank commander:
Harry has always been determined to see action on the front line. “The last thing I said was there’s no way I’m going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my a*** back home while my boys are out fighting for their country,”
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22022007/344/prince-harry-join-troops-iraq.html
Draft dodging is a serious charge. I don’t take it lightly. And I don’t level it against people who don’t really deserve it, by skirting the rules or fleeing their responsibilities or the country.
In my opinion Bill Clinton qualifies because he lied to his draft board about joining ROTC. Precious few other politicians have done anything quite like that. They did other things like get deferments or join Guard units - not heroic, certainly, but legal and within the rules.
I’ll not dignify your list by witchhunting Democrats who have done similar things. It would be an act of character assassination as bad as what you have done.
When did he lie to his draft board about joining ROTC? He was accepted into ROTC (causing the draft board to reclassify him as 1-D, and then, before he was supposed to start ROTC, dropped out of it and asked the draft board to reclassify him 1-A.