WASHINGTON (AP) — The Selective Service System is making plans to test its draft machinery in case Congress and President Bush need it, even though the White House says it doesn't want to bring back the draft.
The service's director for operations and chief information officer, cautioned that the “readiness exercise” does not mean the agency is gearing up to resume the draft. “We're kind of like a fire extinguisher. We sit on a shelf,” Campbell told The Associated Press. “Unless the president and Congress get together and say, 'Turn the machine on' … we're still on the shelf.”
And a nice bit of spin control further down the article:
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson prompted speculation about the draft Thursday when he told reporters in New York that “society would benefit” if the U.S. were to bring back the draft. Later he issued a statement saying he does not support reinstituting a draft.
That fits in quite nicely with recent news that the US is thinking of granting citizenship to immigrants who join the army/navy/airforce. If you don't get killed in some useless political exercise that should never have been started in the first place, you get a green card. Sign me up, boyo… NOT!