"The process by which this was brought to the floor, with [Republicans] knowing full well that it was going to fail, clearly demonstrates that they are trying to quash rumors before the election that the draft might be reinstated," Goodman said.
But Bush has been steadfast in saying there is no need for a draft, either before or after the election.
"We will not have a draft so long as I'm the president of the United States," Bush said while in Iowa earlier this week, saying that among other deficiencies, a draft cannot provide specialized forces.
One group particularly vocal about the possibility of a draft has been the non-partisan youth voter registration organization Rock the Vote.
Jay Strell, communications director for Rock the Vote, said the youth organization is not propagating rumors of the draft, but is simply trying to open a dialogue about it with young people. He described the hastily scheduled House vote as "absurd" and said both major party candidates have skirted an issue that potentially affects millions of college students.
"The fact of the matter is neither candidate is talking about this," Strell said. "The remarkable thing about the debate last week was that with all the talk about Iraq and Iran and North Korea, nobody mentioned the draft."
Spring Break
