Does McCain Favor a Draft? Nope.

Liberals are having a conniption over Sen. John McCain's purported endorsement of a draft today.

In Las Crucas, New Mexico, a woman asked McCain about the "horrible conditions" that veterans often see when return from combat. Here's the last few sentences:

My son is an officer in the Air Force, I'm a vet., and I was raised in a military family.  And I think it's a sorry state of affairs.  When we have illegal aliens; having a medic-aid card that can access specialists, top physicians, the best of medical, and our vets can't even get to a doctor.  And these are the people that we tied yellow ribbons for and Bush patted on the back.  If we don't re-enact the draft, I don't think we'll have anyone to chase Bin Laden to the gates of Hell. 

His critics focus on the first sentence:

SEN JOHN MCCAIN: Ma'am let me say that I don't disagree with anything you have said, and thank you. 

So he agrees that unless there's a draft, the war on terror can't be won?

Not exactly.  I've heard McCain tell numerous audiences that he opposes a new draft. As the context makes clear, McCain is focusing on the meat of the question and not the woman's exclamation at the end. Unless you think McCain privately favors the draft and let the cat out of the bag, you're going to have reach to conclude that he's radically changed his mind here.

McCain: I'm grateful for all of our veterans.  I carry with me quite often a quote from General George Washington in 1789.  He said, "The willingness with which young Americans will serve their country in future wars is directly related to the treatment of those who have previously served and sacrificed in conflict."  He was right in 1789 and he's right today. 

All too often our veterans do not receive the care that they have earned, and the scandal of Walter Reed is a blot on the honor of the United States of America and we can never let it happen again. 

Now here's what.. I'll make this as short as possible, our veterans have earned our highest priority.  And  yet we know that there is also routine health care needs that veterans have that in my view, they should not have to go to the VA to receive.  OK? 

We have tragically and unfortunately in this war a dramatic...well, we're going to have a lot of PTSD.  We also have severe combat injuries.  Because thank God, we're able to get the wounded from the battle field to medical treatment more quickly than any time in history.  That puts an increased burden on our medical, military medical care, as well as our VA. 

So, you mentioned Albuquerque VA I believe.  I could take you to Albuquerque VA or the Phoenix VA quite often and the waiting room is crowded, the veterans are standing in line to stand in line to get an appointment to get an appointment.  That's not the fault of the people that work there.  The people that work there are some of the finest in the World.  It's just that they're overloaded. 

So we have to focus our attention, expand our capability to treat PTSD, combat related injuries, brain injuries, etc. that we're best at.  And for a veteran with a routine health care need, why shouldn't we give that veteran a card and take it to the health care provider; or the doctor of their choice and get the routine health care that they need.

That's what...and that way we could utilize the VA and the medical, the military medical, system to it's greatest affect.  And also relieve this burden.  I don't ever again want to have a veteran stand in line to stand in line to get an appointment to get an appointment.  That's not...that's just not acceptable in America.  And again, I do praise the people that work there.  They're some of the most dedicated people I've ever known in my life.  The problem is that there's just not enough of them. 

Watch the video here.