Bush War Advisor Imperils His Own Job

As far as the Bush White House goes, If there's one thing the Iraq war discussion doesn't need right now it's talk about reinstating the draft, and yet the president's own war advisor has brought that option to light:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday.

"I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," Lute added in his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.

I'll bet he gets a pithy phone call from somebody above his pay grade. I can't imagine anything that would more quickly erode what support there is for the war than talk of bringing back the draft. We'd have the 60's all over again.

UPDATE 8/15: Pentagon says they're not considering a draft