A bill to reinstate the military draft, introduced by Democrat Charles Rangel and now used by Democrats to smear the RNC, has been overwhelmingly rejected by the House of Representatives: House Opposes Military Draft Bill. (Hat tip: Rayra.)

WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against a bill to reinstate the military draft, a tool that had been used by Democrats to point out the inherent inequality of volunteer service.

The House voted 2-402 against suspending the debate and moving toward passage, meaning that the bill could be debated in perpetuity. The procedural motion is an action that prompts the sponsor of the legislation to pull it out of consideration.

Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., introduced the legislation in January 2003 in an effort to highlight what he saw as an ill-prepared and ill-advised Iraq policy. Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, D-S.C., pushed a similar bill in the Senate.

The legislation in both chambers declares that it is the obligation of every U.S. citizen and resident between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a two-year period of national service.

GOP leaders said that Rangel and Hollings introduced the bills with the sole intent of scaring people in an election season.

“This campaign is a baseless and malevolent concoction of the Democrat Party, and everyone in this chamber knows it. It has one purpose — to spread fear. To spread fear among an unsuspecting public, to undermine the War on Terror, to undermine our troops, to undermine our cause, and most of all, to undermine our commander in chief in an election year,” said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

Think this will stop the Democrats’ campaign to scare young Americans, using a draft bill they themselves introduced?

I doubt it.