Out of the hundreds of conservatives hunted down by the Biden DOJ, social media influencer and shitposter extraordinaire Douglass Mackey's case was particularly absurd.
During the 2016 election, Mackey promoted internet memes suggesting that people could vote through text messages (as opposed to unsecured dropboxes) - and of course, something a Hillary supporter was not prosecuted for.
Less than a week after Biden took office, the DOJ charged him with participating in a 'voter disinformation campaign,' and convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of New York in front of an Obama judge.
Mackey also pushed a meme which originated on 4chan, a #DraftOurDaughters hashtag that implied Hillary Clinton would draft women into the military. The meme featured heavily in Mackey's trial - which is currently in limbo as his case is under appeal.
For example:
Another meme becomes reality?
Now, Senate Democrats Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have come under fire for doing just that - having added language to the annual defense authorization bill to require women to register for the draft.
The obviously satirical, obviously political "Draft Our Daughters" meme featured heavily in my case as evidence against me.
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) June 15, 2024
It was obviously political commentary on Hillary Clinton's position to force women to register for Selective Service, which is now coming true. https://t.co/y3MgLavdQs
"There shouldn’t be women in the draft. They shouldn’t be forced to serve if they don’t want to," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) during an appearance on Fox News, calling the provision "insane."
Hawley previously led efforts to strip language requiring women to register for the draft from the defense authorization bill in 2021 and 2022, The Hill reports.
Meanwhile, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has vowed to try and strip the language out of the bill.
"I’m opposed to that. I don’t think this is the time to get into a debate on the floor of either house about that. We’re not anywhere near implementing a draft, and to me it’s a distraction when we need to be talking about real issues that are immediate," he said, adding "I hope it will fall out, either on the floor or in conference."
On Wednesday, conservative advocacy group Advancing American Freedom wrote a letter to Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) which declared that "the notion of the United States of America requiring women to register to fight our wars is simply untenable and must be opposed at all costs."
Except, McConnell wants more meat for the grinder:
Senate Republicans are already raising doubts about whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will even bring the bill to the floor anytime soon, given the dwindling number of days on the legislative calendar before the election.
“I do hope we get to the floor. It’s very important we have this debate publicly … I hear rumblings that the Democratic leader may not bring it to the floor. I hope that can be reversed,” Wicker said.
McConnell on Monday urged Schumer to bring the defense bill to the floor “without delay.” -The Hill
Democrats Defend
The chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed (D-RI), defended the proposed policy change - arguing that women can hold many warfighting positions without serving on the front lines.
"Women are doing a remarkable job in our forces today, and if we were in a situation requiring a draft, I think we would need all able-bodied citizens 18 and above," he said.
"If we go to a draft, that means we’re in a serious, serious situation," he added.
"It’s not like World War II where we need a lot of infantry. We need cyber experts, we need intelligence analysts, linguists, etc. Wait a second, there are a lot of women out there that can do this better than men," Reed continued.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Sam Brown who is running against Rosen has turned this into a campaign issue. Brown, an Army combat veteran who was severely burned by an IED explosion, slammed Rosen for requiring women to sign up for the draft.
"Look at my face. This is the high cost of war," he posted on X.
Look at my face. This is the high cost of war.
— Sam Brown (@CaptainSamBrown) June 15, 2024
Amy and I volunteered to serve, and we honor all who serve. But forcing America’s daughters to register for the draft is UNACCEPTABLE.
Shame on Jacky Rosen. pic.twitter.com/Myry82U2cl
Of note, if the provision passes as written, women with a penis would no longer have a loophole.
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