In response to the letter, “No, not another draft” (BDN, May 15) I find it unconscionable that Patti Dowse would deliberately write such a misleading letter. Dowse would have us believe that the Bush administration is attempting to reinstate the draft.

The following are the facts regarding the legislation in question:

There have been two bills introduced into Congress to reinstate the draft, Senate Bill S-89, was introduced on Jan. 7, 2003, by Sen. Ernest Holling, D-S.C. There are no co-sponsors on record in the Senate.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., introduced House of Representatives Bill HR-163 on Jan. 7, 2003. There are 13 co-sponsors on record in the House.

Both of these bills have been referred to committee and will probably die there. There have been no additional co-sponsors to either bill since Jan. 28, 2003.

All members of the House of Representatives associated with this bill are members of the Progressive Caucus, which is closely aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. President George W. Bush is a Republican. If he had any desire to reinstate the draft, I feel quite certain he would have called upon a somewhat more conservative group within the Congress to write the enabling legislation.

I can agree with Dowse about one thing. Carefully consider this when voting in November, especially the propensity of the liberal left to only tell the parts of the story that best suits their cause.

Sidney Sinclair

Orono