John Edwards 2008: What’s not to like

Of course, Edwards himself hasn’t always been forthright about his own military record - or rather, lack thereof.

In April, NBC “Today Show” host Katie Couric asked him where he was during Vietnam. The exchange went like this:

COURIC: Your military service, before we go?

EDWARDS: I - I did not serve in the military.

COURIC: You had a high lottery number, is that right?

EDWARDS: I did, and I came after - after the time that they were actually drafting from the lottery, Katie. I’m 50 years old. And because at the time I came along and graduated from high school and then - and then went to college, I was not drafted. [END OF EXCERPT]

A high lottery number? Not exactly. Pulling number 178 in the February 1972 Selective Service lottery drawing, Edwards’ number was lower than more than half of those picked.

And what about the claim that he “came after the time that they were actually drafting from the lottery.”

That’s not strictly true either. The year Edwards became eligible for the draft, the military drafted 49,514 men, according to Selective Service records - tapping draftees who had lottery numbers as high as 95. The draft was abolished in July 1973.

But even that year, 646 young men born the same year as Edwards were inducted into the military.

Newsmax, 8/24/04
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/24/130440.shtml

Raised a strict Baptist, John showed little sign in college that he would become a politician. He skipped most anti-Vietnam protests, and missed being drafted because he drew a high lottery number and the war ended before he was called up.

”John was very conservative,” said his college roommate, Bill Garner, a textile company executive. ”I had long hair and a beard and was into the antiwar marches and stuff, but John never participated in that.”

New York Times 1/12/04
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E6DD1530F931A25752C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print