In Iowa, Democratic Tom Harkin has called on President Bush to end what he calls the “backdoor draft.” Harkin’s call came after a Des Moines police officer who had already completed his eight year comittment was called up to serve in Iraq under the military’s “stop loss” exemption, which can extend duty in wartime.

Harkin also lashed out at Vice president Dick Cheney who last week accused Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry of lacking the basic understanding of the war on terrorism to protect Americans. Harkin said “When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil. Those of us who served and those of us who went in the military don’t like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and he wants to be tough. Yeah, he’ll be tough. He’ll be tough with somebody else’s blood, somebody else’s kids. But not when it was his turn to go.”