This bill was supposed to keep women from being drafted. It backfired.

Following the Pentagon's decision to open all combat positions to women, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) introduced a measure to require age-eligible women to register with Selective Service in the event of a draft. His goal was to show how allowing women in combat could lead to mandating women in combat, a result Hunter opposed, particularly if achieved without congressional input.

The amendment was designed as a negative object lesson — but then it passed. On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee adopted Hunter's proposal under a 32-30 vote, with Hunter himself voting against his bill.

"While you may be offering this as a gotcha amendment," said Rep. Jackie Speier, Hunter's Democratic colleague from California, "I would suggest that there's great merit in recognizing that each of us have an obligation to be willing to serve our country in a time of war."

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Polling indicates Americans are about evenly split on the question of drafting women, with older generations voicing more objections. However, fewer than three in 10 Americans believe there should be a draft at all, suggesting that making men ineligible to be drafted would be a more popular change than making women eligible.