About Contact Archives RSS Columns Photos

Video: David Obey said what?

By Michelle Malkin  •  November 5, 2007 08:33 PM

Update: Don Surber’s take:

“Running out of people to kill” is also called victory.

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.

***
The news that thousands of Iraqis have returned home to a safer capital in the wake of the surge seems to have deepened the derangement of some unhinged Dems. Searching for an explanation of the post-surge drop in violence, Democrat Rep. David Obey came up with a nutroots-certified doozy: “They [he means our American troops*..SEE UPDATE BELOW] are running out of people to kill.” Maybe he read it on the Daily Kos:

Amanda Carpenter at Townhall.com reports:

The man who controls the House purse strings to fund the war in Iraq said the President’s “surge” was showing recent signs of success because U.S. soldiers have “run out of people to kill.”

“One of the reason we’ve had incidents of violence, sectarian violence go down is because they are running out of people to kill,” said the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Rep. David Obey (D.-Wisc.) at a National Press Club luncheon Monday afternoon.

“They’ve killed so many in so many areas, that there are fewer opportunity targets, if you want to put it that way, for each side,” Obey said. “I welcome any reduction in the level in violence for whatever reasons it occurs, but I don’t think that tells us much for what the future is going to be.”

Obey’s remarks were prompted by a question that asked, “Some Republicans say the casualties are going down in Iraq, there seems to be signs the surge is working. Do you think that is true?”

I repeat: “One of the reason we’ve had incidents of violence, sectarian violence go down is because they are running out of people to kill.”

Way to support the troops, Rep. Obey.

***

*UPDATE: Some commenters think Obey is talking about sectarian militias, as opposed to our troops. I think that’s a reasonable interpretation. However, the idea that “they,” whichever “they” Obey is referring to, have “run out of people to kill,” is still inexplicably bizarre.

See what others have said

Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.

Trackbacks

  1. JammieWearingFool
  2. Don Surber » Blog Archive » Congressman: We’re ‘running out of people to kill’
  3.   TLF: David Obey Actual Uses The Word “Moral” — Pirate’s Cove
  4. Hot Air » Blog Archive » Audio: Hoyer credits surge with quelling violence in Iraq
  5. Hoyer Says Surge Responsible for Slide in Violence : The American Pundit

Trackback URL

Comments

  1. #1
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:42 pm, Gabe said:

    They [he means our American troops] are running out of people to kill.”

    Sounds like sour grapes. The Democrats so badly wanted us and the Iraqis to be defeated by Al Qaeda in Iraq. They gleefully reported every soldier’s death in order to make us withdraw, so they could say we were defeated and humiliated.

    Yet the surge has been a rousing success.

  2. #2
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:45 pm, ajmontana said:

    TB’n Crapweasel.

  3. #3
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:46 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Yet the surge has been a rousing success.

    Gabe, nothing is so depressing to them as success.

  4. #4
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:47 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Running out of dogs to run over he might also have added.

  5. #5
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:49 pm, AniMEL said:

    I have an image in my head of a five-year-old in an oversized suit, his little fists balled up, stamping is feet and screaming, “I won’t believe it! I won’t, I won’t, I WON’T!”

    Honestly, dude…that ain’t funny. You’re calling our troops baby killers. I’ve lost two of my friends to this war, four have come home with life-altering injuries, and many others will never be the same, including my little brother. I don’t take kindly to Democrap mudslinging when it comes to our troops.

    But will he be censured? Hell, no. That’d be politically incorrect.

  6. #6
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:51 pm, reverenddon said:

    Hi!

    I’m sorry, I disagree with your interpretation. What I hear Obey say was that the Iraqis (Sunia/Shia) have done the killings not the US troops.

  7. #7
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:54 pm, Gabe said:

    AlohaGuy,

    I’ve noticed that too. There are almost no stories about the success of the surge in the media.

    Now that they can’t happily report the deaths, there is story after story about the “cost” (as if they ever cared about fiscal responsibility) and desperate stories such as the “displacement of Iraqis.” Never any positive stories about our troops.

    They have become so transparently anti-American.

  8. #8
    On November 5th, 2007 at 8:58 pm, purplepeep said:

    “One of the reason we’ve had incidents of violence, sectarian violence go down is because they are running out of people to kill.”

    Or is it that this Liberal Idiot In Chief’s way of saying the troops have gotten rid of most the bad guys?

    Whatever, he’s still a weenie.

  9. #9
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:01 pm, 29Victor said:

    Bas-tard.

  10. #10
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:06 pm, right_on said:

    You’d think Obey would be happy that whomever is running out of Al Qaeda targets…oops, I forgot, there are/is never were al Qaeda in Iraq!

  11. #11
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:10 pm, Marshall Russ said:

    I don’t remember any of these loons saying before the war that Saddam was running out of children to through into prison. Or running out of Kurd’s to gas. Or Shiites to through into shredders. Or…….
    What a dope!

  12. #12
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:13 pm, Salamantis said:

    After listening to the video a few times, I think that there is a chance that Obey is referring to the sectarian militias running out of people to kill in ethnically cleansed enclaves.

  13. #13
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:26 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

    This one’s for you Feebs:

    Taze that fool.

    I feel better now.

  14. #14
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:28 pm, LC said:

    I can’t think of anything nice to say to about Rep. David Obey, so I just won’t say anything at all. :)

  15. #15
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:29 pm, skye said:

    When is Obey up for re-election???

  16. #16
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:32 pm, right_on said:

    Salamantis said:
    After listening to the video a few times, I think that there is a chance that Obey is referring to the sectarian militias running out of people to kill in ethnically cleansed enclaves.

    If that were true, then Obey would still be wrong. When there is “nobody left to kill” would mean “zero” population. Since when did either radical side need a reason to target anyone? Although murder/kidnappings happened with frequency, the majority of the homicides were/are due to indiscrimiate car/market/mosque bombings. There are still lots of cars, open-air markets, and mosques with people populating each, unless the videos I’ve seen lately have been fabricated…

  17. #17
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:33 pm, mnmike said:

    Moron

  18. #18
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:38 pm, Crazy Horse said:

    How is a person such as Obey is in a position of goverment influence, being in the House??

    What is wrong with this person(man would be to generous) on the Iraq war other than being a Demorat. Wasn’t he the same one that cussed at some Pinkos about the war funding?

    And now this, what ever happened to the alien and sedition act??

  19. #19
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:41 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

    what ever happened to the alien and sedition act??

    Did you miss the (D)? That act does not apply to donks or the NYT.

  20. #20
    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:54 pm, ajmontana said:

    Can we just put opie in a ravens uniform, the steelers would eat their young tonight.

  21. #21
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:07 pm, drfredc said:

    Hmmm. Obey doesn’t seem to need anyone pointing out that he’s making a fool of himself.

    He seems to be doing fine, all on his own…

  22. #22
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:08 pm, puhiawa said:

    The man is deranged. But we already knew he had “issues”. To think this silly simpleton has any say in our nations governance is very scary.

  23. #23
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:09 pm, jegjr said:

    But if we were the Left, it really wouldn’t matter what he meant to say, when he said “they”. We could just say that he meant the troops, even if we knew that he didn’t! Isn’t that how they do it?

  24. #24
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:17 pm, Defector01 said:

    What a schmuck

  25. #25
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:34 pm, thegreatbeast said:

    This is just another instance of you people not following Obey’s logic… sarc/off

  26. #26
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:36 pm, DesertLover said:

    Obey must be getting used to chewing on his foot because it has not been out of his mouth for a long time … they just cannot handle the truth that we are starting to turn the corner in Iraq and that they are going to get to reap the rewards of their investment in defeat … we must make sure that fact remains in the eyes and ears of our fellow American voters … otherwise the Dems will take Hillary’s broom and sweep it under the rug …

  27. #27
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:38 pm, swj719AWG said:

    “One of the reason we’ve had incidents of violence, sectarian violence go down is because they are running out of people to kill.”

    One posted said that Obey might be commenting on the “insurgents” running out of targets, but I think he was, in fact, refering to our (and the Iraqi) troops.

    But in a sense, he’s right.

    I mean, when you kill or capture the bad guys, you start to run out of bad guys to kill or capture. Thus “running out of people” is - technically - a correct statement.

  28. #28
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:43 pm, HeatherRadish said:

    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:38 pm, Crazy Horse said:

    How is a person such as Obey is in a position of goverment influence, being in the House??

    He represents the socialist state of Wisconsin. *shrug* They’re all insane up here.

  29. #29
    On November 5th, 2007 at 10:52 pm, 29Victor said:

    I wonder if he will wind up being tonights “worst person in the world.”

  30. #30
    On November 5th, 2007 at 11:02 pm, John Ansell said:

    I think we can officially change his name to “OH BOY” I said what? Do liberals even think before the say stupid stuff like that?

  31. #31
    On November 5th, 2007 at 11:19 pm, shooter said:

    On November 5th, 2007 at 9:32 pm, right_on said:
    the majority of the homicides were/are due to indiscrimi(n)ate car/market/mosque bombings.

    EXACTLY.
    The bad guys/terrorists/insurgents/youths/etc. have been killing anyone and everyone. There are plenty of innocent lives left to kill, millions actually.
    Obey had to mean our troops, HAD TO.

  32. #32
    On November 6th, 2007 at 12:59 am, nbarry said:

    This man ought to loosen his wallet and hire a speechwriter.

  33. #33
    On November 6th, 2007 at 2:05 am, palladin said:

    Sayng the same thing but in a different light: “We have eliminated most of the trouble makers”

  34. #34
    On November 6th, 2007 at 2:57 am, allrsn said:

    Did you notice all his blinking and tense voice?????????? lmao scripted

  35. #35
    On November 6th, 2007 at 2:59 am, allrsn said:

    #26
    we must make sure that fact remains in the eyes and ears of our fellow American voters

    Bingo desert!

  36. #36
    On November 6th, 2007 at 5:51 am, Sergeant Tim said:

    You all are reading David Obey’s remarks wrong; that was his inner hawk speaking. Davy boy was just disappointed.

    After amassing all those troops and coming up with a plan that would work, there they were with all that ammo and next thing you know they are out of targets. Don’t you just hate it when a plan comes together?

  37. #37
    On November 6th, 2007 at 6:25 am, ProudGulfWarVet65 said:

    Yeah, really, Sergeant Tim…

    It’s scandalously late for me, so I haven’t read through the comment thread (Monday, Monday…); someone may have already made this point, but…

    Obey’s remarks were prompted by a question that asked, “Some Republicans say the casualties are going down in Iraq, there seems to be signs the surge is working. Do you think that is true?”

    If the referent is “surge”, any claim that the jerk was referring to “militias” is about as weak an attempt at damage-control as I can conceive of-the “militias” have over 19 million people to kill. Methinks M’sieur Obey (aren’t they all French, at heart?) is disappointed.

    As damage-control goes, bizarre indeed…but when you really think about it, what alternative did he have?

  38. #38
    On November 6th, 2007 at 6:45 am, ArmoredCAV said:

    I am sitting in Iraq right now, and the fact of the matter is, we have run out of people to kill. In Anbar province, we ran out several months ago, actually. Now our focus is on civil affairs projects and such. I can’t see the vid, and don’t really care what this knucklehead has to say.

  39. #39
    On November 6th, 2007 at 7:12 am, ajmontana said:

    I’m thinkin it was Rosie in a David Obey costume.

  40. #40
    On November 6th, 2007 at 8:44 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    Go Steelers!!

  41. #41
    On November 6th, 2007 at 8:46 am, 30 pcs of silver said:

    Armored Cav, stay safe.

    God Bless you.

  42. #42
    On November 6th, 2007 at 8:58 am, hatelibs said:

    He and the rest of the treasonous left cannot bring themselves to acknowledge success or give credit to our troups. They are invested in defeat, do NOT support the troups, and absolutely make me sick!
    What’s good for the country is not good for democraps and they know it.
    God bless our men and women in uniform!

  43. #43
    On November 6th, 2007 at 8:59 am, Hoodlumman said:

    Put me in the camp that he’s not smearing the troops but he’s giving a moronic reason regarding the Sunni/Shia violence.

    Running out of people to kill, David? Don’t be a douchebag - it’s very unbecoming of an elected Representative.

  44. #44
    On November 6th, 2007 at 9:19 am, hatelibs said:

    ” Don’t be a douchebag - it’s very unbecoming of an elected Representative.”

    Definition of a Democrat!

  45. #45
    On November 6th, 2007 at 9:31 am, meatpieandtatters said:

    Obeywan Liberalnome is a twit of the first order. These prattling idiots just spew whatever comes into their sub-humanoid brain stem and this is the result.

  46. #46
    On November 6th, 2007 at 9:34 am, JoeS said:

    “We are running out of people to kill. We are running out of heads to enjoy exploding.”

    I wish the democrats were running out of stupid things to say. These people need to be out of power.

    The Republicans need to get out of the corruption business and get back into building a strong America.

  47. #47
    On November 6th, 2007 at 10:08 am, max said:

    “running out of people to kill”

    um, in what kind of bizarro world does that not mean closing in on victory in a war? (answer: liberal candyland)

    man what a nincompoop…

  48. #48
    On November 6th, 2007 at 10:24 am, Melvin_Udall said:

    He is clearly talking about the sectarian militias.

    However, this is still blatant double talk from the Left. First the probelm is our soldiers dying. When that goes down it’s Iraqis dying. When that goes down it’s because they’ve run out of people to kill, but the real problem is actually the politics.

    The Democrat position on Iraq gives me motion sickness. The only fixed point for them is the desperate desire for failure. They’ll weave all over the road like Ted Kennedy heading home from a party, comfortable that the path doesn’t matter just so long as they reach defeat.

  49. #49
    On November 6th, 2007 at 10:43 am, DesertLover said:

    The question directly referred to the
    “surge” … which is a US military operation … so regardless of any semantics and parsing of the answer it was a response that is about the US forces in Iraq …

  50. #50
    On November 6th, 2007 at 10:46 am, swj719AWG said:

    They’ll weave all over the road like Ted Kennedy heading home from a party, comfortable that the path doesn’t matter just so long as they reach defeat

    If I might be allowed to rephrase that…

    “They weave all over the road like Ted Kennedy, searching for the bridge over the river Defeat.”

  51. #51
    On November 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am, breg man said:

    As a kid growing up in the early sixties, I can remember watching the nightly news with my parents, hearing the latest anti-American rant from the Soviet Union, Communist China or Cuba. Now I hear the same words coming from our own politicians. How sad.

  52. #52
    On November 6th, 2007 at 11:16 am, Eric_CharlotteNC said:

    When did we withdraw our troops? or did we lose?

  53. #53
    On November 6th, 2007 at 11:18 am, DesertLover said:

    Paraphrasing Wide World of Sports …

    The Dems can’t enjoy “The Thrill of Victory” because they are too invested in “The Agony of Defeat” …

  54. #54
    On November 6th, 2007 at 11:28 am, gunslingerpatriot said:

    Welcome breg man-
    Not only are you hearing these same comments from our illustriaous politicians, but I hear them almost daily at school from my profs.

    GSP

  55. #55
    On November 6th, 2007 at 11:47 am, corkie said:

    Here’s a way to get the Democrats to acknowledge that the surge is working – give them some of the credit.

    Republicans (and Bush/Cheney) could mention that the Democrats in Congress deserve some credit for the surge.

    Something like,

    “While they scrutinized and argued, in the end, many Democrats voted in favor of funding the surge. Americans asked Congress to force a change to the war and the surge was the change we all agreed to. Let us ALL hope that the surge can have a continued and lasting effect for the Iraqi people and allow us to bring our troops home in the wake of peace.”

  56. #56
    On November 6th, 2007 at 11:54 am, Eric_CharlotteNC said:

    Very nice corkie!

  57. #57
    On November 6th, 2007 at 12:55 pm, ArmoredCAV said:

    Thanks, 30 pieces of silver; I am 2/3 done, and it is going pretty fast.

  58. #58
    On November 6th, 2007 at 2:33 pm, Melvin_Udall said:

    swj719AWG, very nice.

  59. #59
    On November 6th, 2007 at 8:12 pm, Blind_Mule said:

    #38 ArmoredCav LMAO Thanks

    Bring in the Iranian’s!

    Ok not really it’s a good thing they are running out of people to kill. I have heard some seriously off the wall explanation’s for success but this one takes stupidity to a new level.

  60. #60
    On November 12th, 2007 at 2:09 pm, Tommygun said:

    I got tired of reading these comments very early on. Reverenddon and others are right in their interpretation (he’s referring to the bad guys), and you only discredit our cause when you are too lazy to actually read the quote.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Saving JROTC in San Francisco

July 8, 2008 01:48 PM by Michelle Malkin

28 Comments | 2 Trackbacks

Scenes from the counterinsurgency.

Sliming the greatest generation on PBS?

June 30, 2008 05:07 PM by Michelle Malkin

124 Comments | 8 Trackbacks

Your tax dollars at work.

Save JROTC in San Francisco

June 8, 2008 11:01 AM by Michelle Malkin

36 Comments | 1 Trackback

Counterinsurgency in the Bay Area public schools.

Beltway jerks harass uniformed military personnel Update: Bob Owens vets the memo

May 21, 2008 09:44 AM by Michelle Malkin

114 Comments | 3 Trackbacks

They don’t support our troops.

Michael Moore vs. Michael Yon

May 20, 2008 07:27 AM by Michelle Malkin

46 Comments | 2 Trackbacks

War.

The return of an unhinged IVAW member

April 1, 2008 07:36 PM by Michelle Malkin

54 Comments | 2 Trackbacks

Er, um, well, uh, oh, hell, no

March 27, 2008 12:01 PM by Michelle Malkin

42 Comments | 2 Trackbacks

A proper welcome for the Vets for Freedom in the Twin Cities

March 25, 2008 04:47 PM by Michelle Malkin

16 Comments | 3 Trackbacks

Counterinsurgency alert!

All they are saying is give Mercedes Benz a chance

March 25, 2008 12:09 PM by Michelle Malkin

43 Comments | 3 Trackbacks

D’oh-d’ohs in the Bay Area.


Categories: They don't support the troops


Weekly Standard

» Puzzle