Obama Overstates Kansas Tornado Deaths [Says 10,000 Died]

AP ^ | May 8, 2007 | BOB LEWIS

[West Coast Conservative]

Barack Obama, caught up in the fervor of a campaign speech Tuesday, drastically overstated the Kansas tornadoes death toll, saying 10,000 had died.

The death toll was 12.

"In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died—an entire town destroyed," the Democratic presidential candidate said in a speech to 500 people packed into a sweltering Richmond art studio for a fundraiser.

Obama mentioned the disaster in Greensburg, Kan., in saying he had been told by the office of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius that the state's National Guard had been depleted by its commitment to the Iraq War.

"Turns out that the National Guard in Kansas only had 40 percent of its equipment and they are having to slow down the recovery process in Kansas," Obama said, his shirt sleeves rolled up and his head glistening with sweat.

As he concluded his remarks a few minutes later, he appeared to realize his gaffe.

"There are going to be times when I get tired," he said. "There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said later that the senator meant to say "at least 10," instead of 10,000.

During his speech, Obama stirred the crowd as he often does by skewering President Bush over the unpopular war and noting that he opposed it from the outset.

"How could we have been involved in a war that never should have been authorized, that has already cost us half a trillion dollars," Obama said.

It was Obama's third visit to Virginia's capital in eight months. It came as national polls show him trailing rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., by double digits.

[rdl6989]

What a maroon.

[sgtyork]

“Ten thousand people died—an entire town destroyed,”

Great Scott!?!?!

[Calpernia]

Political satire has just been put out of business.

[CindyDawg]

Nah:’)

[SlowBoat407]

here are going to be times when I make mistakes.

Mission Accomplished.

[Dianna]

Wow, and no one is calling him stupid. I guess he really is magic.

[EternalVigilance]

This fool isn’t fit for the position of dogcatcher.

He’d think the poodle that got loose was a pack of wolves.

[Intolerant in NJ]

"There are going to be times when I get tired," he said. "There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."...not ready for prime time......

[healy61]

In a related matter, it was also dicovered that only 5 people were in attendance, not 500 as originally stated.

[NormsRevenge]

That's our Osama,, uhh,, Obama.

[italianquaker]

There will be many more of these from this buffoon

[SteveMcKing]

Speak of the devil... I was just going to suggest sending it to Drudge — it’s the banner headline now!

[aft_lizard]

“Turns out that the National Guard in Kansas only had 40 percent of its equipment “>>

Really Obama-rama?

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=33080

Currently, the Kansas National Guard has 88 percent of its forces available, 60 percent of its Army Guard dual-use equipment on hand, and more than 85 percent of its Air Guard equipment on hand, said Randal Noller, public affairs officer for the National Guard Bureau

The National Guard itself disagrees with Obama and Sebelius.

[Calpernia]

>>>He’d think the poodle that got loose was a pack of wolves.

WRONG!

He’d think the poodle that got loose was a sheep.

[Dumpster Baby]

[TASMANIANRED]

Guy is a walking parody.

[Screamname]

Oh if only he said “10 gazillion”.

[Screamname]

...or “10 gabillion zillion”

[stockstrader]

Imagine if a Republican candidate had said that!!!

[weegee]

Has he ever mentioned that Trent Lott lost his house to Katrina?

[FreePaul]

There are going to be times when I get weary.

Sorta like in the songs "Old Folks At Home" and "Old Black Joe." Except there "weary" wasn't used as an excuse.

[EternalVigilance]

Just wait ‘til he finds out that Dorothy Gale thing was fiction...

[mylife]

Barak, the magic Blow-hard was on TV.
He huffed and puffed up such a storm there were 10,000 casualties!

Criticism of his blowout we’re soon gonna hear.
But that don't bother Obama, just don't critique his ears!

[cdnerds]

Imagine if Bush said that? OMG the press...

[EternalVigilance]

That’s really, really baaaaaad!

[LasVegasMac]

What's next, Osama-Obama-Omama - ?

The chocolate milk thing...?

[rdl6989]

If President Bush had said this the media circus would last six months.

[Ditter]

What was he thinking?

[Calpernia]

Just thought I would Ram that in.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Was he channeling Jesse Jackson?

[EternalVigilance]

Oh yeah.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

“There are going to be times when I get tired,” he said. “There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes.”

Sorry dude - this does not qualify you to be the man they follow around with the “football”. You jumped the shark with the remarks yesterday about taking over some of the health care costs of the big three automakers (didn’t they teach you about bargaining between private parties at Harvard Law?) and today you rotated the knife in your back. End of story.

[EternalVigilance]

Ewe you would do that...

[NewLand]

"There are going to be times when I get tired," he said. "There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."

This is what he says less than 6 months into a campaign...what would happen to him 6 years into a job where 300 million people's lives are at stake?

[weegee]

The Left has been inflating death statistics for years.

It’s all about numbers to them. Just don’t do the math.

[jdm]

Seriously, here's why people need to call him out on this... 10,000 people killed in one weekend would mean 3 times the number of our troops killed in Iraq since March 2003.

This "gaffe" kills Obama's chances in 2008.

How could he say 10,000? Is he a complete, total, inept, utter, incompetent idiot?

[plain talk]

“Overstates”? He is off by 100,000% and that is an “overstatement”?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Wow, and no one is calling him stupid. I guess he really is magic.

He's "Puff, the Magic Negro"

[blogblogginaway]

Wonder what his secret service agents thought when they heard him say that?

[jaz.357]

This is Hugh!

[JRochelle]

Haven’t you seen the news?

People are trapped in a convention center with no food or water.
Babies are dying.
People are eating each other.

Where the heck is FEMA?

s/

[rdl6989]

And its series too.

[weegee]

"How could we have been involved in a war that never should have been authorized, that has already cost us half a trillion dollars," Obama said.

For a minute, it sounds like he's assaulting the socialist notion of a Federal War On Poverty, but in that case he is trillions SHORT of the financial figure. PS we still haven't won that war either after 40 years.

[EternalVigilance]

I’ll bet there’s champagne corks popping in the Clinton camp tonight.

[quantim]

A perfect example why legislators don’t get elected to POTUS.

Kennedy had to rely on cheating, and even that was a fluke.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Dean did the Kennedy Osama gaff? Great! I must be out of touch.

[blogblogginaway]

Yeah. 10,000 was just wishful thinking on his part.

[jaz.357]

I think Tim Kaine..(Gov-D-VA).. is going to be his choice for VP.

[weegee]

"...nevermind!"