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November 06, 2007
"Terrorists are ‘running out of people to kill" ~ Dem. Obey
David Obey (D-WI) on Iraq: 'We've Run Out of People to Kill'
The Hill
If violence is decreasing in Iraq, it may be because insurgents “are running out of people to kill,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) said Monday.
“There are fewer targets of opportunity,” Obey said in a speech to the National Press Club.
Obey was responding to a question about reports touted by Republicans that security is improving in Iraq and that President Bush’s “surge” strategy is working. He stressed that military success has not led to political reconciliation.
“The issue has never been military,” Obey said. “The issue has always been political improvement.”
As the House’s top appropriator, Obey has his hands on the nation’s purse strings, giving him a significant say on the war in Iraq.
In his speech Monday, he stuck by his pledge not to approve any more money for the war until President Bush changes course on Iraq. He also offered a spirited defense of a new surtax to pay for the Iraq war, admitting that he knew it wouldn’t pass when he offered his support for the plan. But he said it highlighted the fact that Bush has loaded the cost of the war onto the national debt while pushing tax cuts tilted to the wealthy.
The surtax plan, which is backed by Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and James McGovern (D-Mass.), would raise $150 billion a year for the war.
“That may not be a popular thing to do, but it’s a hell of a lot more responsible than sending the bill to your kids,” Obey said.
Obey is the point man among House Democrats on the looming spending battle with Bush, which Obey called a “manufactured controversy” and an “unnecessary diversion.” President Bush has threatened to veto any bills that exceed his requested spending levels, which together are $22 billion less than what Democrats have proposed.
He also accused President Bush, his allies and his aides of hypocrisy and an unwillingness to negotiate that is immature.
He said that when Democrats were in the majority, they worked with Republicans “like adults” to get spending bills passed.
“I believed that the way politics is supposed to work is that we are supposed to first define our differences and then work like adults to find ways to resolve them,” Obey said.
But this year, he said, Republicans have engaged in “filibuster by amendment,” trying to delay the process and then complaining when Democrats maneuvered to get bills passed by combining them.
“I find it interesting that [Bush] now raises objections, because we are doing what his party did for so long,” Obey said.
Obey and his fellow Democrats combined the bill for labor, education and social spending — which is disliked by Bush — with the military construction spending bill, which includes the budget for veterans’ affairs and is popular with Bush. But Republicans have said the maneuver could stall veterans’ funding.
“That claim is enough to give hypocrisy a bad name,” Obey said, noting that last year, Republicans failed to pass any stand-alone domestic spending bills, including for military construction.
White House budget office spokesman Sean Kevelighan said the difference is that previous GOP Congresses abided by President Bush’s “top-line” overall spending cap.
“We’re in a different environment in this Congress,” Kevelighan said. “Unfortunately, what we’re finding with this Congress is that the reaction to everything is to raise taxes or spending more taxpayer dollars.”
“With time running out this year and not a single bill complete, Democratic leaders may want to start focusing on the work that must be done now instead of blaming everyone but themselves for their pork-filled, shoddy work,” said Brian Kennedy, spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).
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Wild Thing's comment........
OMG excuse me a second LMAO this guy is an idiot! Yeah...There’s only 5 Billion infidelss left! They are getting si hard to find.
OH how I wish, hope and pray our Republicans USE this baloney in TV ads in the Presidential campaign. hahahaha
The Democrats are grasping at straws. Up to now, they have insisted that what creates terrorism in Iraq is the very presence of Americans. Now that the violence is declining while the Americans haven't gone anywhere, that position becomes less tenable.
Posted by Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 12:47 AM
Comments
He's brilliant, Dave did his graduate work in Soviet politics at the University of Wisconsin under a National Defense Education Act three-year scholarship and fully expected to be teaching Russian and Chinese politics before he took a turn toward public service, the pesky draft was taking anyone up to 26 at the time. It's nice to see the Democrats put to use his Soviet Savant Syndrome capabilities as a supreme muslim battle strategist, not bad for a do nothing congress after a full year in power. Take a Wis Russky Dave.
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&fg=rss&vid=2836532c-d0d1-4d8a-91d5-fff6e61a51d7&from=34
Posted by: Jack at November 6, 2007 07:57 AM
Forty years as a US Congressman and three terms as a state rep before that. This guy has almost 50 years as a politician. No wonder he is out of touch with reality.
Was Defense money used ih his National Defense Act Scholarship to college. If so, it seems like he owes the taxpayers some military time. Frig'n weasel.(no offense to real 4 legged weasels)
Posted by: TomR at November 6, 2007 08:57 AM
Forty years as a US Congressman and three terms as a state rep before that. This guy has almost 50 years as a politician. No wonder he is out of touch with reality.
Was Defense money used in his National Defense Act Scholarship to college. If so, it seems like he owes the taxpayers some military time. Frig'n weasel.(no offense to real 4 legged weasels)
Posted by: TomR at November 6, 2007 08:58 AM
I watched that - it was like the deer in the headlights thing for me. I was just waiting for the punchline.
There wasn't one...
Just Blame Bush Blame Bush blah blah blah.
He was also asked about Murtha's earmarks and he skirted that and went directly to Blame Bush's spending.
Oh, I get it now! He is the punchline!!
Posted by: yankeemom at November 6, 2007 10:46 AM
I've scraped smarter organisms than Obey from my bathroom drains. And better looking. What is it with the names of these guys? Obey, Durbin, Hatch, Harkin, Lott, Reid, Specter...pick a hundred more. They sound like prosthetic devices, diseases or building materials. Stupid Name Syndrome explains why they're in politics.
Posted by: Rhod at November 6, 2007 03:27 PM
Obey's a tool. Has been for a long time. He's one of the people who also says that American servicemen march around Iraq shooting people indiscriminately. So if there is no one left to kill, then by his own logic, Iraq must be completely de-populated. Everyone in the country is dead. Funny, but I keep seeing pictures from Iraq and there sure seem to be a lot of living, breathing people walking around.
Posted by: Cousin Dave at November 6, 2007 03:34 PM
He says we have run out of people to kill ... isn't that good news, doesn't that mean we are winning the day over there ? What the hell is wrong with these democrats ? This guy has always been a moron, he just opened his mouth to confirm it.
Posted by: Mark at November 6, 2007 04:15 PM
David Obey (D-WI) on Iraq: 'We've Run Out of People to Kill'
I sure thought they would run out of cars before "peepole". If Obey wants to kill so bad, send him to Congress.
Posted by: SSgt Steve, USMC(P) at November 6, 2007 04:40 PM
Jack, good one...."Soviet Savant Syndrome"....and thank you for the video too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:45 PM
Tom oh my gosh that many years. I have really gotten sick to death of these career politicians living off our income.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:47 PM
Rhod, LOL good one!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:48 PM
Cousin Dave haha he is so stupid anyone with half a brain should see how dumb this guy is big time.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:50 PM
Mark he sure did confirm it and he is too dumb to even know how stupid his comments were.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:55 PM
SSgt Steve, USMC, I can see it now, Obey the killing machine. hahahaha
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2007 11:56 PM
