Obama Gaffe: "10,000" Died In Kan. Tornado

(AP)  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 11.

"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 the Illinois senator 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.

[gunnerv1]

Big guy is kinda of losein' it now, wait til the race gets hotter, he'll go down in flames (I actually want him to win the primary and shoot down Billery instead).

[shingles1]

SlipSter01 got his panties in a twist over a big fat nothing.

Yeah, Obama purposely said 10,000 people instead of 11 because he thought he could get away with it - all to blame the Republicans. How idiotic does one have to be to believe this nonsense? Or is it all just about desperately grabbing ahold of anything, no matter how pathetic, to prop up your imaginary Bush world that's crumbling down before your very eyes.

This is an absurd and pointless story.

[iceman_1960]

"Iceman_1960

Or, as Bill Clinton would put it so clearly
"it depends on what your definition of "is" is." Biggest liar and cheat the White House ever hosted..."
- Posted by SlipSter01 at 07:40 PM : May 09, 2007

No, Dubya has that distinction.

From May 15, 2006 (and believe me, the numbers have only gotten worse for Dubya since then):

Poll: Clinton outperformed Bush

(CNN) -- In a new poll comparing President Bush's job performance with that of his predecessor, a strong majority of respondents said President Clinton outperformed Bush on a host of issues.

On foreign affairs, the margin was 56 percent to 32 percent in Clinton's favor; on taxes, it was 51 percent to 35 percent for Clinton; and on handling natural disasters, it was 51 percent to 30 percent, also favoring Clinton.

Moreover, 59 percent said Bush has done more to divide the country, while only 27 percent said Clinton had.

When asked which man was more honest as president, poll respondents were more evenly divided, with the numbers -- 46 percent Clinton to 41 percent Bush -- falling within the poll's margin of error.

Full report at:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/12/bush.clinton.poll/index.html

[slipster01]

Iceman_1960

Or, as Bill Clinton would put it so clearly

"it depends on what your definition of "is" is."

Biggest liar and cheat the White House ever hosted, and they now want his wife (who was, by her own admission, totally clue-less about what was going on underneath her own nose for decades). And you want her to run a country, let alone a country at war?

Scares me to think that people actually believe she can do anything constructive.


And, to set the story straight, Obama NEVER corrected his error. His spokesperson did. Obama doesn't have a clue as to how many were killed, it's just enough for him to try laying the blame for their deaths on Republicans.

[slipster01]

Iceman_1960

Or, as Bill Clinton would put it so clearly

"it depends on what your definition of "is" is."

Biggest liar and cheat the White House ever hosted, and they now want his wife (who was, by her own admission, totally clue-less about what was going on underneath her own nose for decades). And you want her to run a country, let alone a country at war?

Scares me to think that people actually believe she can do anything constructive.


And, to set the story straight, Obama NEVER corrected his error. His spokesperson did. Obama doesn't have a clue as to how many were killed, it's just enough for him to try laying the blame for their deaths on Republicans.

[slipster01]

Iceman_1960

Or, as Bill Clinton would put it so clearly

"it depends on what your definition of "is" is."

Biggest liar and cheat the White House ever hosted, and they now want his wife (who was, by her own admission, totally clue-less about what was going on underneath her own nose for decades). And you want her to run a country, let alone a country at war?

Scares me to think that people actually believe she can do anything constructive.

[iceman_1960]

"iceman,

the guy makes an error (once and nobody is murdered for it, by the way) and he's completely incompetent? You must have bush's logic.

completely incompetent is a ridiculous charge...."
- Posted by amerigirl28 at 02:53 PM : May 09, 2007

I DID NOT SAY OBAMA IS INCOMPETENT.

I was quoting One_American. I think Bush is incompetent, not Obama.

Try to read with comprehension before you comment, ok ?

[huskerarmy]

"And the thing is, liberal sheeple will actually believe this ***"...
Posted by processor2

Before you call anyone "sheeple," figure out who pulls the strings, i.e.-the corporate plutocracy, and who dances on the other end, i.e.-the tools in the GOP.

[shingles1]

Corky would be a HUGE improvement over Bush.

[jimibear]

"Typical liberal

Makes up sh*t, and calls them facts.

And the thing is, liberal sheeple will actually believe this ***

...
Posted by processor2 at 12:18 PM : May 09, 2007
+ report abuse"

Actually, no ... corrected his error later in the speech, as the story said. And NeoCons, not their opponents, are the "sheeple" who will believe anything. One of the tenets of actual liberalism is independence of thought.

Like NeoCons and other idiots everywhere, on the other hand, you just go for headlines and soundbites, and usually get even those wrong. You never bother to actually learn or consider the facts. Presumably that's because your prejudices couldn't stand up to reality, and then you might have to actually think. Perish the thought.

It must be tough to go through life stupid, small-minded, bigoted and wrong. I feel for you.