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Rush laments Hummers being "tarred, feathered, and destroyed by the Obama administration and the American left"

March 31, 2009 4:08 pm ET

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LIMBAUGH: " 'Iraqis love Hummers because they're a symbol of power,' said Mr. Hilli, a chubby 37-year-old who couldn't stop laughing. Hummers in Baghdad are symbols of much more besides: increasing security, returning normalcy and a yearning for the trappings of sovereignty." That's what a Hummer represents to Iraqis. It helped that we didn't have such a bad opinion of the Americans in one of the provinces, said Ali al-Hilli. " 'People often asked the soldiers to stop their Humvees so they could get their pictures taken in front of them. Soon conditions improved enough to drive all over the city. Hummer H3s began rumbling off the lot, at 50 to 60 thousand dollars apiece, in dollars, and all the money down, fully loaded. (No one wanted them any other way.)" No Iraqis wanted a bargain-basement Hummer; they wanted them fully loaded. "Iraqis are paying historically high prices for gasoline. At $1.40 a gallon, that wouldn't break any Americans hearts, but not long ago in Iraq it was 19 cents a gallon." It's now a buck forty. The increase had no effect on sales of Hummers. 'If you can afford this car, you don't care how much gasoline costs,' said Mr. Hilli. Iraqis love their cars. In Iraq, people judge you by your car, and you're not a man without one,' " he said. ... When it comes to Hummers, they'll always nearly be bigger than anyone else's car."

Now, I have another story out here of St. Louis. Chesterfield, Missouri, near St. Louis, and it is -- well, it's The New York Times as well, I think: "A dealer's big bet is on the line as Hummer falls from favor." Now remember, you just heard about the Hummer. Iraqis love it, and they're buying them as fast as they can, at full price and fully loaded. In a nation that is just emerging from the seventh century, thanks to us, and the people over there are buying Hummers and they're excited. And here in the world's greatest superpower, the greatest outpost for freedom ever in the world, the same automobile is being tarred, feathered, and destroyed by the Obama administration and the American left.

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    • Author by seeryer (March 31, 2009 4:20 pm ET)
         

      From 3/9/09 USA TODAY:

      "Lower-priced Korean and German cars are still the best sellers in Iraq, according to al-Dalfiy and other dealers. While there are no nationwide data on sales of American cars in Iraq, Burhan says he has sold 150 of them in the past two years — compared with none before that."

      One dealer says he has sold 150 American cars in two years.  Apparently the majority of Hummers are being bought by government officials.  Maybe the 8 billion we lost in Iraq will be used to purchase Hummers.  Capitalism is AWESOME!!

       

       

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    • Author by magnolialover (March 31, 2009 4:45 pm ET)
         
      I thought that the free market eliminated the Hummer sales, and made them almost irrelevant? Nobody here is saying that you can't still buy what you want, but the ever changing gas prices, and lack of mileage per gallon have limited the Hummer sales. They were in big trouble long before Obama took office. Long before. Nobody wants them. They're pieces of junk (not the H1s, which are civilian versions of the Humvee and cost over $100k/each).
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    • Author by fawltylogic (March 31, 2009 4:53 pm ET)
         

      Yay, Iraqis get to buy overpriced pieces of junk with American dollars.

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    • Author by fawltylogic (March 31, 2009 4:54 pm ET)
         
      And here's a newsflash, Rush: the "American left" doesn't decide which cars American families buy and don't buy.
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    • Author by wookie (March 31, 2009 5:12 pm ET)
         

      Perhaps living in the second biggest oil producing country influences their choices.

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    • Author by harley (March 31, 2009 5:29 pm ET)
         

       

      If gas was a buck forty here in the states I would consider getting a large comfy gas guzzler too.

       

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      • Author by fawltylogic (March 31, 2009 7:02 pm ET)
           
        What are you talking about? No way there are cell phones and airports in other countries.
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    • Author by pklute63 (April 01, 2009 11:20 am ET)
         
      He's upset because it was the only affordable vehicle to carry his fat ass.
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