# Democrat Skullduggery to Undermine Republicans!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915 "2004-11-21T04:55:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/1 "2004-11-21T04:55:28Z")
Oh, the treachery! The cunning! The serpentine deviousness of the Democrat mindset! Let me excerpt from Mr. Josh Marshall, of Talking Points Memo… [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/) > [@](#): > > …As you’ve probably heard, the congress is pushing through a big omnibus spending bill this weekend. And at the last minute, Republican leaders tried to slip in a provision that would give certain committee chairman and their staffers unlimited access to any American’s tax return, with none of the standard privacy protections applying. > > You heard that right. > > They could pull anyone’s tax return, read it over and do whatever they wanted with the information. Those who would have this power would be the chairs and ranking members of the senate and house appropriations committees and subcommittees and “their designees.”… There are other scattered gasps of feigned outrage, that this proviso was snuck in during the dark of night, that no one would claim sponsorship for this orphaned codicil, wandering alone through a big, dark, cold appropriations bill. Where such a helpless little waif might be lost in the jungles of verbage… Note the cunning! The craftiness! The author of this little stinker knows full well the power that God has placed in the hands of his Republican servants (by way of the overwhelming thunderous avalanche of a mandate), knows full well that the chaircreatures and rank members will assuredly by Republican. The naive among you are confused, dear persons, so innocent of the crafty intrigues of the liberal mind. Why, you ask, would the Dems place such ghastly power to embarass, blackmail, and coerce in the hands of their political enemies? Wouldn’t they want it for themselves? Why would they hand such weaponry to their sworn enemies? (Note: these are the same people who cannot grasp why a secular tyrant like Saddam would place powerful weapons in the hands of a religious fanatic, they lack subtlety in their thinking…) First off, no Republican even knows about this proviso! None! They are all roundly aghast at its very existence, and suspect an Iago-staffer, who they promise to ferret out forthwith and toot damn sweet! But it is so obvious! The Demofiends snuck this in, knowing that, in their sublime innocence, no Republican would ever act upon such a vile proviso, especially as they know nothing about it! They expected it to sink anonymously into the dark mass of appropriations verbage, to be forgotten, and yet, enacted. Signed into law. And then they wait. They calmly wait while the Bushiviks make a total hash of thing, and previously sane conservatives begin to flirt with Libertarianism, and the word “Republican” instantly brings to mind a discreet brown log in the punch bowl. And then, with the chairmanships and ranking positions firmly in their rapacious grasp, they then “discover” this odd little curiosity. “Oh!” they will say with glad, though feigned, surprise “…look at this! Why, I had no idea! Mercy me, a good thing this didn’t fall into the wrong hands! We must, simply _must_ assign a committee to investigate the possibility of forming a study group to take some sort of action. Someday…” And then, when Hillary is made Chancellor… ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/2 "2004-11-21T04:57:32Z")
[You might want to be a little faster next time.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287790) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/3 "2004-11-21T05:00:02Z")
**Reeder’s** fast, but I’m easy. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/4 "2004-11-21T05:15:59Z")
Hey, I like 'em slow and easy, big guy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/5 "2004-11-21T05:17:44Z")
I can’t un derstand how minds this subtle, this treacherous, this Machiavellian, failed to come up with sufficient ruses to secure the Presidency in the recent election. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/6 "2004-11-21T05:50:15Z")
> [@Evil](#): > > I can’t un derstand how minds this subtle, this treacherous, this Machiavellian, failed to come up with sufficient ruses to secure the Presidency in the recent election. Obviously they wanted to loose, thus setting up the Repubs to take the fall for the Dem engineered Iraq fiasco and budget deficit. I mean, come on, John Kerry!!! They had to run Sharpton and Kucinich in the primaries just to make him seem like a half belivable candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/7 "2004-11-21T09:47:13Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > I can’t un derstand how minds this subtle, this treacherous, this Machiavellian, failed to come up with sufficient ruses to secure the Presidency in the recent election. Didn’t you get the memo? It was to make sure that Hilary would have a clear run in 2008, of course! We wouldn’t want to campaign against a Democratic incumbent, and wouldn’t want to wait too long, so we had to do this, for the good of our party. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/8 "2004-11-21T10:59:20Z")
The Dems were so crafty, they even got the Thuglicans to confess: > [@](#): > > [Tax Disclosure Buried in Spending Bill > Sunday November 21, 2004 2:46 AM > By MATT YANCEY > Associated Press Writer](http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4628320,00.html) > > "There will be no window where this will be law,’’ Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said. He referred to the provision as the Istook amendment and congressional aides said it was **put in the bill at the request of Rep. Ernest Istook Jr., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s transportation subcommittee**. For the avoidance of doubt, [Istook](http://www.house.gov/istook/) is a Thuglican. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/9 "2004-11-21T11:07:24Z")
Considering that this amendment was in there for about 10 minutes before everyone was jumping up and down complaining, there was NO chance it would actually become law. This also puts into stark relief one of the biggest problems with our system. The fact that a “spending bill” could have amendments completely unrelated to spending. How does a spending bill wind up giving powers like this to congressmen? It’s garbage that things like this get stuffed into bills that are voted on for other purposes. I hate politicians. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/10 "2004-11-21T12:39:43Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Considering that this amendment was in there for about 10 minutes before everyone was jumping up and down complaining, there was NO chance it would actually become law. Excuse me, but according to the [AP story](http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/20/tax.returns.ap/), it’s in the final version of the bill, the one that passed both houses of Congress and is headed to the President’s desk. The Dems spotted it _after_ it had made its way through. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress passed legislation Saturday giving two committee chairman and their assistants access to income tax returns without regard to privacy protections, but not before red-faced Republicans said the measure was a mistake and would be swiftly repealed. [Here’s the wording](http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/20/tax.returns.ap/): > [@](#): > > “Hereinafter, _notwithstanding any other provision of law_ governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow _agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein_.” Istook ought to be drummed out of Congress, stripped of his citizenship, and shown to the border. This is the stuff of fascist regimes and Latin American strongmen of a bygone era (for the most part, anyway). This sort of thing has no place in America. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/11 "2004-11-21T13:09:50Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Istook ought to be drummed out of Congress, stripped of his citizenship, and shown to the border. This is the stuff of fascist regimes and Latin American strongmen of a bygone era (for the most part, anyway). This sort of thing has no place in America. Maybe not in that _old_ America, but this is the new, improved **2004 'Murika Presented By BushCo**. Clinton said he was going to build a “bridge to the 21st century.” Then Bush took over, considered bridge-building to be collectivist Democratic pork-barrelling, and decided it would be better to privatize and just pay old Charon a soul-toll to cross into the 21st century on his ferry. Next stop First Circle, kids! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/12 "2004-11-21T14:29:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > **Reeder’s** fast, but I’m easy. Works for me. He also gave his thread a usefully descriptive title, unlike yours. Advantage: **Reeder**. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/13 "2004-11-21T14:59:31Z")
And yet, here you are. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/14 "2004-11-21T16:23:25Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And yet, here you are. I only stopped by to admonish you for falling for the Limbaughesque use of “Democrat”, as in: "Democrat Skullduggery to Undermine Republicans!! And it’s the **Democratic** Party, not the Democrat Party. Thankee. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/15 "2004-11-21T17:19:08Z")
AAaaaarrrgh! Limbaugh cooties! ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/16 "2004-11-21T17:32:50Z")
An excellent OP! Witness the absolute rhetorical mastery of Our Man in the North **elucidator**! So many great turns of phrase, but this one really stood out: > [@](#): > > And then they wait. They calmly wait while the Bushiviks make a total hash of thing, and previously sane conservatives begin to flirt with Libertarianism, and the word “Republican” instantly brings to mind a discreet brown log in the punch bowl. Brings tears to one’s eyes, doesn’t it? And notice, not one single curse was used! I am humbled. 9 out of 10. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/17 "2004-11-21T18:18:39Z")
“I love compliments, we all do. Burglars, humorists, Congressmen…all of us in the trade. Why, I could live for a week on single compliment! But I was near struck speechless by this complimentary thunderbolt! Never had I heard a compliment so well phrased, or so richly deserved!” - Mark Twain ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/18 "2004-11-21T18:25:32Z")
Get a room. Honestly. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/19 "2004-11-21T19:29:07Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And yet, here you are. I hadn’t noticed this thread until it was linked to by one of the better-named ones on the same subject. I’m only here to complain again about my pet peeve, useless thread names. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915/20 "2004-11-21T20:07:34Z")
> [@pantom](#): > > Get a room. Honestly. > 😛 Hmph. I’ve been trying to entice the OP into one since Post #4, but does he pay any attention? Hmph. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrat-skullduggery-to-undermine-republicans/275915.md?page=2)