# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018 "2022-02-07T00:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 275
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5482 "2022-10-29T12:12:30Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Newsmax anchor blames the attack on Pelosi’s husband on Pelosi. But only after suggesting that the attack was staged. I have no issue with someone being skeptical, but I’m surprised they’d be willing to be ‘skeptical’ on this specific incident (a violent attack) and in this specific way (suggesting it was staged) just a few weeks after the Alex Jones case wrapped up. > [@eschereal](#): > > We still cannot get a handle on stochastic terrorism. I mean, yeah, Alexwars got his ass in over his head, but look how long that took and what a stupid asshole he had to be for it to get done. But that was a huge case that he probably knew right from the outset would bankrupt him if he lost so he had every reason to fight it. Similarly, if the Pelosi’s sue NewsMax or that anchor for a billion dollars, I could see it playing out in a similar fashion. But maybe if they were sued for, say, a million dollars and a promise to stop saying these things, they might settle to just to be done with it. I wonder if the attacker could have a case against them as well. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5483 "2022-10-29T12:15:11Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I wonder if the attacker could have a case against them as well.- Against whom? Isn’t the attacker going to be charged with a criminal offense (it he hasn’t been already)? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5484 "2022-10-29T12:19:25Z")
Well, yeah. But he might be so insulted by the accusation that he’s a Democrat/antifa sympathizer that he sues for defamation. /s ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5485 "2022-10-29T12:20:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Against whom? Against the right wing media that basically told him that it was his obligation to try to kill the Speaker of the House. I don’t know that it would go anywhere, I actually doubt it, but it is similar to the defense that was raised by lawyers defending some of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, saying that they believed that their president called them to act. (I don’t think that went anywhere either.) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5486 "2022-10-29T12:55:53Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’m surprised they’d be willing to be ‘skeptical’ on this specific incident (a violent attack) and in this specific way (suggesting it was staged) just a few weeks after the Alex Jones case wrapped up. See: _New York Times Co. v. Sullivan_. > **[New York Times Co. v. Sullivan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times_Co._v._Sullivan)** > > New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964), was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that the freedom of speech protections in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restrict the ability of public officials to sue for defamation. The decision held that if a plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit is a public official or candidate for public office, then not only must they prove the normal elements of defamation—publication of a false defamatory statement to a third party—t The... > **[New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964)](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/376/254/#tab-opinion-1944787)** > > New York Times Co. v. Sullivan: To sustain a claim of defamation or libel, the First Amendment requires that the plaintiff show that the defendant knew that a statement was false or was reckless in deciding to publish the information without... And prepare for _Pelosi v. Newsmax and ‘People Are Saying’_. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5487 "2022-10-29T14:42:57Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Well, yeah. But he might be so insulted by the accusation that he’s a Democrat/antifa sympathizer that he sues for defamation. /s That’s what I meant and mostly sarcastically. > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > See: _New York Times Co. v. Sullivan_. I don’t know law well enough to know if you’re agreeing or disagreeing with me. But again the Alex Jones case wrapped up just a few weeks ago. It might be difficult for a defendant, specifically a news anchor that, when referring to the Alex Jones case, said “[this is America and you’re allowed to say anything](https://www.mediamatters.org/greg-kelly/newsmaxs-greg-kelly-defends-alex-jones-america-and-you-can-say-what-you-want)” isn’t aware of the potential repercussions of suggesting a violent attack was fake. We saw testimony from Sandy Hook parents detailing the shit they’ve been through due to Alex Jones’ lies and now this guy is making damn near the same claims about the Pelosi attack (false flag, actors, staged etc). ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5488 "2022-10-29T14:50:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > isn’t aware of the potential repercussions of suggesting a violent attack was fake. We saw testimony from Sandy Hook parents detailing the shit they’ve been through due to Alex Jones’ lies and now this guy is making damn near the same claims about the Pelosi attack (false flag, actors, staged etc). I imagine the courts would make at least some distinction between a one-off, “Maybe it’s a fake?” JAQ-off, and a years-long campaign of disinformation. If AJ had moved on from Sandy Hook after the first week, he’d probably have never ended up in court at all, and certainly wouldn’t have been on the hook for almost a billion dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5489 "2022-10-29T14:57:28Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I imagine the courts would make at least some distinction between a one-off, “Maybe it’s a fake?” JAQ-off, and a years-long campaign of disinformation. > > If AJ had moved on from Sandy Hook after the first week, he’d probably have never ended up in court at all, and certainly wouldn’t have been on the hook for almost a billion dollars. I agree. I wasn’t meaning to suggest that a lawsuit would even be successful, just that I’m surprised he would go down that road and open himself up to it (again, with the AJ case ending so recently). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5490 "2022-10-29T14:59:12Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t know law well enough to know if you’re agreeing or disagreeing with me. My point is if the Pelosi’s sue NewsMax or that anchor for a billion dollars it won’t play out in a similar fashion because _Times Co. v. Sullivan_ sets a higher bar for public figures. And if such a case were won it would eventually end up at SCotUS and we might get what Trump has said he wants, the ability to sue anyone that says anything negative about him. And probably a bonus to the ruling that states that as long as you provide yourself cover, the _‘People Are Saying’_ part, you can say anything negative you want to about anybody. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5491 "2022-10-29T17:16:00Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > If AJ had moved on from Sandy Hook after the first week, he’d probably have never ended up in court at all, and certainly wouldn’t have been on the hook for **almost** a billion dollars. There was an earlier judgement that brings the total to over a billion dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5492 "2022-10-29T17:33:06Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > My point is if the Pelosi’s sue NewsMax or that anchor for a billion dollars it won’t play out in a similar fashion because _Times Co. v. Sullivan_ sets a higher bar for public figures. And if such a case were won it would eventually end up at SCotUS and we might get what Trump has said he wants, the ability to sue anyone that says anything negative about him. And probably a bonus to the ruling that states that as long as you provide yourself cover, the _‘People Are Saying’_ part, you can say anything negative you want to about anybody. Again, all I meant is that I’m surprised he would open himself up to a lawsuit. Also, I’m not following the “people are saying” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5493 "2022-10-29T17:36:16Z")
> **['It's sick': Democratic lawmaker denounces Marjorie Taylor Greene for making...](https://www.businessinsider.com/mcgovern-blasts-marjorie-taylor-greene-tweet-nancy-paul-pelosi-attack-2022-10)** > > "It's a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason," Greene said of Nancy Pelosi in 2019, per CNN. > In response to the attack, Greene [tweeted](https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1586086211973976064) that “violence and crime are rampant in Joe Biden’s America,” adding that “it shouldn’t happen to me.” She noted that she was swatted[multiple times](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-home-swatted-6th-time-georgia) and has received death threats on a daily basis. Rep. Jim McGovern replies: > “YOU called for Nancy Pelosi to be executed. YOU said she should be hung for treason,” the Massachusetts lawmaker [tweeted](https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/1586150979162222594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1586150979162222594%7Ctwgr%5Eae8f915330dc1c5a7b4edc57691b41f17d7bb64c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftweetdeck.twitter.com%2F). “And now that someone listened, you’re making Paul Pelosi’s attack about YOU. This is what Republicans stand for, America. It’s sick.” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5494 "2022-10-29T17:41:35Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Rep. Jim McGovern replies: > > > “YOU called for Nancy Pelosi to be executed. YOU said she should be hung for treason,” the Massachusetts lawmaker [tweeted](https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/1586150979162222594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1586150979162222594%7Ctwgr%5Eae8f915330dc1c5a7b4edc57691b41f17d7bb64c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftweetdeck.twitter.com%2F). “And now that someone listened, you’re making Paul Pelosi’s attack about YOU. This is what Republicans stand for, America. It’s sick.” Yeah, and Greene will use that quote in her campaign commercials, since that’s what the Republican base wants her to stand for. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5495 "2022-10-29T18:13:47Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Yeah, and Greene will use that quote in her campaign commercials, since that’s what the Republican base wants her to stand for. Rep. McGovern can’t help what the cult members who support Greene want. All he can do is point out the truth. I personally applaud him for making this statement. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5496 "2022-10-29T18:20:27Z")
> **[Jesse Watters Dismisses Paul Pelosi Attack: People Get 'Hit With Hammers...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jesse-watters-fox-news-paul-pelosi_n_635d3df0e4b07c6cedc36c7a)** > > The Fox News host sought to accuse his political opponents of being soft on crime. > “People are being hit with hammers every day. People are being pushed into subways, slashed, shot in cold blood, but the media focuses on this one single crime to pin it on Republicans?” he said on his show, “Jesse Watters Primetime.” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5497 "2022-10-29T18:22:40Z")
I wasn’t saying anything bad about McGovern, what he said was true and appropriate. I’m just talking shit about Greene and her supporters. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5498 "2022-10-29T18:39:37Z")
Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to imply that you were. Was just giving my own two cents on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5499 "2022-10-29T21:55:34Z")
Larry Elder, the Republican who ran against Gavin Newsom in the recall election: > ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5500 "2022-10-29T22:04:59Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Jesse Watters Dismisses Paul Pelosi Attack: People Get 'Hit With Hammers Every Day' | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jesse-watters-fox-news-paul-pelosi_n_635d3df0e4b07c6cedc36c7a) > > > “People are being hit with hammers every day. People are being pushed into subways, slashed, shot in cold blood, but the media focuses on this one single crime to pin it on Republicans?” he said on his show, “Jesse Watters Primetime.” - Remind me which side is defending an attempted insurrection. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018/5501 "2022-10-29T23:20:36Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, I’m not following the “people are saying” thing. It’s a ““clever”” way to say defamatory things with the cover that _you’re_ not saying it _you’re_ just repeating what _others_ are saying . . . almost always with no evidence that others are actually saying anything. E.G. ‘People are saying that Biden is too senile to remember to eat the baby meat pizza delivered from Comet Pizza’s basement to the Oval Office through the secret tunnels under the White House. Remember. We _report_, you _decide_.’ Bonus points when it can be shown that the place doing the reporting about what ‘people are saying’ is also the only place you can find the originating story. Go on Fox and Friends and say defamatory things and by noon Fox is reporting what ‘people are saying’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018.md?page=274) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-2/959018.md?page=276)