# Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945 "2021-01-31T21:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 408
**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:** [July 22, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8151 "2023-07-22T01:57:12Z")
How desperately unfair to punish that peaceful tourist. Likewise, what of the tragic circumstances of this peaceful young man [who was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time](https://twitter.com/stkirsch/status/1681890046142717952)? Reality is just a wee bit different. John Strand gained notoriety as an “international underwear model” and bodyguard/boyfriend of Simone Gold, leader of “America’s Frontline Doctors” (also convicted of illegally being in the Capitol during the riot, taking advantage of the situation by giving speeches there). [Strand](http://dailynews.com/2023/06/02/ex-beverly-hills-underwear-model-gets-2-years-8-months-for-role-in-capitol-riot/) was found to have fundraised for his legal fees, despite having his legal representation provided for free by taxpayers. The activities of these two [make semi-hilarious reading](https://www.thedailybeast.com/covid-misinformation-group-americas-frontline-doctors-implodes-over-dr-simone-golds-extravagant-spending). ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8152 "2023-07-22T05:02:11Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > And I was 100% correct. I’ll give you at least 51% correct. But 100%…? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8153 "2023-07-22T05:11:18Z")
It’s either 0 or 100% whether he’d be able to do anything he wanted. He couldn’t. The sky did not fall. He fucked things up pretty bad, but within the bounds of how much a POTUS can do, which is fortunately not unlimited in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8154 "2023-07-22T05:34:00Z")
Within the bounds? Really? He stepped over the line more than a few times. He did get impeached twice over it. But got away with it both times. I guess technically, not being convicted in an impeachment trial counts as “within the bounds”, but c’mon. That’s pretty much the definition of technicality. While holding office, he showed he could act if not with impunity then a hair’s breadth from it. We have clearly seen that the bounds of what he could get away with were not unlimited but certainly outside the legal bounds of what we grant the POTUS. Being held somewhat to account but only well after the fact is frozen comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8155 "2023-07-22T06:11:36Z")
Trump was constantly stopped from doing things. > **[Rex Tillerson says Trump got 'frustrated' when told he couldn't do something...](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/12/07/politics/rex-tillerson-donald-trump/index.html)** > > In a rare public appearance since he was fired from office, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Donald Trump “undisciplined” and claimed that Trump would often ask him to do things unaware that such actions would violate the law. Remember how he promised to ban Muslims from entering the country? > **[Appeals Court Declares Third Muslim Ban Unconstitutional | ACLU](https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/appeals-court-declares-third-muslim-ban-unconstitutional)** Repeatedly blocked. Over and over he ran against a wall when he found that he was limited in his role. It’s no wonder he idolizes Putin and Kim Jong Un. They wouldn’t have faced the roadblocks he constantly ran into. He literally couldn’t do the things that panicked people feared he would do. What he did was awful, but he wasn’t omnipotent. And as terrible as it would be if he was somehow elected again, no, democracy will not end. It will take a lot of damage and I think it would be a really, really bad sign for this country. But it will continue to be a democratic country, even if it’s a democratic country in big trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8156 "2023-07-22T06:14:08Z")
Ok, so ‘some’ people feared he would be an absolute autocrat. Pretty sure most people did not, though. He went further than most thought he would, at that. Sure, if you look at the extreme cases, they were wrong. But that wasn’t exactly a predominant sentiment. Just going through some of the still-going threads shows that. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8157 "2023-07-22T06:31:10Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Ok, so ‘some’ people feared he would be an absolute autocrat. Absolutely, just as “some” people are currently at this very moment saying that democracy will end if he’s elected again. And I’m pushing back against those people as I did the other hyperbolic people back then. My point is that history is just repeating itself. Note that when I said the board was filled with hyperbole, it was from a pretty vocal minority if memory serves. Hopefully we will never know who is right and he never holds office ever again. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8158 "2023-07-22T14:40:39Z")
This could probably go in a number of different threads. Kenosha, WI (and few other places) host a large, multi-day, country music festival. The headliner tonight is Jason Aldean. A local (black) reporter went down there to cover it and had racist slurs shouted at her. > **['Do better people.' TMJ4 reporter in Milwaukee called racist slur at Country...](https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/07/21/tmj4-reporter-in-milwaukee-called-racist-slur-at-country-thunder/70443645007/)** > > Taylor Lumpkin was twice called a racist slur and yelled at by a festgoer at Country Thunder in Twin Lakes Thursday while covering the event. Then (also mentioned in the article) Kenosha’s local newspaper had a headline reading “Setting up to have a really great time” along with this picture. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F1kasCPXwAcFXAP?format=jpg&name=900x900) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F1kasCPXwAcFXAP?format=jpg&name=900x900) Not knowing anything about the Kenosha News, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they simply didn’t notice the Confederate flag…which, upon closer inspection, is a [combination of the Confederate and Gadsden flag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Gadsden_Confederate_Flag_%28Colored_Rattler%29.svg/512px-Gadsden_Confederate_Flag_%28Colored_Rattler%29.svg.png?20180729054220). I’ve never seen that one before. I didn’t know you could tell me who you are and double down all in one flag. I’ve been hearing about him for the last few weeks, but never heard the song. I’ve read a few lyrics and heard him defend it, but that’s about it. However, this is one of those cases where, even if he honestly didn’t intend for the song to have any racist connotations at all…it’s very clear that’s how his fans are interpreting it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8159 "2023-07-22T15:00:53Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > there are a series of checks and balances, You mean, like the Supreme Court? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8160 "2023-07-22T16:09:10Z")
Yes, like the Supreme Court which ruled against Trump repeatedly. You don’t think they have any particular allegiance to him, do you? > **[Supreme Court rules Donald Trump must turn over taxes to House committee](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-rules-donald-trump-turn-taxes-house/story?id=93814652)** > > The U.S. Supreme Court has denied former President Donald Trump's request to block an order that he surrender his tax returns to a House committee. > **[Supreme Court rejects controversial Trump-backed election law theory | CNN...](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/06/27/politics/supreme-court-election-clause-case/index.html)** > > The Supreme Court said Tuesday that the North Carolina Supreme Court did not violate the elections clause of the US Constitution when it invalidated the state’s 2022 congressional map > **[U.S. Supreme Court formally ends Trump's fight over Capitol attack records](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-formally-ends-trumps-fight-over-capitol-attack-records-2022-02-22/)** > > The court rejected former President Trump’s request to block the release of White House records sought by the Democratic-led congressional panel investigating the 2021 Capitol attack. > **[Donald Trump Keeps Getting Rejected by the Supreme Court](https://newrepublic.com/article/168170/trump-supreme-court-client-cases)** > > The former president seems to think the justices are going to help him. They keep showing him that they won’t. However much they are in the bag for the Republicans, that clearly does **not** include Trump. Remember, SCOTUS does not have to face reelection. They don’t have to pander to a MAGA base to stay in power. They can say “fuck off” to Trump with no worries. They are going to be around a hell of a lot longer than him. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8161 "2023-07-22T16:48:35Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > They are going to be around a hell of a lot longer than him. If Trump is elected, the current Supreme Court members may find themselves outnumbered by the new additional members: Sydney Powell, Rudy Guiliani, Boebert, Lindell, etc., etc. These new judges will know how to rule “properly” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8162 "2023-07-22T16:51:04Z")
Is Trump going to start assassinating Supreme Court Justices? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8163 "2023-07-22T16:53:04Z")
Packing the court. He can’t do that you say? Sure. But what if he did? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8164 "2023-07-22T17:29:19Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Yes, like the Supreme Court which ruled against Trump repeatedly. You don’t think they have any particular allegiance to him, do you? I don’t know. Go try to have an abortion, and report back. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8165 "2023-07-22T17:32:16Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Atamasama](#): > > > > Yes, like the Supreme Court which ruled against Trump repeatedly. You don’t think they have any particular allegiance to him, do you? > > I don’t know. Go try to have an abortion, and report back. - That’s not loyalty to Trump, that’s loyalty to regressive Republican “values”. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8166 "2023-07-22T18:22:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > That’s not loyalty to Trump, that’s loyalty to regressive Republican “values”. Bingo. The Supreme Court has no allegiance to Trump. Never have. IIRC, he didn’t even appoint “his” people; he was fed names from a conservative think tank. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8167 "2023-07-22T18:59:57Z")
In my opinion, this is not the thread for this debate. I wish folks would take this somewhere else. This is personal preference only. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8168 "2023-07-22T19:07:25Z")
Yeah, given that we have an entire separate thread for “Stupid Republicans” (and another, though little-used, for “Stupid Liberals”), it’d make more sense to keep this thread for non-partisan stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8169 "2023-07-22T19:11:39Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > My point is that history is just repeating itself. I think it would be good, though, to look at those things that won’t be the same the second time around. When elected, Donald Trump was hideously unprepared for the task of staffing the executive. In 2016, he had to rely on the Republican establishment to do so, and they saddled him with people like Jeff Sessions, Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Elaine Chao, Rick Perry - people who weren’t going to just automatically do anything Donald Trump tells them to do. I suggest that things will be different the next time around, because Donald Trump now knows the importance of getting his yes-men into those positions. And given the 2024 Senate map, if Donald Trump wins election he will almost certainly have a solid Senate majority to work with - possibly even one that could override filibusters with defections from a Democrat or two. It would require a whole lot of Republican Senators suddenly growing spines that they haven’t exhibited any propensity for over the past seven years to keep the executive branch law-abiding rather than Trump-abiding. They had a chance to stick a fork in him in 2021 and came up wanting - they’re not going to dare try it again against a victorious Trump in 2025. And even if a Republican senate organized some degree of resistance against the worst of Trump’s appointments, I would contemplate the likelihood of him “firing his way” through one Acting Secretary after another until he gets someone he wants in the key position. He might have to go through a lot of Jeffrey Rosens to get to the Jeffrey Clark he wants, but I don’t think he really cares about the collateral damage he would be doing to the executive departments. Would the judiciary stand up to him? I think that in many cases it would; but, again, a Donald Trump win probably means the House stays (or becomes more) Republican, which means that the number of judges on any federal court is up for revision. Kacsmaryk and Cannon get promotions to the Courts of Appeals, plenty of other judges competing to see who can be the Trumpiest move up, and hey - there are six more appeals courts than there are Supreme Court justices, what if we expanded the Supreme Court to conform to the historical practice of one justice per appeals court, no assassinations needed? And if Congress (somehow, for some reason) defies the president, what then? A “Stop the (Deep) State” rally on the Ellipse, and another Capitol siege? Congress has shown it won’t act against Trump when he did it before. Will he take another bite at the apple if offered? Will the Freedom Caucus convene a rump House of Representatives to do the President’s wishes after the bulk of the congresscritters have been chased away? Donald Trump had four years for practice, and he made some rookie mistakes early on that made it hard for him to recover later. I’m afraid he won’t make them this time around, and we dismiss that possibility at our peril. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Hopefully we will never know who is right and he never holds office ever again. Amen to that. ETA: Sorry to those who want this somewhere else. I got a little wound up. **Atamasama** , happy to discuss more in a different venue of your choice. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945/8170 "2023-07-22T19:27:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It will take a lot of damage and I think it would be a really, really bad sign for this country. But it will continue to be a democratic country, even if it’s a democratic country in big trouble. _Our children are being murdered in school, we had to sell the house to pay our medical bills and live in a van in various locations near the waterfront, working 60 hours a week to pay for food while having to negotiate Proud Boys’ check points to go just about anywhere and the church we do not go to sends strongmen out to take the 20% tithe they keep saying we are behind on. But, at least America is a Democracy, dammit!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945.md?page=407) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-1/931945.md?page=409)