# Stupid Democratic Idea of the Day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 7, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618 "2011-06-07T12:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/21 "2011-06-07T15:04:57Z")
I think that the stupid Democratic idea of the day was letting Weiner speak in public and it not being his resignation speech, and I’m a Democrat. They should have sat him down and said “listen here, moron, you resign right here right now, or we’ll run your ass through a fucking wood chipper, then post it on Twitter.” ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/22 "2011-06-07T15:07:07Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > **BOARD STRATEGY PRIMER FOR CONSERVATIVE POSTERS** > > 1. In every thread criticizing [a] conservative[s], drop in to disparage liberals for not instead focusing on [_liberal peccadillo perpetrated some time in the past 75 years_]. See, e.g. Mr. Moto, 2011; 2010; 2009, 2008, 2007… Don’t forget that Adlai Stevenson once accidentally shot and killed someone when he was 12 years old. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/23 "2011-06-07T15:08:56Z")
> [@Whack-a-mole](#): > > The constitutionality of the War Powers Act is and always has been in question. So far neither congress nor the president has decided to test it at the Supreme Court. Instead they choose to make noise and beat their drum and otherwise ignore it. > > Given the conservative nature of this Supreme Court and their deference to Executive power I suspect congress will not find a court amenable to their side of things. It’s still stupid. It’s exactly the kind of arrogance I so detested in Bush II, and the kind of abuse of power I thought Democrats hated. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/24 "2011-06-07T15:09:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > ::tumbleweed blows through thread; lone dog barks in the distance:: [One.](http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/16/us-usa-congrss-rangel-idUSTRE6AF47I20101116) > [@](#): > > Democratic Representative Charles Rangel, Congress’s former chief tax writer, was convicted by a congressional panel on Tuesday of ethics violations, many dealing with personal finances. > > A congressional ethics subcommittee found the veteran representative guilty of 11 counts, including failing to report rental income and improper use of a rent-stabilized apartment and soliciting charitable donations from people with business before Congress. [And](http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2010/10/29/washington-state-sues-moxie-media.html) [two](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2013876565_guest10maurer.html): > [@](#): > > The Washington state Office of the Attorney General on Friday filed a civil complaint against Seattle political consulting firm Moxie Media and others for allegedly violating state campaign finance disclosure laws. > > The lawsuit accuses Moxie Media, two of the firm’s employees and two political committees of obscuring the source of money behind mailings and telephone calls against 38th District state Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, before the August 2010 primary election. > [@](#): > > The story should surprise no one familiar with campaigns. Moxie Media is a liberal-leaning Seattle campaign firm and state Sen. Jean Berkey is a conservative Democrat who represented the 38th District. According to public investigatory materials, Berkey was a target for left-leaning groups working with Moxie. Because of our “top two” primary system, Moxie sought to eliminate Berkey from the general election by having her come in third behind Moxie’s preferred candidate, Nick Harper, as well as the other candidate in the race, conservative Rod Rieger. > > Moxie approached progressive groups and suggested they provide funding for political-action committees with conservative-sounding names to attack Berkey from the right, even though Moxie and these groups are unwavering progressives. The groups agreed and Moxie produced the advertisements promoting Rieger. > > The ploy worked: Rieger and Harper moved on to the general election, where Harper easily defeated Rieger. However, after the media started asking questions, the funders backed off and Moxie ended up paying for all the advertisements. Then there’s [Claire McCaskill](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/can-claire-mccaskill-weather-her-plane-problem/2011/03/21/ABejuuBB_blog.html)’s plane problems: > [@](#): > > Sen. Claire McCaskill’s admission that she owes nearly $300,000 in back taxes on a plane she co-owned with her husband is the latest in a series of revelations regarding the aircraft that have complicated the Missouri Democrat’s already-difficult path to reelection in 2012. > > The tax revelations come roughly a week after McCaskill acknowledged using the plane for both official travel and purely political business while charging taxpayers for the flights. [Fourth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/john-edwards-indicted-on-campaign-finance-charges-over-payments-to-hide-affair-with-rielle-hunter/2011/06/03/AGF8TMKH_story.html) item: > [@](#): > > Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards was indicted Friday on charges of violating federal election law for allegedly using nearly $1 million in illegal campaign donations to conceal an extramarital affair during his 2008 run for the Democratic presidential nomination. > > The former U.S. senator from North Carolina was charged in a six-count indictment with conspiring to receive the contributions from political donors and using them to hide his mistress, Rielle Hunter, and her pregnancy from the public so his campaign would not be damaged. [Fifth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041302257.html) item. > [@](#): > > Just three months after Eric Massa was elected to Congress, his young male employees on Capitol Hill began complaining to supervisors that the lawmaker was making aggressive, sexual overtures toward them, according to new interviews and internal documents. > > The senior staff, one of whom said he heard Massa (D-N.Y.) making lewd remarks to young staffers, tried to manage the problem internally. But reports of Massa’s inappropriate behavior continued, leaving junior workers feeling helpless, according to victims, other staffers and sources close to an ongoing House ethics investigation. Most asked not to be named due to the ethics probe and the risk of hurting their job prospects. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/25 "2011-06-07T15:15:30Z")
**Bricker** , please see my first sentence in post #16. I’m not arguing with any of the examples you show (especially not Massa or Edwards) but I’m looking for new stuff going forward, not a laundry list of dumbassery in the past. I have every confidence the politicos will not let me down. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/26 "2011-06-07T15:19:27Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > **Bricker** , please see my first sentence in post #16. I’m not arguing with any of the examples you show (especially not Massa or Edwards) but I’m looking for new stuff going forward, not a laundry list of dumbassery in the past. I have every confidence the politicos will not let me down. Gotcha. OK, fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/27 "2011-06-07T15:19:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > [One.](http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/16/us-usa-congrss-rangel-idUSTRE6AF47I20101116) > > [And](http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2010/10/29/washington-state-sues-moxie-media.html) [two](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2013876565_guest10maurer.html): > > Then there’s [Claire McCaskill](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/can-claire-mccaskill-weather-her-plane-problem/2011/03/21/ABejuuBB_blog.html)’s plane problems: > > [Fourth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/john-edwards-indicted-on-campaign-finance-charges-over-payments-to-hide-affair-with-rielle-hunter/2011/06/03/AGF8TMKH_story.html) item: > > [Fifth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041302257.html) item. The question was not whether democrats have sex scandals (or scandals in general). That much is obviously true. The assertion he was asking cites for was **Shodan’s** claim: _“It’s hard to keep a thread going when every other post is “That doesn’t count”. Even when the reason given are ridiculous.”_ Do you have examples of that? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/28 "2011-06-07T15:20:05Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > [One.](http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/16/us-usa-congrss-rangel-idUSTRE6AF47I20101116) > [And](http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2010/10/29/washington-state-sues-moxie-media.html) [two](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2013876565_guest10maurer.html): > > Then there’s [Claire McCaskill](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/can-claire-mccaskill-weather-her-plane-problem/2011/03/21/ABejuuBB_blog.html)’s plane problems: > > [Fourth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/john-edwards-indicted-on-campaign-finance-charges-over-payments-to-hide-affair-with-rielle-hunter/2011/06/03/AGF8TMKH_story.html) item: > > [Fifth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/13/AR2010041302257.html) item. I don’t suppose you have lists of policy stupidity? Because I’m willing to stipulate that Democrats are humans. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/29 "2011-06-07T15:24:17Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The assertion he was asking cites for was **Shodan’s** claim: _“It’s hard to keep a thread going when every other post is “That doesn’t count”. Even when the reason given are ridiculous.”_ > > Do you have examples of that? > [@Lobohan](#): > > I don’t suppose you have lists of policy stupidity? Because I’m willing to stipulate that Democrats are humans. Another way to do it would be to search on all posts made by **Dio**. **Shodan** ’s request is pretty easy. And I’m a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/30 "2011-06-07T15:26:59Z")
You’d think a guy who’s gone through life named Tony Weiner would have a better understanding of how public ridicule works. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/31 "2011-06-07T15:27:42Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Another way to do it would be to search on all posts made by **Dio**. Sure, can I put your name on the grant application? Because I’m not making an exhaustive study of Dio’s posts unless I’m getting paid. > [@](#): > > **Shodan** ’s request is pretty easy. And I’m a Democrat. What request is that? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/32 "2011-06-07T15:36:32Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > What request is that? Oh, yeah. I meant **Whack-a-mole** ’s request for examples of **Shodan** ’s claim that every other post is ‘that doesn’t count.’ I think your post about policy stupidity is a pretty good example of ‘those don’t count.’ And for **Dio** , to simplify the task, I guess just read through the thread in MPSIMS about Weiner, as each post by him after the truth came out is why it doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/33 "2011-06-07T15:46:20Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Oh, yeah. I meant **Whack-a-mole** ’s request for examples of **Shodan** ’s claim that every other post is ‘that doesn’t count.’ > > I think your post about policy stupidity is a pretty good example of ‘those don’t count.’ I’d disagree. A sex scandal on the Republican side is noteworthy because they have “family values” as a core pillar of their platform. A Republican acting in a non-Christian way is betraying his constituents. There is no similar holier-than-thou mentality on the left. > [@](#): > > And for **Dio** , to simplify the task, I guess just read through the thread in MPSIMS about Weiner, as each post by him after the truth came out is why it doesn’t count. I’d say thinking that Weinergate isn’t important is reasonable. I don’t see that he did anything worth stepping down over. He lied when faced with an embarrassing truth. That’s human nature. When Larry Craig, who voted against gay rights every chance he got was reaching for hot-anonymous-airport-cock, that’s hypocrisy. What has Weiner advocated professionally that is analogous here? Now mind you, I’m not saying I’m pleased with his actions, but if David Vitter is still in congress, there is no way on Earth Weiner needs to step down. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/34 "2011-06-07T15:48:29Z")
The thread on Republicans is not dedicated to personal scandals and foibles, but to actually policy and legislative ideas offered by elected Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/35 "2011-06-07T15:48:39Z")
(responding to **Lobohan** )Sure, those are all valid opinions; nevertheless, it’s another post of ‘that doesn’t count.’ That’s all that was requested. Now you’re trying to say examples of ‘that doesn’t count’ don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/36 "2011-06-07T15:54:53Z")
> [@bup](#): > > (responding to **Lobohan** )Sure, those are all valid opinions; nevertheless, it’s another post of ‘that doesn’t count.’ That’s all that was requested. Now you’re trying to say examples of ‘that doesn’t count’ don’t count. Noting something doesn’t count is not wrong in and of itself. Pointing out that two, seemingly similar events, are only that way on a superficial level and that there are important distinctions is fine. **Shodan** would like a free pass by belittling “that doesn’t count” when he (or whoever) makes a false equivalence argument. The additional piece that really needs to be included is, _“Even when the reason given are ridiculous.”_ Seems to me he needs to make the case that the reasoning is dubious. Doubtless it has happened around here but it is the case he has to make. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/37 "2011-06-07T15:55:00Z")
> [@bup](#): > > (responding to **Lobohan** )Sure, those are all valid opinions; nevertheless, it’s another post of ‘that doesn’t count.’ That’s all that was requested. Now you’re trying to say examples of ‘that doesn’t count’ don’t count. Obviously some things should count and others shouldn’t, right? I mean crossing against the light or parking tickets don’t count, right? Getting pineapple on a pizza doesn’t count, right? If there aren’t standards, anything counts. And as I say, sex scandals aren’t Republican or Democrat ideas. They’re human ideas. The reason a sex scandal should count for Republicans is that they stupidly claim they are above it as a party. So the stupid idea isn’t that David Vitter likes sticking his dick in strange, it’s that the party pretends they have a lock on decency. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/38 "2011-06-07T15:58:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The assertion he was asking cites for was **Shodan’s** claim: _“It’s hard to keep a thread going when every other post is “That doesn’t count”. Even when the reason given are ridiculous.”_ > > Do you have examples of that? Here is every post in this thread that says some variety of “that doesn’t count:” > [@Smapti](#): > > So is “posting crotch-shots on the web” being proposed as a platform of the Democratic party, then? > > I call “Bullshit false equivalency”. > [@elninost0rm](#): > > EDIT: Beaten by **Smapti** > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Generally pointing to Republican foibles is pointing out their hypocrisy. > > Chris Lee was a “family values” republican. > Larry Craig pushed for anti-gay legislation > Newt Gingrich takes Clinton to task for a BJ when Newt was diddling other women who were not his wife. > Sarah Palin wants to portray herself as understanding what America is really about but does not know her history. > > Weiner was colossally stupid here but he was not hypocritical that I am aware of (to himself or to party ideals). > > And just for the lulz: [Damn it Weiner! - Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/aaoJk.jpg) 😃 > [@Gyrate](#): > > You sound just like **Clothahump** : “There are so many to choose from and we all know Democrats are stupid but I couldn’t possibly be bothered to name any because you’ll only say they don’t count because you’re all liberal sheeple.” > > If you’ve got examples, bring 'em. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The constitutionality of the War Powers Act is and always has been in question. So far neither congress nor the president has decided to test it at the Supreme Court. Instead they choose to make noise and beat their drum and otherwise ignore it. > > Given the conservative nature of this Supreme Court and their deference to Executive power I suspect congress will not find a court amenable to their side of things. > [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > See, e.g. Mr. Moto, 2011; 2010; 2009, 2008, 2007… > > Don’t forget that Adlai Stevenson once accidentally shot and killed someone when he was 12 years old. > [@Lobohan](#): > > I don’t suppose you have lists of policy stupidity? Because I’m willing to stipulate that Democrats are humans. Now, as far as the reasons given being ridiculous… 1. Since the original Republican thread is full of similar non-policy-based attacks on general Republican stupid behavior, any “false equivalence” objection is ridiculous. 2. Claiming that the issue is hypocrisy and that Democrats are immune from charges of hypocrisy is ridiculous. In [this video](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/flashback-weiners-web-lies-13776485), Weinner makes several broad statements that are (knowing what we now know) hypocritical. 3. Your own deflection of the charge that Obama was flouting the War Powers Act requirements does not ring sincere, given your unwillingness to extend to Bush the same laissez-faire attitude about issues that lacked a court’s final judgement. I think that covered the general areas. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/39 "2011-06-07T16:01:05Z")
So, what did this guy do, again? He talked dirty on the interwebs? Gasp! I can certainly understand how the victims of his intrusion would rush to condemn his assault on their virtue. Except, of course, it seems as though they didn’t. Almost seems as though this was a bit of foolishness amongst consenting parties. Tony Weiner is going down. He has enemies, and his “friends” are the leadership of the Dem party, who don’t like him that much. He’s a bit of a lefty, don’t you know, doesn’t quite fit in with the Republican Lite “centrist” leadership. But,seriously, folks…what’s the big hairy ass deal, here? Who was victimized by his tawdry, juvenile behavior? And what impact does this have on the scourge of cognitive dissonance, number one threat to the Republic? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618/40 "2011-06-07T16:06:29Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The thread on Republicans is not dedicated to personal scandals and foibles, but to actually policy and legislative ideas offered by elected Republicans. Really? I seem to recall posts there excoriating Palin for misusing or inventing words, like refudiate. Is that a policy or a legislative idea? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-democratic-idea-of-the-day/584618.md?page=3)