# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 138
**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:** [April 2, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2741 "2011-04-02T18:51:10Z")
Interesting, the way that links can be disguised as simple quote boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2742 "2011-04-02T18:58:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Interesting, the way that links can be disguised as simple quote boxes. Wrap both quote tags with url tag. It then becomes: [ > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Interesting, the way that links can be disguised as simple quote boxes. ]([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13643492&postcount=2741](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13643492&postcount=2741)) Sometimes the entire quote is clickable–but on edit, I’m not sure how to specifically code for that. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2743 "2011-04-02T19:11:19Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > [Wrap both quote tags with url tag. It then becomes: > [URL=“http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13643492&postcount=2741”]](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13643517&postcount=2742) > > Sometimes the entire quote is clickable–but on edit, I’m not sure how to specifically code for that. By putting the URL tags within the quote tags ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2744 "2011-04-02T19:53:08Z")
If you look at Snowboarder Bo’s post, the entire box is linked, but the text itself isn’t styled as a URL. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2745 "2011-04-02T21:24:43Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > If you look at Snowboarder Bo’s post, the entire box is linked, but the text itself isn’t styled as a URL. Right, I thought you were asking how to get it to show up the other way. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2746 "2011-04-05T13:03:23Z")
[Maureen Dowd](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/opinion/03dowd.html) reports on a Congressional hearing about allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Apparently, the expense was a key issue. :smack: > [@](#): > > Two top Pentagon officials testified that the transition was going swimmingly, yet Republicans scoffed. Representative Austin Scott of Georgia demanded the price tag. Clifford Stanley, an under secretary of defense, replied that the training materials cost only $10,000. > > Scott harrumphed, “If something was done at D.O.D. for $10,000, I would like to know what it was.” He said that hundreds of thousands had been spent training a soldier in his district to disarm I.E.D.’s, but the soldier wouldn’t re-enlist because of the “social policy.” > > The Democrat Chellie Pingree of Maine jumped in to note that the cost of purging gays between 2004 and 2009 was $193.3 million: “It’s not only unconscionable … but the costs are horrendous.” Her article has more funnies, e.g. > [@](#): > > “Well,” Scott said, once more at a loss, “that’s not the answer I thought you would give, to be honest with you.” > > Gortney assured him there were “very few cases” of gays’ being dismissed for violating the standard of conduct. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2747 "2011-04-05T13:12:39Z")
Penny-wise and pound-foolish…but mostly informed by their own bigotry. $193 million to discharge gay soldiers for simply being gay is outweighed by $10,000 to educate soldiers on the new rules. Because gay is bad, mmmkay? ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2748 "2011-04-05T13:38:43Z")
> [@](#): > > “We cannot repair the economy without addressing the deep cultural issues that are tearing apart the family and society,” said Andy Blom of the American Principles Project. By that reasoning, to fix the economy we need to get rid of people like Scott, Wilson and Blom who are fomenting dissension in society and government. If the Pentagon is getting on “swimmingly” with transition and the change will save millions, surely the worst thing to do would be to disrupt that process? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2749 "2011-04-05T14:26:54Z")
The proposal to cut $5.3 trillion dollars in the next whatever includes additional tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and individuals. So fuck you, American citizens, and your little dogs, too. The notion that draconian spending cuts will somehow _increase_ jobs (something than Boner has specifically said) is staggering in its stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Normal\_Phase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Normal\_Phase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Normal_Phase)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2750 "2011-04-05T16:02:41Z")
It’s not stupid. It’s just a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2751 "2011-04-05T16:25:15Z")
It’s known as the Republican platform. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2752 "2011-04-05T17:05:00Z")
If we have start trying to distinguish between stupidity and lies, this thread just got more complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2753 "2011-04-05T18:46:11Z")
True enough. I see in today’s NYT that Obama has thrown down the gauntlet on extending the budget deadline and said no more fucking cuts. I guess we’ll see if he can call their bluff or not, and if they have the will to carry through on their threats to allow government to shut down. They, of course, don’t sweat not getting their paychecks. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2754 "2011-04-05T19:02:17Z")
The “calling the bluff” analogy is a bit off the mark. In poker, from whence the term derives, you call someones bluff, they gotta show their cards, and its over. In this case, if Obama calls their bluff, they can raise, and raise again. Once the shutdown starts rolling, they can raise their demands for compromise, they can demand a law that says the Federalist Society and the Koch Brothers get veto power on Supreme Court appointments.\* They were, in saner times, held in check by public opinion. They no longer seem to care about that, they only care about the solid minority that put them there, they’re dancing with the one what brung them. We live in interesting times. - I’m kidding. I hope. Ha, ha! Ha. Ha? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2755 "2011-04-05T19:19:02Z")
I have a cow-orker who is from Canada. He has informed us that, in Canada (and this may just be him, but work with me here), when one says, “Hmm, that’s interesting,” it’s actually a polite way of saying, “Wow, that’s stupid.” We’ve taken to referring to less popular ideas as being 'Canadian interesting." > [@elucidator](#): > > We live in interesting times. Yes, very interesting, indeed. ---
**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:** [April 5, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2756 "2011-04-05T19:26:14Z")
In Minnesota, we say, “that’s different.” ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2757 "2011-04-05T19:30:51Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > In Minnesota, we say, “that’s different.” Do you do it with a significant pause? “That’s…different…” That’s how my mom always used “interesting” when she didn’t want to say outright “I hate that and I think you’re insane for liking it.” Me: Mom, don’t you love that sweater? Mom: It’s very…interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2758 "2011-04-05T20:12:18Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I have a cow-orker who is from Canada. He has informed us that, in Canada (and this may just be him, but work with me here), when one says, “Hmm, that’s interesting,” it’s actually a polite way of saying, “Wow, that’s stupid.” > > We’ve taken to referring to less popular ideas as being 'Canadian interesting." > > Yes, very interesting, indeed. In America, those with classier upbringing say “How interesting.” The rest of us say “No shit?” ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2759 "2011-04-05T21:37:15Z")
WTF!!! [http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544\_162-20050970-503544.html](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20050970-503544.html) While I applaud Paul Ryan’s courage in embracing one of the third rails of politics (privitizing medicare), I am fucking stunned that he thinks that what we need now is MORE TAX CUTS for the rich. What’s more, he is downplaying the impact of these proposed tax cuts by using “dynamic scoring” which is another way of saying, the tax cuts will largely pay for themselves. Its one thing to say that lower taxes leaves more money in the economy, which can lead to more economic activity. Its an entirely different thing to assume that the positive effect of these tax cuts will have as much of an effect as he assumes while AT THE SAME TIME assuming that there will be no negative economic impact from reducing government spending by trillions of dollars. I’m fine with cutting spending, it may very well be necessary, but we need to be honest with ourselves about the short term economic effects of pulling that much money out of the economy. He also claims that we will cut tax expenditures to cover the cost of the tax cuts (which is a small number because of dynamic scoring) by cuting expenditures by that smaller number, without accounting for the fact that dynamic scoring GOES BOTH WAYS. You can’t say I will cut taxes by 2% but it will really only be 1% because of dyanamic scoring and then I will pay for that tax cut by eliminating other tax cuts (i.e. increasing taxes) equal to 1%. He is in effect claiming to be able to pay for a 2% tax cut with a 1 % tax increase. I’m not saying taht this is impossible. Some taxes are more economically efficient than others, but he doesn’t make taht distinction, he assumes all tax cuts will only reduce revenue by a percentage of what teh CBO would say while eliminating other tax breaks will increase revenue by what teh CBO would estimate. There are only a limited number of big ticket tax expenditure items that can cover that sort of nut. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2760 "2011-04-05T22:00:01Z")
GOP-controlled Florida House of Representatives bans [“uterus”](http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/cerabino-florida-house-gops-uterus-ban-a-free-1369799.html). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=137) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=139)