# 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:** 149
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2961 "2011-05-14T04:20:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, strictly speaking, the right to assistance of counsel does not necessarily mean the right to have to government _pay_ for counsel. But then what does “if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided” mean? As a non-lawyer, I can’t see any other way to interpret that part of Miranda… ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2962 "2011-05-14T05:00:37Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > But then what does “if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided” mean? As a non-lawyer, I can’t see any other way to interpret that part of Miranda… That’s where the ‘slave’ part comes in. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2963 "2011-05-14T06:18:51Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > That’s where the ‘slave’ part comes in. Are you saying that Rand Paul _does_ consider lawyers slaves? Or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2964 "2011-05-14T06:26:46Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > Are you saying that Rand Paul _does_ consider lawyers slaves? Or something else? The law requires that you have a lawyer but not that the lawyer gets paid, see? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2965 "2011-05-14T06:53:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > That’s… not stupid. What McCain is non-stupidly responding to, is stupid. Was that not clear? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2966 "2011-05-14T13:19:41Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > The law requires that you have a lawyer but not that the lawyer gets paid, see? I’m not intentionally trying to be dense, but…no, I don’t see. A defendant is guaranteed a lawyer. Apparently, by your words, that lawyer may not be paid. By my reading of Rand Paul’s words, that’s slavery to him. If I’m wrong, I don’t understand why…so, I’ll ask again: Are you saying that Rand Paul _does_ consider lawyers slaves? ---
**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:** [May 14, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2967 "2011-05-14T14:18:51Z")
I’ll say that Rand Paul is an idiot, because no one is dragging lawyers out of their corner offices, stuffing them in cages and selling them to wealthy crack dealers to defend them in court for free. Public defenders are paid quite well. They defend people who can’t afford lawyers willingly. That’s what their job is. Where Rand Paul gets, “that’s slavery” is between him and his psychiatrist. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2968 "2011-05-14T14:43:21Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > I’m not intentionally trying to be dense, but…no, I don’t see. A defendant is guaranteed a lawyer. Apparently, by your words, that lawyer may not be paid. By my reading of Rand Paul’s words, that’s slavery to him. > > If I’m wrong, I don’t understand why…so, I’ll ask again: Are you saying that Rand Paul _does_ consider lawyers slaves? I think you got whooshed by **Biggirl** , **DS**. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2969 "2011-05-14T14:48:51Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I’ll say that Rand Paul is an idiot, because no one is dragging lawyers out of their corner offices, stuffing them in cages and selling them to wealthy crack dealers to defend them in court for free. > > Public defenders are paid quite well. They defend people who can’t afford lawyers willingly. That’s what their job is. Where Rand Paul gets, “that’s slavery” is between him and his psychiatrist. Oh, I’m sure he can find slavery inherent in the collection of taxpayer dollars to pay the PDs. Of course, that casts taxpayers in the role of slaves, rather than lawyers, but since his quoted words don’t actually mention lawyers, I’ll leave further speculation on the subject of his thoughts _vis-a-vis_ Public Defenders and slavery to others. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2970 "2011-05-14T14:51:52Z")
It could be worse. It’s not like they’re removing standards on purifying water in cities for the free market, are they? [http://quorumcall.wispolitics.com/2011/05/assembly-passes-bill-ending-requirement.html](http://quorumcall.wispolitics.com/2011/05/assembly-passes-bill-ending-requirement.html) [http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/121603108.html](http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/121603108.html) > [@](#): > > Democrats said the regulations are necessary to protect public health, noting that Wisconsin-based research has shown that public water systems contain viruses from leaking sanitary systems that make people sick. > > “There are outbreaks happening in these communities now,” said Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison). > > “Recycling your water from your toilet to your tap is not a good idea.” > > But Rep. Erik Severson (R-Star Prairie), a physician and author of the GOP-backed measure, said the decision on disinfecting water should be left to local officials. > > "They’re telling us, ‘Our water is great; please, please, please don’t make us pay millions to add chlorine to our water,’ " Severson said. “Why don’t we want these communities to make their own choices on this?” > > Severson said that chlorine also strips water of good bacteria helpful for digestion. Oh god. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2971 "2011-05-14T15:20:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I think you got whooshed by **Biggirl** , **DS**. :smack: Huh. Unintentionally dense, but in a different way than expected. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2972 "2011-05-14T16:21:20Z")
> [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > I’m not intentionally trying to be dense, but…no, I don’t see. A defendant is guaranteed a lawyer. Apparently, by your words, that lawyer may not be paid. By my reading of Rand Paul’s words, that’s slavery to him. > > If I’m wrong, I don’t understand why…so, I’ll ask again: Are you saying that Rand Paul _does_ consider lawyers slaves? Of course they are slaves. Don’t you remember when we went to the African area known as Lawyerland and grabbed all the people living there and brought them here in chains? Then we took them to America where we forced them to attend law school. Then we continued the subjugation by making them take high paying jobs. The shame of America ,lawyer slavery. They just want their… FREEDOM. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2973 "2011-05-15T17:41:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, strictly speaking, the right to assistance of counsel does not necessarily mean the right to have to government _pay_ for counsel. > [@Digital\_Stimulus](#): > > But then what does “if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided” mean? As a non-lawyer, I can’t see any other way to interpret that part of Miranda… The right to legal counsel doesn’t come from Miranda. Miranda established that suspects had to be _advised_ of their right to counsel. The point is that the right to have the government pay for your counsel _only attaches when the suspect cannot afford one himself_ (whereas Paul is presumably talking about universal healthcare, which is the logical result of “a right to healthcare”). Obviously, Paul’s comments are moronic, but the rebuttal used by the Salon writer doesn’t really hold up either. [QUOTE=Knorf] What McCain is non-stupidly responding to, is stupid. Was that not clear? [/QUOTE] Yeah, but in the context of this thread it would have made more sense to link to the stupidity itself, rather than McCain’s response. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2974 "2011-05-15T18:07:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yeah, but in the context of this thread it would have made more sense to link to the stupidity itself, rather than McCain’s response. For context, I think it’s not bad to point out the occasional example of Republican non-stupidity. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2975 "2011-05-15T18:16:30Z")
I guess it’s not like it needs its own thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2976 "2011-05-15T18:44:41Z")
The irony is that most Republican non-stupidity these days involves contradicting or confronting Republican stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lady)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2977 "2011-05-16T03:49:23Z")
As a newbie, I found this thread for the first time today. I then had to go back to the beginning, to get up to speed. 60 pages!? I’ve spent the whole day (well, except for napping, and eating) reading this stuff, and I’m not even halfway through! Why oh why did I turn up my nose at the Evelyn Wood course? Still, it was too good to miss. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2978 "2011-05-16T04:02:18Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lady](#): > > As a newbie, I found this thread for the first time today. I then had to go back to the beginning, to get up to speed. 60 pages!? I’ve spent the whole day (well, except for napping, and eating) reading this stuff, and I’m not even halfway through! > Why oh why did I turn up my nose at the Evelyn Wood course? > Still, it was too good to miss. The thread gets better and better as the Republicans get worse and worse, or perhaps dumber and dumberer. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2979 "2011-05-16T04:29:20Z")
Yeah, I’m chagrinning from ear to ear. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/2980 "2011-05-16T04:35:04Z")
I’d be chagrinning to if they weren’t being elected far too often. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=148) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=150)