# 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:** 1609
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32162 "2017-01-07T05:50:49Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Nobody does covert class antagonism like the Republicans. Covert? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32163 "2017-01-07T17:55:05Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Cooperating with the people who had to be convinced that the Chinese people had more value as living producers of tax revenue than by killing them all and converting their lands to horse pasture? :dubious: Well, there was an adjustment period on both sides :). But ultimately the Qing dynasty wasn’t half bad, was it ? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32164 "2017-01-07T18:03:38Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > That’s the Holman Rule. Probably will be used to hold as a threat against any civil service employee who doesn’t toe the POP\* party line. For example a NASA civilian employee working with satellite data on weather insisting on reporting actual numbers rather than Exxon provided numbers. Not fired, just reduced to $1 per year salary. > \*POP = Party of Pepe, the white supremacist cartoon frog. What would happen if someone started a Kickstarter to raise money to pay their salaries? ---
**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:** [January 7, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32165 "2017-01-07T18:10:58Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > What would happen if someone started a Kickstarter to raise money to pay their salaries? In all seriousness, it might violate rules concerning receiving gifts in their official capacity but I don’t know how far down the chain that applies or if there are different rules for “non-management”( ? ). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32166 "2017-01-07T19:14:12Z")
Remember all those Goppers telling us how Benghazi was the most evilest thing evvvaaaahhhh? Now they have a bill to[halve embassy security funding](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/security-embassy-benghazi-jerusalem_us_586d61f8e4b0b949393baead) unless we move the Israel embassy to Jerusalem. Over sixty million of you voted for these clowns. Congratulations. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32167 "2017-01-07T19:26:59Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > … Not fired, just reduced to $1 per year salary. Which has the particular advantage of forcing them to quit. Firing employees makes them eligible for unemployment insurance. > [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Covert? They play a good shell game with the teeming ignorati who comprise the bulk of their popular support, convincing them that getting screwed with their pants on is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32168 "2017-01-07T20:47:21Z")
nm ---
**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:** [January 7, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32169 "2017-01-07T21:27:12Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Interesting fact about \*that \*Great Wall : despite the colossal investment it didn’t actually, yanno, work. The Chinese \*still \*ended up with a Manchu dynasty. The Han were arguably better off cooperating with the Mongols & Jurchen rather than spending so much effort trying to keep them out at all costs, though. Maybe there’s a lesson there, too ;). Not to go too much into history, but before the chinese built the great wall, they were the leaders of trade in the indian ocean. Building the wall meant the didn’t build new ships or properly maintain the ones they had. After the great wall was done, their trade had dried up, creating a recession not just in china, but in all the countries that bordered the indian ocean. So, yes, they would have been doubly better off for cooperating. ETA: this relates to our own boondoggle. We could either increase our trade with other countries, and grow our economy, or we can spend our wealth trying to keep others out. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32170 "2017-01-07T21:50:52Z")
[Trump national security pick Monica Crowley is a big ole plagerist](http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/kfile-trump-monica-crowley-plagiarized-multiple-sources-2012-book/). I guess Trump has a thing for women who can’t come up with an original thought. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32171 "2017-01-07T21:55:44Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Which has the particular advantage of forcing them to quit. Firing employees makes them eligible for unemployment insurance. Curious as to how this would work. First, would they be eligible for unemployment? You can get unemployment in certain situations if your pay has been reduced, would this be one of those? Second, may govt employees have an employment contract of some sorts. Would their reduction in salary be considered a breach on the employers part enough to allow the employee to quit without being in breach themselves? Finally, I have no idea whether or not govt employees sign non-competes clauses, but if they do, would they still be held to them? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32172 "2017-01-07T22:03:29Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > [Trump national security pick Monica Crowley is a big ole plagerist](http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/kfile-trump-monica-crowley-plagiarized-multiple-sources-2012-book/). > > I guess Trump has a thing for women who can’t come up with an original thought. Monica Crowley? I haven’t heard _that_ name in years. But I don’t follow Fox News. Is she still blonde? Looks like it. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32173 "2017-01-07T22:53:49Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Monica Crowley? I haven’t heard _that_ name in years. But I don’t follow Fox News. > > Is she still blonde? Looks like it. I think it’s a requirement for work for Fox. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32174 "2017-01-08T00:05:19Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Remember all those Goppers telling us how Benghazi was the most evilest thing evvvaaaahhhh? > > Now they have a bill to[halve embassy security funding](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/security-embassy-benghazi-jerusalem_us_586d61f8e4b0b949393baead) unless we move the Israel embassy to Jerusalem. > > Over sixty million of you voted for these clowns. Congratulations. I honestly don’t think the Republican lawmakers are particularly worried. If (when) deaths occur at embassies because of these cuts to security, they’ll simply blame Hillary Clinton. They’ll hold some hearings, get a few rallies with calls of “lock her up”, and it’ll all be good. If there are any dissenting opinions, they’ll just bleat about the biased media, and yell “fake news!” a few times, and their supporters will love it. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32175 "2017-01-08T16:19:58Z")
Senate Republicans are going to start cabinet appointment [hearings](http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/politics/senate-confirmation-hearings-background-checks.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news) before background and conflict of interests investigations are done. This is, of course, unprecedented and the Ethics Office is “alarmed”. Democrats have vowed to do what they can to slow things down, but apparently shot themselves in the foot back when they were in charge and will be unable to filibuster. This quote from noted devil spawn John Cronyn (Asshole-TX) is laugh-worthy: > [@](#): > > “Holding up confirmations just for delay’s sake is irresponsible and it is dangerous,” said Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas. He added, “This is a dangerous world we are living in, and why in the world would we want to make it even more dangerous just to let our colleagues delay for delay’s sake President-elect Trump getting to fill his cabinet, particularly these important national security offices?” I’d think that he’s trying to be funny here, but I’m pretty sure his sense of humor was strangled at birth, as he should have been. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32176 "2017-01-08T16:29:09Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Remember all those Goppers telling us how Benghazi was the most evilest thing evvvaaaahhhh? > > Now they have a bill to[halve embassy security funding](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/security-embassy-benghazi-jerusalem_us_586d61f8e4b0b949393baead) unless we move the Israel embassy to Jerusalem. > > Over sixty million of you voted for these clowns. Congratulations. I’ve read lots of allegations of the Republicans putting party before country, and they’re debatable to some extent. But is there any way to explain this bill that isn’t putting Israeli interests ahead of the safety of Americans? ---
**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:** [January 8, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32177 "2017-01-08T16:32:30Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve read lots of allegations of the Republicans putting party before country, and they’re debatable to some extent. But is there any way to explain this bill that isn’t putting Israeli interests ahead of the safety of Americans? Pretty soon, America won’t even take a back seat, it’ll be bound and gagged in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32178 "2017-01-08T18:08:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > … > > This quote from noted devil spawn John Cronyn (Asshole-TX) is laugh-worthy: > > … Just as there exists basic, standard exaggeration, and above and beyond that hyperbole, there also exists basic, standard hypocrisy, and above and beyond that, to levels not before seen, there is Bastard Republican Hypocrisy. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32179 "2017-01-08T19:43:57Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Just as there exists basic, standard exaggeration, and above and beyond that hyperbole, there also exists basic, standard hypocrisy, and above and beyond that, to levels not before seen, there is Bastard Republican Hypocrisy. I would like to say that your structure, language, and, in particular, your rapier use of the comma, leaves me breathless. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32180 "2017-01-08T22:09:39Z")
I might have gotten a little comma happy. 😃 I hope the point of my thought was not drowned. Rapier? I think you have me confused with someone else. (Ben Rothlisburger?) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/32181 "2017-01-08T22:11:39Z")
He means the skinny little sword that French pansies use. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1608) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=1610)