# 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:** 2006
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40102 "2019-01-10T23:57:33Z")
In connection with a thread in About This Message Board, about how Google changed its algorithms so that SDMB posts rarely show up, I was interested to see that the phrase DOES show up. Nothing to bury it under, I guess, as there were no other results (others who’ve made the joke used slightly different phrasing, apparently). [/end high-jack] ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40103 "2019-01-11T20:45:34Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Texas county seeks to remove GOP vice chair because he’s a Muslim. No, that is explicitly the reason > [MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-county-gop-to-vote-on-proposal-to-remove-vice-chairman-because-he-is-muslim/ar-BBS37qN) > > So you see, because GOPers in Texas have bigoted ideas about Muslims, he has to go! It’s just that simple, he doesn’t pass the religious test y’all. > > By the same logic, it is A-OK that Trump represents ALL Republicans, and he is an impenetrable idiot. Got it. Muslim vice-chair of Texas county GOP survives effort to oust him over his religion [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/muslim-vice-chair-of-texas-county-gop-survives-effort-to-oust-him-over-his-religion/ar-BBS6KOJ?li=BBnbfcL](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/muslim-vice-chair-of-texas-county-gop-survives-effort-to-oust-him-over-his-religion/ar-BBS6KOJ?li=BBnbfcL) > [@](#): > > Shahid Shafi, a trauma surgeon and city council member, was backed in a 139-49 vote after more than two hours of closed door discussions. Cheers could be heard outside as the results were read. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40104 "2019-01-11T21:24:58Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Muslim vice-chair of Texas county GOP survives effort to oust him over his religion > > [MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/muslim-vice-chair-of-texas-county-gop-survives-effort-to-oust-him-over-his-religion/ar-BBS6KOJ?li=BBnbfcL) I’m pleased to see that a majority of Republicans supported him. ---
**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 11, 2019, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40105 "2019-01-11T21:25:27Z")
Brian Kolfage, the guy who had the GoFundMe to raise money to build the wall, has ended his campaign (though the page is still up), and is organizing a private charity to build the wall. He tapped former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Blackwater founder Erik Prince as advisers. > **[Florida Man Says He's Ending GoFundMe Border Wall Campaign, Vows To Build It...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gofundme-trump-border-wall-donations_n_5c38eea3e4b0e0baf53d4a87?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=main_fb)** > > Brian Kolfage's online fundraiser is officially over, but his dream of building Donald Trump's wall lives on. One wonders how a private charity is going to be able to get access to the private land that the wall would need to be built on. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40106 "2019-01-12T00:12:07Z")
I wonder how much they will be paid for their ‘leadership’. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40107 "2019-01-12T00:13:30Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I wonder how much they will be paid for their ‘leadership’. THAT’S the salient question. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40108 "2019-01-12T02:47:17Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Brian Kolfage, the guy who had the GoFundMe to raise money to build the wall, has ended his campaign (though the page is still up), and is organizing a private charity to build the wall. He tapped former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Blackwater founder Erik Prince as advisers. > [Florida Man Says He's Ending GoFundMe Border Wall Campaign, Vows To Build It Himself | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gofundme-trump-border-wall-donations_us_5c38eea3e4b0e0baf53d4a87?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=main_fb&) > > One wonders how a private charity is going to be able to get access to the private land that the wall would need to be built on. Blackwater can use the “military version of eminent domain”. ---
**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 13, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40109 "2019-01-13T00:08:01Z")
The names of the seven Republicans who voted no on the bill to provide federal employees with back pay while the shutdown is going on: Justin Amash (R-Michigan) Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin) Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) Chip Roy (R-Texas) Ted Yoho (R-Florida) [https://gritpost.com/7-republicans-back-pay-workers/?fbclid=IwAR1bClK6v7r7miNaVbDiojQqgN16TFE4yEoKIv1KmMXOj8dt0DfnIn9xy80](https://gritpost.com/7-republicans-back-pay-workers/?fbclid=IwAR1bClK6v7r7miNaVbDiojQqgN16TFE4yEoKIv1KmMXOj8dt0DfnIn9xy80) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40110 "2019-01-13T00:13:56Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Brian Kolfage, the guy who had the GoFundMe to raise money to build the wall, has ended his campaign (though the page is still up), and is organizing a private charity to build the wall. He tapped former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Blackwater founder Erik Prince as advisers. > [Florida Man Says He's Ending GoFundMe Border Wall Campaign, Vows To Build It Himself | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gofundme-trump-border-wall-donations_us_5c38eea3e4b0e0baf53d4a87?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=main_fb&) > > One wonders how a private charity is going to be able to get access to the private land that the wall would need to be built on. Apparently Kolfage was playing fast and loose with the ‘return donations if goal not met’ rules of Go Fund Me: > [@](#): > > Also, as the campaign 💥, Kolfage’s been changing the language about refunding $ > > 12/18 "If for ANY reason we don’t reach our goal we will refund your donation” > 12/19: saying they will hold funds, but will refund if goal not hit > 12/22: refund promise gone > Now: Will hold all funds (Documents are linked/shown in the tweet) > ---
**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 13, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40111 "2019-01-13T20:43:52Z")
“Lyin Ted” Cruz said, when asked about Traitor Trump keeping secrets about his conversations with Putin, yeah what about that time Obama leaned closer to the Russian dude and said “Tell Vlad that I’ll have more freedom after yadda yadda.” He said that Obama was trying to keep that secret but the mike caught it. Therefore I guess it’s cool to let Trump and his boss meet in private. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40112 "2019-01-14T05:00:24Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Brian Kolfage, the guy who had the GoFundMe to raise money to build the wall, has ended his campaign (though the page is still up), and is organizing a private charity to build the wall. He tapped former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Blackwater founder Erik Prince as advisers. > [Florida Man Says He's Ending GoFundMe Border Wall Campaign, Vows To Build It Himself | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gofundme-trump-border-wall-donations_us_5c38eea3e4b0e0baf53d4a87?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=main_fb&) > > One wonders how a private charity is going to be able to get access to the private land that the wall would need to be built on. Here’s what I posted in the comments section of a Yahoo! article about the end of that GoFundMe campaign: > [@Monty on Yahoo!](#): > > Dream on with building that wall yourself, Veteran Bigot. The border has both private and government land. You’re certainly not building on government land and not all the private landowners share your irrationality. ---
**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 14, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40113 "2019-01-14T20:58:05Z")
Rand Paul is going to Canada for surgery. I guess socialized medicine is fine for some people … [Rand Paul To Go To Canada For Surgery Related To 2017 Attack By Neighbor - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/rand-paul-canada-for-surgery)? ---
**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 14, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40114 "2019-01-14T21:02:51Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rand Paul is going to Canada for surgery. I guess socialized medicine is fine for some people … > [Rand Paul To Go To Canada For Surgery Related To 2017 Attack By Neighbor - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/rand-paul-canada-for-surgery)? Do Canadian hospitals take gold? ---
**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 14, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40115 "2019-01-14T21:07:06Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rand Paul is going to Canada for surgery. I guess socialized medicine is fine for some people … > [Rand Paul To Go To Canada For Surgery Related To 2017 Attack By Neighbor - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/rand-paul-canada-for-surgery)? To pre-empt the nitwits who will bleat: “Ah hah! It is a \*private \*clinic in Canada. This proves that socialized medicine is a failure!” 1. It is private in the same way that your doctor in Canada runs her business as a private corporation. She merely has a single insurance company that her private business must deal with. 2. The clinic has many patients from Ontario under the public system. 3. Those patients from overseas must pay themselves, those from Ontario pay through the public system. 4. If patients want, they can pay extra, and get the “5 star hotel treatment” rooms, rather than standard. These special rooms are not covered under Canadian medical insurance, nor should they be. The clinic is renowned as having excellent outcomes for hernia operations. And it operates nicely within the public system. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40116 "2019-01-14T22:13:33Z")
[**‘Senior Trump Official’ On Shutdown: ‘We Do Not Want Most Employees To Return’**](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/senior-trump-official-anonymous-daily-caller-op-ed-shutdown-federal-workers) > [@](#): > > An unnamed “senior official in the Trump administration” wrote in an anonymous Daily Caller op-ed Monday that the record-breaking 24-day partial government shutdown “is an opportunity to strip wasteful government agencies for good.” > > While it’s unclear how “senior” this administration official is — many senior Trump officials are still being paid, while the author claims to be “one of the senior officials working without a paycheck” — the op-ed could offer a window into another goal of this shutdown, in addition to using federal workers’ paychecks as leverage in an attempt to extract border wall funds from Congress: starving the government. > > The op-ed’s author wrote that “many federal agencies are now operating more effectively from the top down on a fraction of their workforce” and that “we do not want most employees to return, because we are working better without them.” > > … > > “Now that we are shut down, not only are we identifying and eliminating much of the sabotage and waste, but we are finally working on the president’s agenda,” the official wrote, adding in conclusion: “Wasteful government agencies are fighting for relevance but they will lose. Now is the time to deliver historic change by cutting them down forever.” > … My emphasis. 😕 Are there some rooting for the shutdown for this reason?? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40117 "2019-01-14T22:39:57Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [**‘Senior Trump Official’ On Shutdown: ‘We Do Not Want Most Employees To Return’**](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/senior-trump-official-anonymous-daily-caller-op-ed-shutdown-federal-workers) > My emphasis. > > 😕 > > Are there some rooting for the shutdown for this reason?? Yes, absolutely. They’ll call it shrinking the size of government. Fewer inspectors at meat plants. Fewer people at OSHA. What? Permits holding up business? Fine, just rewrite regulations so that permits aren’t required. ---
**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 14, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40118 "2019-01-14T23:44:50Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Yes, absolutely. > > They’ll call it shrinking the size of government. Fewer inspectors at meat plants. Fewer people at OSHA. What? Permits holding up business? Fine, just rewrite regulations so that permits aren’t required. 1. Profit! ---
**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 15, 2019, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40119 "2019-01-15T00:39:59Z")
The shutdown is not a tactic to get the wall. At least not now. It’s become the other way around. The wall campaign is now an excuse to destroy public assets, seize public lands, and “Smash the State.” Billionaires dream of throwing off the yoke of democracy. With as much money as they have to spend, there are always those fools who will sell a revolutionary the ammunition the revolution will use to shoot them. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40120 "2019-01-15T02:38:42Z")
Well, we have to wait until the bank lends us the money. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40121 "2019-01-15T03:25:15Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Apparently this was a slip of the tongue > > [King of Iowa](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html)\* in the interview, said he was not a racist. … he said, he supports immigrants who enter the country legally and fully assimilate because what matters more than race is “the culture of America” based on values brought to the United States by whites from Europe. > > “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” Mr. King said. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”\* > > Once it was pointed out to him what he said, he put out a statement that he did not support white supremacists, while quickly burning all the photos and negatives that showed a confederate battle flag on his desk. Well, apparently Mr. King managed to screw up one time too many, because his fellow Republicans are shocked; Shocked! that he could make such comments. So they have taken some action: [https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Dem-pushes-censure-for-Rep-King-over-white-13532832.php](https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Dem-pushes-censure-for-Rep-King-over-white-13532832.php) > [@](#): > > King, in his ninth term representing Iowa, will not be given committee assignments in the Congress that began this month, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Monday night. King served on the Agriculture, Small Business and Judiciary committees in the last Congress, and he chaired Judiciary’s subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Given he’s from Iowa, being booted from the Agriculture committee is the one that will sting (albeit I’m happy he’s not chairing Constitution and Civil Justice…talk about things that don’t belong together…) Heck, even Ol’Mitch can read… > [@](#): > > McConnell, in his statement, said he has “no tolerance” for the positions offered by King, and said “those who espouse these views are not supporters of American ideals and freedoms. Rep. King’s statements are unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position. If he doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work.” Couldn’t happen to a nicer scum of the earth, IMHO [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2005) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2007)