# 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:** 2011
**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 25, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40202 "2019-01-25T07:33:53Z")
Not the most unbiased source, [here, but](https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/democrats-burst-out-laughing-as-lindsey-graham-reopens-investigation-into-hillary-clintons-emails/) rumor has it that fresh new senate judiciary committee chair Linsey Graham intends to reopen the investigation into Ms. Clinton’s but-her-e-mails, which brought forth mockery and mirth from the Ds on the committee, who suggested he might also want to look into Benghazi, and maybe the Bermuda Triangle. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40203 "2019-01-25T10:20:50Z")
FTR I was aware of (and amused by at the time) the Swiss team’s America’s Cup victories. But I’m pretty sure the Swiss sailing team isn’t a part of their military. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40204 "2019-01-25T15:43:31Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado goes OFF on Ted Cruz on the Senate floor. > [https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1088527424436883456](https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1088527424436883456) That was awesome ---
**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 26, 2019, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40205 "2019-01-26T05:53:03Z")
The Attorney General of Texas: “VOTER FRAUD ALERT: The @TXsecofstate discovered approx 95,000 individuals identified by DPS as non-U.S. citizens have a matching voter registration record in TX, approx 58,000 of whom have voted in TX elections. Any illegal vote deprives Americans of their voice.” > ---
**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 26, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40206 "2019-01-26T18:51:28Z")
Somebody tried to burn down Comet Ping Pong Pizza Wednesday night. You know, the place where Hillary is running a child sex ring out of the basement? > **[Someone Intentionally Started Fire at Comet Ping Pong, Fire Officials Say](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/someone-intentionally-started-fire-at-comet-ping-pong-dc-restaurant/57/)** > > A D.C. restaurant that was once at the center of an online conspiracy theory dubbed “pizzagate” was intentionally set on fire, fire officials say. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40207 "2019-01-26T20:11:20Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Attorney General of Texas: > “VOTER FRAUD ALERT: The @TXsecofstate discovered approx 95,000 individuals identified by DPS as non-U.S. citizens have a matching voter registration record in TX, approx 58,000 of whom have voted in TX elections. Any illegal vote deprives Americans of their voice.” > [https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1088898595653386240](https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1088898595653386240) Like some of the twitter respondents, I’m curious how he defines “matching”. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40208 "2019-01-26T20:17:19Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Like some of the twitter respondents, I’m curious how he defines “matching”. Some variation on Kemp’s exact match law, I’ll bet. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40209 "2019-01-26T21:55:06Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Like some of the twitter respondents, I’m curious how he defines “matching”. From the [Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2019/01/25/texas-flags-tens-thousands-voters-citizenship-check/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1548463366&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter): > [@](#): > > The Texas secretary of state’s office announced Friday it would send local election officials a list of 95,000 registered voters who the state says counties should consider checking to see whether they are U.S. citizens and, therefore, legally eligible to vote. > > In an advisory released Friday afternoon, the office said it was flagging individuals who had provided the Texas Department of Public Safety with some form of documentation — including a work visa or a green card — that showed they were not a citizen when they were obtaining a driver’s license or an ID card. Among the individuals flagged, about 58,000 individuals cast a ballot in one or more elections from 1996 to 2018, the secretary of state’s office said. > > It’s unclear exactly how many of those individuals are not actually U.S. citizens and whether that number will be available in the future. In its notice to counties, the secretary of state’s office said the names should be considered “WEAK” matches, using all capital letters for emphasis. WEAK matches. Meaning, once again, much ado about nothing. In fact, from AG Paxson’s [website](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-texas-secretary-states-office-discovers-nearly-95000-people-identified-dps-non-us-citizens): > [@](#): > > From 2005-2017, the attorney general’s office prosecuted 97 defendants for numerous voter fraud violations. In 2018, Attorney General Paxton’s Election Fraud Unit – with assistance from a criminal justice grant from the governor’s office – prosecuted 33 defendants for a total of 97 election fraud violations. Last February, the attorney general announced a significant voter fraud initiative and addressed key problems and policy areas related to election law. So in the past 13 years, Texas has prosecuted 130 defendants for voter fraud. My rudimentary math skills tell me that’s 10 per year. I’m not a statistician, but I believe that would qualify as statistically insignificant. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40210 "2019-01-26T22:30:11Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > So in the past 13 years, Texas has prosecuted 130 defendants for voter fraud. My rudimentary math skills tell me that’s 10 per year. I’m not a statistician, but I believe that would qualify as statistically insignificant. Not only that but it doesn’t break down the percentage of voters who were Democratic and/or attempting to hurt a Republican candidate. Past experience says it’s mostly Republicans and Texas being a Red state also makes me think it’s not all Beto supporters. :rolleyes: ---
**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 27, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40211 "2019-01-27T01:11:23Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > In fact, from AG Paxson’s [website](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-texas-secretary-states-office-discovers-nearly-95000-people-identified-dps-non-us-citizens): > So in the past 13 years, Texas has prosecuted 130 defendants for voter fraud. My rudimentary math skills tell me that’s 10 per year. I’m not a statistician, but I believe that would qualify as statistically insignificant. > [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Not only that but it doesn’t break down the percentage of voters who were Democratic and/or attempting to hurt a Republican candidate. Past experience says it’s mostly Republicans and Texas being a Red state also makes me think it’s not all Beto supporters. :rolleyes: Don’t worry. In the right-wing echo-chamber retelling, it will become 13 million Democratic-voting illegal-alien defendants. Bussed in from Mexico. While human-trafficking and carrying drugs and disease. ---
**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 27, 2019, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40212 "2019-01-27T01:34:31Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Don’t worry. In the right-wing echo-chamber retelling, it will become 13 million Democratic-voting illegal-alien defendants. Bussed in from Mexico. While human-trafficking and carrying drugs and disease. Paid for by George Soros. And getting free Pizza from Comet Ping Pong. ---
**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 27, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40213 "2019-01-27T01:42:20Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Paid for by George Soros. And getting free Pizza from Comet Ping Pong. The pizza being handed out by AOC and Hillary, along with coupons for a free photo in the Illuminati room of the Clinton Foundation, and a Black Lives Matter decoder ring, for proof of voting the right way. ---
**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 27, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40214 "2019-01-27T01:44:23Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Paid for by George Soros. And getting free Pizza from Comet Ping Pong. Baked in a roaring hot brick [del]oven[/del] building. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40215 "2019-01-27T04:07:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Baked in a roaring hot brick [del]oven[/del] building. He paid with his credit card? And made eye contact with the security cameras? How fucking dumb…nah, I know how dumb they are. Real dumb. ---
**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 27, 2019, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40216 "2019-01-27T05:30:34Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Not only that but it doesn’t break down the percentage of voters who were Democratic and/or attempting to hurt a Republican candidate. Past experience says it’s mostly Republicans and Texas being a Red state also makes me think it’s not all Beto supporters. :rolleyes: Nor does it indicate if aliens are required to obtain a new driver license if they naturalize. This is utter nonsense and outright fear-mongering. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40217 "2019-01-27T14:54:07Z")
The House Intelligence committee is poised to finally start doing its job by handing out subpoenas and getting information over to the Mueller probe. But, they can’t do so because the Republicans are purposely [not naming any members of their party to the committee](https://www.thedailybeast.com/dithering-gop-stalls-houses-new-trump-russia-probe?ref=home), thus making the committee unable to act (in the interest of the United States). The have named the members of all of the other committees already, just not this one. ---
**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 27, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40218 "2019-01-27T20:54:35Z")
This mindless party-line-hack idiot McCarthy is trying to sell the spin that the shutdown was the Democrats’ doing: (Meet The Press interview) > **[Congressional leaders point fingers after shutdown deal](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congressional-leaders-point-fingers-after-shutdown-deal-n963311)** > > Leaders differ on immigration deal details but both sides say they would like to see find ways to avoid future shutdowns. ---
**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 27, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40219 "2019-01-27T22:57:01Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > This mindless party-line-hack idiot McCarthy is trying to sell the spin that the shutdown was the Democrats’ doing: > (Meet The Press interview) > [Congressional leaders point fingers after shutdown deal](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congressional-leaders-point-fingers-after-shutdown-deal-n963311) I was just longing for Chuck to address him as “Steve.” > **[MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/trump-calls-republican-house-leader-kevin-mccarthy-steve/vi-BBROyBi)** ---
**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 27, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40220 "2019-01-27T23:01:55Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > The House Intelligence committee is poised to finally start doing its job by handing out subpoenas and getting information over to the Mueller probe. But, they can’t do so because the Republicans are purposely [not naming any members of their party to the committee](https://www.thedailybeast.com/dithering-gop-stalls-houses-new-trump-russia-probe?ref=home), thus making the committee unable to act (in the interest of the United States). The have named the members of all of the other committees already, just not this one. Definitely the pettiness we’ve come to expect from the GOP Congress. But apparently the ploy has run its course—they’ll name the members next week: > **[McCarthy: GOP Will Name Members Of The House Intelligence Committee ‘Next Week’](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mccarthy-gop-will-name-members-of-the-house-intelligence-committee-next-week)** > > Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are waiting for their Republican counterparts to be named. (It’s from the same _Meet the Press_ interview that bobot linked to.) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/40221 "2019-01-28T00:16:24Z")
So is Devon “Holy Fuck What a Disphit I am” Nunes going to throw more wrenches in the gears like last time, not issuing subpoenas, basically letting shit grind to a halt? Woudn’t he try to constantly lock horns with Schiff? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2010) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=2012)