# 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:** 499
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9961 "2013-07-08T12:56:45Z")
See the thread about Texas Republicans… ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9962 "2013-07-09T11:21:00Z")
> **[Oops! You Won't Believe What Florida's Done Now](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-banned-computers_n_3561701?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular)** > > Oops! You Won't Believe What Florida's Done Now **Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit** > [@](#): > > When Florida lawmakers recently voted to ban all Internet cafes, they worded the bill so poorly that they effectively outlawed every computer in the state, according to a recent lawsuit. > > In April Florida Governor Rick Scott approved a ban on slot machines and Internet cafes after a charity tied to Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll was shut down on suspicion of being an Internet gambling front – forcing Carroll, who had consulted with the charity, to resign. Celebrating 200 pages of Republican stupidity. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9963 "2013-07-09T13:21:18Z")
That’s why they get ALEC to write their bills for them, so stupid shit like this doesn’t happen. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9964 "2013-07-09T14:56:28Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > [Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit | HuffPost Miami](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/florida-banned-computers_n_3561701.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular) > > **Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit** So, the stupidity is that they accidentally outlawed all computers while trying to ban internet cafes? Why the hell were they trying to get rid of internet cafes in the first place? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9965 "2013-07-09T15:15:14Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > So, the stupidity is that they accidentally outlawed all computers while trying to ban internet cafes? Why the hell were they trying to get rid of internet cafes in the first place? From what I’ve been able to understand of it, it appears that the former Lt. Gov. of Florida was involved somehow in a scandal about internet cafes which were actually fronts for illegal online gambling, which also involved collecting donations while acting as a veterans’ organization. The Florida GOP-controlled House decided that, instead of tightening oversight of internet cafes and veterans’ charities, they would instead ban internet cafes completely. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9966 "2013-07-09T17:30:48Z")
The “Internet Cafes” are actually video poker shops. The new NC Governor is having the same problem as Scott (re: big donations from the video poker magnate). Governor Pat’s solution was more elegant, and traditional. He disbanded the election board that was investigating him. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9967 "2013-07-09T17:48:25Z")
Now that is not a stupid idea. It is direct, elegant, and simple. Election board a threat? \*Poof! \*gone. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9968 "2013-07-09T17:58:07Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > That’s why they get ALEC to write their bills for them, so stupid shit like this doesn’t happen. Some GOP legislatures have used ALEC boilerplate to their own embarrassment. This example from Florida: [http://www.beachpeanuts.com/2012/10/alecs-influence-in-florida-amendments.html](http://www.beachpeanuts.com/2012/10/alecs-influence-in-florida-amendments.html) > [@](#): > > . . . a well publicized incident involving Florida Republican Rep. Rachel Burgin. Burgin introduced a bill in 2011 that would reduce taxes for corporations which she got from ALEC. Normally legislators will rewrite parts of the bills, but not Burgin. Nope. She cut and pasted her bill, written by the Tax Foundation, exactly as it was given to her by the ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy task force. > > Burgin wasn’t nearly as clever as she thought she was, because she pasted the boilerplate ALEC language right into the bill. You can see a copy of that brilliant piece of “editing” by Burgin here. Realizing her mistake the next day, she quickly withdrew the bill and re-introduced it a day later without the language. Sadly for Burgin, not quickly enough. The Teahadists in Wisconsin ran into the same problem. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9969 "2013-07-09T18:34:08Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > [Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit | HuffPost Miami](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/florida-banned-computers_n_3561701.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular) > > **Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit** > > Celebrating 200 pages of Republican stupidity. It’s worse than that. [The bill](http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2013/0155/BillText/er/PDF), as adopted, would even ban those claw machines at Denny’s. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9970 "2013-07-09T19:41:08Z")
The latest from Fox News’ print arm; [homelessness exists because of people who volunteer at homeless shelters instead of becoming millionaires.](http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/09/2271841/wsj-homeless-people/) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9971 "2013-07-09T20:15:15Z")
That guy’s son deserves to be adopted by a human being. I’m not sure what his father is, but I’m pretty certain that whatever it is, it is not human. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9972 "2013-07-09T22:16:23Z")
[QUOTE=[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/09/house-republicans-push-to-slash-irs-budget-by-24-percent-cite-abuses-and/](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/09/house-republicans-push-to-slash-irs-budget-by-24-percent-cite-abuses-and/)] House Republicans want the IRS to pay for targeting political groups and are pushing legislation that would cut the tax collecting agency’s budget by $3 billion – nearly a quarter of what it received last fiscal year. … Texas Rep. Kevin Brady: “I can’t think of a federal agency in a weaker position than the IRS. The IRS should resign itself to not getting more money.” [/QUOTE] Due to audits, etc., I would have thought that even 5th-graders could figure out that IRS is one Federal agency that definitely pays for itself. Slashing its budget as “punishment” would be like slashing the U.S. Army’s budget whenever it loses a battle. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9973 "2013-07-09T23:14:19Z")
Or the budget of poorly performing schools. Glad they haven’t suggested _that_! ---
**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:** [July 10, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9974 "2013-07-10T00:59:35Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The latest from Fox News’ print arm; [homelessness exists because of people who volunteer at homeless shelters instead of becoming millionaires.](http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/07/09/2271841/wsj-homeless-people/) That reads like an _Onion_ article. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9975 "2013-07-10T13:26:50Z")
I submit yet another name to the list of men who declare that it is unlikely for a women to get pregnant after being raped. This time it is [Arizona Rep Trent Franks](http://blogs.rollcall.com/goppers/house-pushes-abortion-bill-amid-controversy/)who confidently states that "…the instance of pregnancy resulting from rape is very low.” He later clarified his remarks by stating “Just to make clear my point earlier, pregnancies from rape that result in abortion after the beginning of the sixth month are very rare. That’s a matter of fact.” Wikipedia has a few more [quotes] ([Trent Franks - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Franks)) by him that makes me think that the Arizona sun has affected his mental faculties. I’ve lost count of elected officials that feel this way. I wonder if this part of the GOP platform now. :mad: ---
**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:** [July 10, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9976 "2013-07-10T14:28:34Z")
… is abortion even _legal_ after the sixth month? The homeless guy is clearly a total shithead, but we don’t actually know if he’s a Republican do we? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9977 "2013-07-10T14:48:52Z")
Even if that were magically true, if women really did have defenses that “shut the whole thing down” in case of rape, what does that imply? Why shouldn’t rape victims be entitled to abortions in that very unlikely event? Besides, my understanding is that abortion doesn’t usually work if it’s not rape. Women’s mysterious reproductive systems have ways of protecting the embryo from abortion in case of legitimate pregnancy. > [@](#): > > The homeless guy is clearly a total shithead, but we don’t actually know if he’s a Republican do we? He’s a hedge fund manager that the WSJ was willing to publish. If he were a Democrat, the byline would have crowed the fact in 24 point type. ---
**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:** [July 10, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9978 "2013-07-10T14:49:15Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9979 "2013-07-10T17:49:29Z")
[Sarah Palin is considering thinking about possibly running for Senate next year.](http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/07/10/here-we-go-again-fox-news-palin-says-she-is-con/194801) No doubt she has a lot of questions she needs answered first, such as; 1. How much does it pay? 2. …actually, that’s all I needed to know. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/9980 "2013-07-10T18:07:11Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Sarah Palin is considering thinking about possibly running for Senate next year.](http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/07/10/here-we-go-again-fox-news-palin-says-she-is-con/194801) > > No doubt she has a lot of questions she needs answered first, such as; > > 1. How much does it pay? > 2. …actually, that’s all I needed to know. Forgot: 1. When does that sweet Government Healthcare plan kick in? [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=498) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=500)