# 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:** 539
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10761 "2013-10-01T15:35:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [AIG CEO Bob Benmosche:](http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/09/24/2671131/aig-bonus-outrage-lynching/) Outrage over CEO bonuses during the meltdown was “just as bad and just as wrong” as Jim-Crow era lynchings of blacks. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Harry Binswanger writes in _Forbes:_](http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/) “It’s Time For The 99% To Give Back To The 1%”. While I really do not wonder at these guys political leaning, these entries might go better in a Stupid Rich Prick Idea of the Day thread. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10762 "2013-10-01T17:02:49Z")
Ted Cruz’s dad is as nutty as his son; he was recorded talking about Obama being a secret Muslim, and the “suicide counseling” mandated for old people in the ACA: > **[Ted Cruz’s Dad Suggests Obama Is A Muslim (AUDIO)](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-s-dad-suggests-obama-is-a-muslim-audio)** > > The father of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested Friday that President Barack Obama is a practicing Muslim and slammed "RINOs" for not backing his son's efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10763 "2013-10-01T17:16:25Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Harry Binswanger writes in _Forbes:_](http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/) “It’s Time For The 99% To Give Back To The 1%”. He actually quotes _Atlas Shrugged_ at length in this article. It seriously looks like a parody of something a stereotypical out of touch rich man would write. ETA: I had to go back and look to make sure I was not reading The Onion. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10764 "2013-10-01T17:22:06Z")
Do some people really take Ayn Rand seriously in the economic field? I assumed the Randiands got laughed out of economics and then became politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10765 "2013-10-01T17:42:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Harry Binswanger writes in _Forbes:_](http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/) “It’s Time For The 99% To Give Back To The 1%”. I enjoyed the following quote: “It was love–not charity–that your mother fed you…” Perhaps it would interest Mr. Binswanger to learn something about the [etymology of the word charity](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=charity). > [@Biswanger](#): > > Here’s a modest proposal. Anyone who earns a million dollars or more should be exempt from all income taxes. Yes, it’s too little. And the real issue is not financial, but moral. So to augment the tax-exemption, in an annual public ceremony, the year’s top earner should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. It’s truly hard to not think this might be an article from the Onion. And yet, I’m quite convinced this attitude is mainstream GOP these days. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10766 "2013-10-01T17:49:12Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I enjoyed the following quote: “It was love–not charity–that your mother fed you…” > > Perhaps it would interest Mr. Binswanger to learn something about the [etymology of the word charity](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=charity). It’s people like what cause unrest. 😃 This is why the GOP is so against education. Causes them trouble no end. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10767 "2013-10-01T18:04:46Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I > Perhaps it would interest Mr. Binswanger to learn something about the [etymology of the word charity](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=charity). Your facts are for socialists. And we all know that socialism is bad, mkay? ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10768 "2013-10-01T18:22:12Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > I enjoyed the following quote: “It was love–not charity–that your mother fed you…” > > Perhaps it would interest Mr. Binswanger to learn something about the [etymology of the word charity](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=charity). You don’t even have to go to something as seemingly arcane as the etymology of the word; just look at the definitions: [ > [@Merriam-Webster Dictionary](#): > > 1: benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity ]([CHARITY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charity)) [ > [@Oxford Dictionaries](#): > > 3 kindness and tolerance in judging others: > _she found it hard to look on her mother with much charity_ > _archaic_ love of humankind, typically in a Christian context: > faith, hope, and charity ]([Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data](http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/charity)) [ > [@Collins World English Dictionary](#): > > 1. love of one’s fellow men ]([CHARITY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/charity)) To be charitable (see what I did there?), it may be that Mr. Binswanger is suffering from [Binswanger’s disease. > [@](#): > > Binswanger’s disease, also known as subcortical leukoencephalopathy, is a form of small vessel vascular dementia caused by damage to the white brain matter. White matter atrophy can be caused by many circumstances including chronic hypertension as well as old age. This disease is characterized by loss of memory and intellectual function and by changes in mood. These changes encompass what are known as executive functions of the brain. It usually presents between 54 and 66 years of age, and the first symptoms are usually mental deterioration or stroke. ]([Binswanger's disease - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binswanger's_disease)) ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10769 "2013-10-01T18:37:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Harry Binswanger writes in _Forbes:_](http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybinswanger/2013/09/17/give-back-yes-its-time-for-the-99-to-give-back-to-the-1/) “It’s Time For The 99% To Give Back To The 1%”. You know, I love this thread as much as the next guy. And the Binswanger quote was reprehensible and it’s gotten a lot of play but it seems out of place in the "stupid Republican Idea thread, given that we don’t even know this asshole’s party affiliation. Most of the 1% types I know ( and I know a lot of them ) are registered Democrats. Well, they mostly voted for Romney because being hedge fund and Goldman guys they were creaming themselves over the idea of never having to pay any taxes again, ever but they are still typically Democrats. Stupid idea, for sure but I don’t know that it’s particularly Republican. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10770 "2013-10-01T18:48:11Z")
He describes himself as an “orthodox” Objectivist. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10771 "2013-10-01T18:53:46Z")
[Louie Gohmert and Michele Bachmann are angry at the consequences of their actions. They don’t understand why the government is acting in shutdown mode.](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/01/veterans-break-past-world-war-ii-memorial-barricade/?hpt=hp_t1) > [@Louie Gohmert](#): > > We’ve got park service employees out here. Why wouldn’t you have them here to allow the veterans in, instead of stand and keep them from coming in? > [@Michele Bachmann](#): > > The last thing we should see in America is a barricade for World War II veterans to be prevented from coming to their memorial. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10772 "2013-10-01T19:02:27Z")
> [@bup](#): > > [Louie Gohmert and Michele Bachmann are angry at the consequences of their actions. They don’t understand why the government is acting in shutdown mode.](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/01/veterans-break-past-world-war-ii-memorial-barricade/?hpt=hp_t1) Even more infuriating Bachmann quote from that article: "Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, wearing casual clothes, said she was out walking when she heard about the pile-up outside the memorial and decided to hustle over to the site. “The last thing we should see in America is a barricade for World War II veterans to be prevented from coming to their memorial,” Bachmann said. She vowed she and colleagues will be there “today, tomorrow, the next day, however long it takes” to keep the memorial open." Has it occurred to that idiot that if she wants to keep that memorial open, there’s a better place for her personally to be? Like, \* at work\*. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10773 "2013-10-01T19:03:18Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Has it occurred to that idiot that if she wants to keep that memorial open, there’s a better place for her personally to be? Like, \* at work\*. I’m not sure she even understands what is going on, or her role in the shutdown. ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10774 "2013-10-01T19:09:35Z")
Shutdown? What shutdown? According to our fine friends at Fox News the government is just on a [slimdown](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/foxnews-com-rebrands-gov-t-shutdown-as-gov-t-slimdown-photo) don’cha know. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10775 "2013-10-01T19:20:40Z")
[This](http://www.salon.com/2013/10/01/grayson_blames_shutdown_on_gop_literally_drinking_on_the_job/) explains a lot - they’re loaded. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10776 "2013-10-01T19:35:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [This](http://www.salon.com/2013/10/01/grayson_blames_shutdown_on_gop_literally_drinking_on_the_job/) explains a lot - they’re loaded. Interesting quote at the end there about congressional Republicans. I tend to believe that Grayson is not exaggerating one bit. > [@](#): > > “When you talk to them privately,” Grayson told Salon, “what you find is that if they could repeal Medicare they would. If they could repeal Medicaid they would,” along with the requirement that emergency rooms treat patients who can’t pay for care. > > “They are literally offended by the idea that people would get the care they need to stay healthy or alive even though they can’t afford it,” charged Grayson. “They regard it as some kind of crime against nature.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10777 "2013-10-01T19:49:48Z")
If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10778 "2013-10-01T20:00:37Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He actually quotes _Atlas Shrugged_ at length in this article. > > It seriously looks like a parody of something a stereotypical out of touch rich man would write. > > ETA: I had to go back and look to make sure I was not reading The Onion. Or [John Hodgman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hodgman#Television_appearances). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10779 "2013-10-01T20:06:23Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Do some people really take Ayn Rand seriously in the economic field? I assumed the Randiands got laughed out of economics and then became politicians. Well, there’s no such thing as Randian economics as such. Rand never even pretended to be an economist. Her philosophy of [Objectivism](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Objectivism) is not a theory of economics at all; it touches on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, but it has nothing to say about economics. But, there are several more-or-less-mainstream economic schools of thought which serve a free-market-libertarian agenda, most notably the [Austrian School](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Austrian_school_of_economics), and, to lesser degree, the [Chicago School](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Chicago_school). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/10780 "2013-10-01T20:44:05Z")
The Austrian school? I hates von Mises to pieces! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=538) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=540)