I’ve previously talked about how hurt I was that PP got the nod from the South Dakota J.A.I.L.ers as their “most critical” blogger. I’m evidently moving up in the J.A.I.L. world — I think.
The comment about PP is gone. And while there’s still various references to us and bloggers, I get a whole paragraph on the J.A.I.L.ers new website to myself. Here’s what it says:
Of these, perhaps Tim Gebhart’s blog is the most boring. Granted, although boring isn’t illegal just yet; when we called Gebhart to complain about a profound lack of accuracy, he claimed he wasn’t a “journalist” and that his blogs were his opinion. Readers can expect to find opinions reflecting the wishes of his big business clients.
Ouch! Boring? But then, I know the truth can be boring. J.A.I.L. demonstrates that lies and misstatements make for far more interesting reading.
At first I was going ask J.A.I.L.’s “publicist,” Bonnie Russell, to retract three false statements about me on the site. (And I’m not even counting calling me or my blog “boring.” My wife and kids would probably agree with that.) But then I recalled a saying of one of my law partners that’s long been a favorite of mine: “I’ve been called worse by better.”
To see the J.A.I.L.ers devote so much time and resources to attacking bloggers like PP and me is actually rather gratifying. It shows they don’t dare or can’t risk talking about the real issues. It also reveals they can’t stand having people shine a light on the initiative and what it really says and means.
The quoted paragraph does at least accurately report at least one part of Russell’s phone call to me. I did say I wasn’t a journalist and that what appears on my blog is solely my opinion. Her fresh and creative response when I said I wasn’t a journalist? “Denial is more than a river in Egypt.” I guess that proved her point.
Speaking of that call, Russell has yet to respond to probably close to a dozen invitations from me (including several during that phone conversation) to point out specific factual inaccuracies in any of my J.A.I.L.-related posts. The lack of response isn’t surprising. When she called, I also asked her to identify specific instances in South Dakota that justified J.A.I.L. She couldn’t. That was more than a month ago and despite additional requests and even PP’s specific question (# 10) to Bill Stegmeier, we’re all still waiting.
No, I’m not offended by getting more play on J.A.I.L’s enemies list. To the contrary, I view the attack with such pride that for the first time ever I am allowing my last name to appear on this blog. (Not using it was simply to perhaps reduce the chances my partners and our associates and staff would be called to task for my personal opinions). It also tells me that the “boring” truth has those promoting the J.A.I.L. pestilence scurrying.
Boredom is rage spread thin.
Paul Tillich
