Gurgling at the drain

Kurtz mentions Bob Mercer below in allusion to Janklow's imminent threat to leave us. Made me recall back in the days when I thought the truth and evidence thereof might have some sway in changing South Dakota law.

Sometime during Janklow's final months in the governor's office, Bob Mercer accepted the position of press secretary to the governor, probably at double or so what he was making as a reporter. I called him up, since Mercer had been among the more respectful of reporters who had occasionally called me about my lobbying on behalf of sick, disabled and dying people.

I jabbed him a little about working for the most intolerable asshole ever to sit in the South Dakota capitol. "Well, I imagine the money's a little better, anyway," I said.

It's not about the money, Mercer replied. It will give me a chance to steer reporters to the real stories.

A few months later, I saw Mercer at the capitol. I asked him how many real stories he'd sicced reporters onto. He walked away from me. He won't let me post on his blog even today.