My post about Representative Scyller Borglum’s solo summer study inspired me to write about term limits. But before I get to that, I have to write about a less significant matter that bubbled to post-worthiness in the comment section.
Jeremiah Murphy is not Grudznick.
Jeremiah Murphy is a well-known lobbyist who, on one of his finer days in Pierre this Session, kicked the crap out of Kaleb Weis’s ill-conceived teacher code of silence. But on another day in the Capitol this Session, a somewhat sharper legislator hurried to Murphy’s side and said, Is it true, Murphy? Are you Grudznick?
The sub-story, the undercard, the charm on my bracelet, is that South Dakota legislators read this blog during Session. Lawmakers with lots to do and limited time to do it read Dakota Free Press, because they learn stuff here. (Thank you for reading; I’m happy to serve.)
But the big story, which shouldn’t a story, is that Jeremiah Murphy is not Grudznick, a longtime pseudonymous curmudgeon not just on this blog but back through the history of the South Dakota blogosphere, is not Jeremiah Murphy.
I didn’t rebut the false assertions about Grudz’s identity, because I take a strong line on protecting the identity of commenters. As long as they reply to my e-mails and confirm their identities to me, so I know we aren’t being overrun by Russkie trolls and sockpuppets, commenters can rest assured I will not reveal their personal information. I don’t tell people my pseudonymous commenters’ real names. I don’t respond to questions about, “Is it so-and-so?” because if I stick with telling the truth (and that is my central blog principle), clever interrogators could throw spaghetti—or perhaps more appropriately in this case, meatballs—at the wall and see if they chance upon the one name that, instead of drawing my immediate and firm No, causes me to hitch and dodge with some Valerian choice that would reveal the commenter’s identity as transparently as a betrayed Vulcan’s mind meld. To protect the identity of every commenter who trusts me, I thus dare not confirm or deny the identity of any.
Murphy considered responding to the commenters misidentifying him as Grudznick but initially decided not to bother, because he knows the truth about himself. His identity does depend on the beliefs of others. Murphy also demurred because he, like legislators, has time to read the blog but not to jump into every comment section knocking down incorrect statements. And ultimately, Murphy knows, as I know, that eventually truth wears down the folks who make stuff up. Even the hardest-core of stuff-maker-uppers eventually give up and run nothing but press releases.
But Murphy knows, as I know, that made-up-stuff lingers longer online. And today’s comments, which read the pseudonymous Grudznick’s latest of many comments about the physical appearance of women in the news as harassment and then imputed that harassment to the distinct and autonymous Jeremiah Murphy, who appears to have more sense than to comment publicly on the comeliness or lack thereof of the legislators whom he is paid to influence.
And we most certainly can’t have legislators running around thinking false things based on what they read on Dakota Free Press.
Jeremiah M. Murphy commented back this afternoon and said he is not Grudznick. Murphy and I spoke on the phone this afternoon. I stand by his public statement.
I just wanted to make that clear for everyone else in Pierre who reads this blog (and again, thank you for reading!). Jeremiah Murphy is many things. Jeremiah Murphy is not the thing called Grudznick.
Dang. Looks like I’ll have to cover Borglum and term limits tomorrow.
I apologize to Mr. Murphy.
So, now the guessing begins again. I thought some of the things I knew about Mr. Murphey didn’t quite fit what Grudz has said in the past. My belief is that Grudz is a former legislator or maybe a former intern who was there in the mid-1980s. From things he has hinted at he sat in the back of one of the legislative chambers. If we could dig up a seating chart from that time frame, we might be able to narrow it down. Grudz is definitely from the Rapid City area. I have some guesses, but not willing to go public. Am I getting close, Cory?
Oh great….instead of “I am Spartacus” we are going to get “I am (or not) Grudznick” :^).
….and I am not Grudznick.
Robert, that’s funny.
…..and I am not Grudznick.
Thanks Debbo! I appreciate that.
Don’t concern yourselves too much with who grudznick is, he rarely if ever makes any significant contributions to DFP discussions.
Cory is Spartacus.
Or as Seinfeld once said…a Spartacus for the Rest of Us.
We need a Mueller report on comrad Grudznick, this is collusion between DFP and DWC at the highest levels.
The fascination with gudznick’s identity has given some piece of nothingness a presence that it could not achieve using its family name. Long may it run. Like all effluent, it is doomed to running only downhill.
Funny, Greg. :) Well, hopefully the pathetic little grudznick will go away. Never cool to have trolls creeping around. I love Cory’s blog but I would have blocked him a long time ago.
I enjoy Grudz’s irreverent comments, and I have long known his identity. I won’t divulge it because it would spoil the fun.
It will not go away, Jenny, as long as anyone pays it any notice.
We await the grudznick report. But I would expect Cory to redact much of what can be released to the public. Methods and practices…national security, etc.
….The oringes of grudznick may have wide ranging implications.
He probably faxes Cory every now and then.
So Cory may have to release his fax returns….
I don’t enjoy mean people and he is one. I will return to ignoring his frequently sexist comments. That won’t be a loss. They’re as worthless as he is.
Long live Grudznick!!!
there’s a striking resemblance between Murph and that beast in the background, I’m just say’n
For those that absolutely need to know Grudznick’s identity, there is a sure fire way to find out.
Go to Tally’s Silver Spoon in downtown Rapid City and find the Conservatives with Common Sense breakfast club (if there is such a thing).
You can further refine your search by finding someone eating taters and gravy.
Roger, Porter already checked into that and found it was just another lie. Grudz is wall to wall lies.
Grudzilla is Drumpf, Debbo?
Jeremiah is one of the most honest lobbyists. I didn’t always agree with his opinion but he was always truthful and highly respected. You don’t have to serve very many years in the Legislature before you know who the straight shooters are and Jeremiah and his father were on the top of the pile, two of the very best.
Who is Grudznick? ( with apologies to Atlas Shrugged )
We are all Spartacus!
Thinking of Lee’s comment… we are all future fossils!
No collusion, Greg, guaranteed!
grudznick can confirm that grudznick is not Mr. Murphy. It is a shame that a bunch of out-of-state name-callers started that gossipy bit because they had no substantive issues about which to blog.
Shame. Damn shame it was, needlessly besmirching both Mr. Murphy and grudznick with such out-of-state name-calling.
But that’s a good picture of J-Murph and me, Mr. H. grudznick was younger, then.