Legalectric

Remember Spot, the anonymous pooch in Edina? Here’s his “retiregeoffmichel” site (retiring him is obviously a good idea), and another too! He had this to say earlier and when I was off on a scenic tour of Iowa, so now that I’m fully recovered from officing at the Flying J, I relay this comment WITH PERMISSION. He claims his paws are not suited to the comment system I’ve got. Oh, pshaw…

Earlier when I’d objected to anonymous blogging, as I did in a recent post here, wishing the anonymous bloggers would just own their opinions, and Spot had this to say:

Oh, you think that Spot is a nom de tail? (plume, tail, get it?) Spot had intended to reveal his alter ego’s identity after he got started blogging, but people seem to be having a lot of fun with the dog persona, addressing email to Spotty, sending him dog pictures (ahem), etc. So, Spot will probably keep it up for a while.

There are many people who know Spot’s identity, or have figured it out. Your assignment, should you decide to accept it, is to find one of these people.

Spot is pretty careful with his facts; inferences, as a matter of opinion, are something else. Spot is also a useful literary device (and he means that in the most charitable scope of that term), because Spot can engage in conversation with his alter ego.

Competing for attention for a blog is difficult, and Spot is always reminded on those immortal words from Gilbert and Sullivan: He who’d make his fellow creatures wise should always guild the Philosophic Pill.

And after the Big Blois Blog Bluster and Blather he was quick to point out the differences between himself and MDE:

One very significant difference between MDE and me is that the facts that are referred to in Spot’s blog all come out of the newspaper or other public information sources like legislative proceedings, etc. Most of the time, these references are cited. Spot does not rely on confidential tipsters; he is way too far out of the loop to have any. Anyone, not only registered users, may comment on Spot’s blogs.

Incidentally, I do think that anonymous blogs with anonymous sources are bad. When the media, including a humble blogger, publish information from a confidential source, the media substitute their credibility for the source, saying, in effect, you can trust me and believe the source is accurate. That is why Judy Miller no longer works for the NYT.

There have been only a couple of times when readers forwarded information to Spot. In each and every case, it was to call his attention to something already in print.

Spot has never held a party or campaign position, nor acted as any kind of paid political consultant. Spot sees no reason to give up the pastoral life.

And later he bravely admits: “Spot spent his puphood in Iowa.”
and “PS. FYI, Spotty is gloriously unaltered.”

Oh well, altered, unaltered, that’s pretty non-responsive — I still regard anonymous blogging as utterly ball-less. As do my ball-busting bitches:

Feel free to discuss it with them! See Spot Run! Run Spot, Run!

And Spot, if YOU’RE not going to run, at least help cultivate a PROGRESSIVE, not just a yellow dog, District 41 candidate, someone who knows a thing or two about state issues! Sen. Geoff Michel has to go, but Andrew Borene is wrapped up in federal issues and isn’t talking about the state issues that would earn votes for state Senate. There’s plenty of state issues clamoring for attention. Maybe someone from the DFL can send him some issues cheat sheets? What has Michel done that’s so awful, and why vote for Borene? Pretty basic, let’s get down! A veteran inherently understands the meaning of “campaign.” Get to work! Now’s the time — we’ll see what he does!

Vote for me! I’m for EDUCATION! I’m for HEALTH CARE! I’m for JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!