RCJ Columnist Michael Sanborn gives Bill Napoli the dickens. And gets back a lot more than he gave.

The Rapid City Journal printed a column today by Michael Sanborn, one of their columnists in their slight "argusification" of that newspaper, allowing for more local columnists and user generated content. And what a column it was.

Was it critical? Yes. But it went far beyond what one expects in a mainstream publication, and even farther than what you might find on many weblogs. In fact, Mt. Blogmore takes up the topic, and almost unanimously, the columnist is getting holy hell for his venom and unprofessionalism. First, here's a snippet from the article:

I've tried to get my arms around the idea of handling this diplomatically. I've waited patiently for someone else to take up the issue and report the truth. Nobody has. Politicians have danced around this issue.

So it falls to me to tell the world (or at least a few readers) what thousands already know but will not say: Sen. Bill Napoli is hopelessly and irretrievably stupid.

Pick a synonym you think might be more diplomatic: dense, dull, dumb, congenitally sluggish, dazed, inane, fatuous, thick-headed, cloddish, ignorant. All describe him and his antics. In the end, simplicity says it best: Sen. Bill Napoli is just plain stupid.

There can be no other explanation for his often angry and mean-spirited support of dumb causes and his acidic behavior toward those with whom he disagrees. He's rather like Forrest Gump ... with rabies.

and...

I hope other lawmakers recognize his heart is usually in the right place, but his mind is routinely somewhere else.

Like Bill Janklow, a politician with whom he often sparred, Napoli has been described as having a scattergun mouth. The difference is that Janklow's aim was almost always true, and Napoli keeps hitting himself in the foot, which he then shoves in his own mouth. He does it over and over again.

And, that's just plain stupid.

Read that all here. And what is Mr. Sanborn getting in return? Surprisingly, not a lot of people agreeing with him. Check out what Mt. Blogmore has to say about it:

* Democratic state Sen.-elect Tom Katus defended Republican state Sen. Bill Napoli and blasted RCJ columist Mike Sanborn for “excessive slash and burn” in Sanborn’s column today.

* (Charley House) I guess I’d rather be stupid than be mean. On the evidence, Sanborn is mean.

* ("robert") I think Sanborn’s column in the paper was uncalled for and very childish for calling him stupid. I knew as soon as I read it that it would actually make Sanborn look bad and give the democratic party a bad name.

for just a few who stood up in Napoli's defense. Of course, the best part is that the end of the article invites you to write to Mr. Sanborn at "mikes@sanbornads.com" And looking up Sanbornads.com...

Apparently this columnist who spewed forth the column he's now taking grief on is in fact... in the public relations business.

I think the thing to point out, as I had once recently with regards to my own conduct, is that it's more than fair to say you disagree, and why. It's entirely reasonable to set forth a factual basis for your argument. But keep in mind that those politicians you are criticizing got elected, and most of us haven't. They've at least earned our respect for that.

Is Bill stupid? Absolutely not. I've spoken with him on several occasions and found him to be quite engaging. He did not get elected by default. He got elected because of his ability. You might not agree with him, and he might say things from time to time that make a person cringe. But that's his world view, and whether any of us like it or not, he's entitled to it.

If Mr. Sanborn doesn't like Bill (as it would seem) he had ample opportunity to run against him if he so chose to. There he could have placed his qualifications against Bill's, and let the public at large decide.

Instead, he's choosing to bray his message in the pages of the Rapid City Journal. And contrary to his apparent wishes, it sounds like he's become the target of scrutiny instead of Senator Napoli.