Media Mutters Tries to Slime HastertHoping desperately to distract attention from Searchlight Harry Reid's land deal, they try to make
an absurd comparison to a transaction involving Dennis Hastert:
Hastert's property appreciated in value after he earmarked taxpayer funding for a highway near the property -- but only two CNN transcripts contain any mention of Hastert's land deal, for a total word count that is one-fiftieth the number of words CNN has devoted to the Reid story. And 65 words is an extremely generous count -- it includes a vague reference made in passing by Democratic strategist and pundit James Carville.They do a silly side-by-side comparison showing that Hastert is more senior, that his party is in power (like that has anything to do with it), and that Hastert made more money on his deal.
Here's the article
that Media Mutters cites. What did they forget to put in their comparison chart?
Annual congressional disclosure statements were released Wednesday, and specific information detailing the transactions was reflected in Hastert's filing only to a limited degree, which is about all that is required.Filed required disclosure statements:
Hastert: Yes
Reid: No
Media Mutters claims that a highway that Hastert got funding for runs "near" his property; that's true, but not as true as it sounds:
"None of the properties purchased by the speaker are near enough to be affected by the proposed parkway," he said. Bonjean maintains Hastert's home is 5.5 miles from the Prairie Parkway; the Beacon News puts the development's edge about three miles away.
