Last Thursday, former congressman Bill Sali wrote a "Dear Friend" letter defending Rep. Phil Hart from "biased accounts of the media." In the single-page letter (which you can read here),  Hart met with Hart to hear the legislator's side of the story and came away convinced that the media haven't been "fair to Phil." Quoth: Why has Phil gotten so much media attention? In the legislature Phil has been an effective voice for freedom, less government and lower taxes. Apparently Betsy Russell can't stand that and she wants to silence his voice. She wins if you decide not to support Phil."

DFO: For the record, Sali is playing fast and loose with the truth here. Betsy Russell did point out that Hart wrote a book and that he won various votes in the House Ethics Committee. On the other hand, I wonder why Sali didn't remind you that the Ethics Committee unanimously, with 4 Republicans chiming in, recommended that Hart be stripped of his position on the House Rev & Tax Committee. Which would lead any fair-minded person to deduct that Hart wasn't totally exonerated by the Republican majority on the Ethics Committee.

Question: Are you surprised that Bill Sali would attack messenger Betsy Russell for the well-documented tax problems and five-finger timber discount of Phil Hart?