Somehow these stories did not get legs even with the conservative media.
Those kinds of stories don't seem relevant to many people. First, the whole thing seems distant -- nothing to do with their everyday lives. Second, they expect politicians to be corrupt and engage in cronyism. Third, the issue of money wasted on a failed venture doesn't hit home because most people pay little in taxes anyway. It isn't their money. And they know much of the money is borrowed from overseas anyway which again seems distant from their lives.
They need a verifiable backseat story. Everyones been in a backseat.