Herseth taking credit for things she didn't do

The AP is reporting a story headlined "Herseth dismisses GOP 'spin'" regarding Herseth's propensity to take credit for things she didn't do. Excerpt:

Last week, Herseth said the House Appropriations Committee had approved more than $64 million for water projects in South Dakota, including $17.5 million for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System.

"Given that we've been without a representative in the House for the last several months, I'm very happy that we've been able to deliver on these priorities," Herseth told reporters on Wednesday.

(Emphasis added.) The bolded text looks to me like she's taking credit for the project.

It's disappointing that the the AP reporter, Dennis Gale, failed to mention a recent story in The Hill, a Capitol Hill publication, headlined "Herseth moves fast -- a bit too fast." Excerpt:

She campaigned hard on Indian reservations across South Dakota and is joining the Native American Caucus. Yesterday, she met with leaders of the Lower Brule, Crow Creek and other tribes. She even issued a press release last week attaching her name to new funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS) and other Indian-related spending items.

“Stephanie Herseth announced that the House Appropriations Committee has approved a significant increase in funding,” Herseth’s June 9 release stated.

The only catch is that Herseth, who won her seat in a special election June 1, had nothing to do with the funding measure, part of the Interior Department’s appropriations bill for 2005. While House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.) and other members were hammering out the bill in Washington, Herseth was stumping for votes in South Dakota.

(Emphasis added.) It's not just the NRCC that's taking notice of Herseth's propensity to take credit for things she didn't do, as the AP piece misleadingly implies. Capitol Hill reporters noted the development well before the NRCC did.