Mildly amusing:Glenn Beck also mocked the media coverage.To make it even more of a circus the sheriff says that he was playing the media so that he could gain the trust of the media manipulators:

The sheriff, who on Friday had largely dismissed suggestions from reporters that the balloon flight might be a hoax, said that he had, to some extent, manipulated the media in order to gain the trust of the Heenes.”I bumped against the line of misleading the media,” he said. “I hope I didn’t cross that line. I bumped up against it by perhaps overstating our assurance or belief that there was nothing behind this.”

And he’s looking into whether the media may have been involved:

We certainly know there’s a conspiracy between the husband and wife. You’ve probably seen some of the e-mails and things on the internet suggesting that there may be other conspirators. We’re certainly examining that possibility, including the possibility that even some of the media outlets may have had some knowledge about this.

I’d be shocked if the media were involved. Dupes, yes but willing accomplices to fraud, don’t think so.