Former New York Times reporter David Cay Johnston loves giving advice to other reporters. A longtime tax watchdog, Johnston, on this blog, has taken to helping his investigative brethren nail down Sarah Palin on several key points, including how she financed construction of her house. Johnston seizes on a statement made by husband Todd Palin that he “built” his house with his “contractor buddies.” Here’s the money question:

6. How many hours between the start and completion of construction did your husband spend in physical labor such as pounding nails and fitting pipes while he “built” your home?