Hillary Cozying Up to Drudge??

[Vinca]

Just heard this on the Tim Russert show on MSNBC. Someone said there is a person in the Clinton campaign whose sole task is to cultivate a relationship with Drudge to feed him anti-Obama material. Has anyone else heard about this?

[loveangelc]

1. lol its not working....

[tekisui]

2. THe Clinton campaign has a Drudge liason.

It's been known for while.

[Thepricebreaker]

3. I wouldn't think she would.. he broke the story on Bill....

[hedgehog]

6. Right. That's why she refused to meet with Scaife .......

[DJ13]

7. I wouldn't think she would.. he broke the story on Bill....

And Hillary just had a friendly one on one with Schaif(sp?), the guy who paid to investigate Whitewater in the early 90's.

The Clintons have long been more comfortable around conservatives.

Hell, I wouldnt be surprised if the conservative "hatred" for the Clintons in the 90's wasnt a beard to cover how conservative the Clintons really are.

[roguevalley]

29. a friendly one on one with someone who accused you of murder is more than I can stand.

i say, she has a higher gag reflex than me and frankly, I don't want anyone in the white house who can do that with someone so completely vile.

[althecat]

4. Outrageous... I feel a need to KnR this post...

[TheFarseer]

5. Hey, anyone that can help right?

desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Vinca]

8. Rupert Murdoch, Richard Mellon Scaife. Who's next? It's very strange. nt

[crankychatter]

31. He who writes the checks, calls the shots

just sayin... it makes sense to me

she's bullish to hit iran

[RC]

33. When she loses to Obama, McCain will pick her for his running mate.

They are putting the chips in place now. :evilgrin:

[Saturday]

9. I heard she asked Wright to be her mentor too. nt

[Vinca]

10. He already has been a counselor while they were in the White House.

Surely, you've seen the photo and letter.

[flpoljunkie]

11. Her name is Tracy Sefl

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/newspapers/hillary_loves_drudge_for_loving_tracy_69562.asp

Monday Oct 22, 2007
Hillary Loves Drudge For Loving Tracy

It's all over the series of tubes today...the NYT piece on the relationship between Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and The Drudge Report. Who does Hillary have to thank for this?

But, typical of a campaign with a reputation for exploiting every advantage and trying to neutralize every disadvantage, Mrs. Clinton's communications team, led by Howard Wolfson, is not leaving Mr. Drudge to the Republicans. Five current and former Democratic officials said Mrs. Clinton has on her side the closest thing her party has ever had to Mr. Rhoades in Tracy Sefl, a former Democratic National Committee official, who has established a friendly working relationship with Mr. Drudge -- and through whom Mrs. Clinton's campaign often worked quietly to open a line of communication.

That effort has helped to mix some positive stories in with the negative fare about Mrs. Clinton that Mr. Drudge still serves up regularly, they said, though Ms. Sefl's fingerprints are usually impossible to spot. ...

Democrats have long known how the McCain campaign felt. And it is precisely why, a strategist close to the Clinton campaign said, her aides had decided to use the site more aggressively and capitalize on the line to him established by Ms. Sefl -- now a vice president at the Glover Park Group, the former firm of Mr. Wolfson, Mrs. Clinton's communications director, and an informal adviser to Mrs. Clinton's campaign chairman, Terry McAuliffe. Ms. Sefl had no comment.

[althecat]

13. Ok the next step in a proper media war is a picture...

Name and shame. Its a good policy. Just do it.

[Liberal Veteran]

12. She's just finding her own natural allies.

It just so happens that she is finding them in sewer because that's a reflection of who she has become.

[Stephanie]

14. Here you go >

UK Guardian: Hillary Clinton woos man who nearly ruined her husband (DRUDGE)

[althecat]

Excellent catch stephanie......

:kick:

[DemVet]

36. The Guardian IS NOT a reliable source. Try again.

[Stephanie]

37. Are you insane?

The Guardian is Greg Palast's paper. The Guardian is the BBC, the NPR, the PBS of newspapers. You newly hatched Clintonites better get your stories straight, you're embarrassing yourselves.

[spin]

15. I predict a flashing siren on Drudge just before Pennsylvania (nt)

[VolcanoJen]

28. So do I. Remember Ohio?

http://drudgereport.com/flashoa.htm

Oh, and this:

http://gawker.com/360385/obama+in+dress-photo-backfires-on-clinton

A photo of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama wearing sort of an apron-looking thing and a funny turban? A Hillary Clinton staffer asks (according to Drudge): "Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it were HRC?" Uh, sure. Sure we would. The photo, from 2006, shows Obama "fitted as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya." It was sent around by Clinton's press office (once again, according to Drudge) this weekend, in an apparent attempt to prove that the Illinois Senator is a Muslim terrorist who wears a dress. Mischievous Matt Drudge gave the story an amusing anti-Clinton spin. Because his relationship with her is complicated.


Back when Hillary was inevitable and unstoppable, Mr. Drudge seemed rather pleased. "I need Hillary Clinton. I need to be part of her world. That's my bank," he famously announced. Clinton's camp, perhaps not sufficiently wary of the man who nearly took down her husband, reached out by appointing former DNCer Tracy Sefl their unofficial Drudge emissary.

[DemVet]

16. Link? Proof? No, I didn't think so.

More pro-Obama propagada. Kool-Aid for the masses.

[althecat]

17. Read the thread before jerking your knee please Demvet...

[DemVet]

22. Then why even have a thread....

...asking about this nonsense if it's only something supposedly in the grapevine?

[Stephanie]

35. See my post #14 above

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5306540&mesg_id=5306916

[VolcanoJen]

30. There's, like, a ton of links upthread, if you care to click-n-learn.

Here are a few more:

http://gawker.com/360385/obama+in+dress-photo-backfires-on-clinton

A photo of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama wearing sort of an apron-looking thing and a funny turban? A Hillary Clinton staffer asks (according to Drudge): "Wouldn't we be seeing this on the cover of every magazine if it were HRC?" Uh, sure. Sure we would. The photo, from 2006, shows Obama "fitted as a Somali Elder, during his visit to Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya." It was sent around by Clinton's press office (once again, according to Drudge) this weekend, in an apparent attempt to prove that the Illinois Senator is a Muslim terrorist who wears a dress. Mischievous Matt Drudge gave the story an amusing anti-Clinton spin. Because his relationship with her is complicated.


Back when Hillary was inevitable and unstoppable, Mr. Drudge seemed rather pleased. "I need Hillary Clinton. I need to be part of her world. That's my bank," he famously announced. Clinton's camp, perhaps not sufficiently wary of the man who nearly took down her husband, reached out by appointing former DNCer Tracy Sefl their unofficial Drudge emissary.

And, of course

http://drudgereport.com/flashoa.htm

[roguevalley]

32. mark this post. it will happen and you will remember it was predicted.

[althecat]

18. Why? Bloody good question that one...... Why indeed?

[stillcool]

19. this is from October...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/22/america/drudge.1-156891.php?page=2


The Drudge Report warms to the Clinton camp, or is it vice versa?
By Jim Rutenberg
Published: October 22, 2007
WASHINGTON: As Senator Barack Obama prepared to give a major speech on Iraq one morning a few weeks ago, a flashing-red siren alert went up on the Drudge Report Web site. It read, "Queen of the Quarter: Hillary Crushes Obama in Surprise Fund-Raising Surge," and, "$27 Million, Sources Tell Drudge Report."

Within minutes, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's fund-raising success was injected via Drudge into the day's political news on the Internet and cable television. It did not halt coverage of Obama's speech or his criticism of her vote to authorize the war in 2002, but along the front lines of the campaign - the hourly, intensely fought effort to capture the news cycle or deny ownership of it to the other side - it was a telling assault.

Clinton's aides declined to discuss how the Drudge Report got access to her latest fund-raising figures nearly 20 minutes before the official announcement went to supporters. But it was a prime example of a development that has surprised much of the political world: Clinton is learning to play nice with the Drudge Report and the powerful, elusive and conservative-leaning man behind it.
----------------------------------
Clinton's communications team, led by Howard Wolfson, is not leaving Drudge to the Republicans. Five current and former Democratic officials said Clinton has on her side the closest thing her party has ever had to Rhoades in Tracy Sefl, a former Democratic National Committee official. The officials said that Sefl had established a friendly relationship with Drudge and that Clinton's campaign often worked quietly through her to open a line of communication with Drudge.

Though liberals say Drudge's ideological imbalance remains plain, Republicans, who viewed the site as theirs in campaigns past, say they are noticing what they believe to be more Democratic driven, often Clinton driven, items on it.

And, as New York magazine reported recently, it has escaped no one that Drudge has sometimes mentioned Clinton favorably on his syndicated radio program, even if no one really knows whether his comments reflect admiration for her or simply a recognition that keeping her in the news is good for his business

[OzarkDem]

20. You believe Russert?

I really don't understand Obama folks. They trust Republicans more than Democrats. Very, very odd.

[rocktivity]

21. I've certainly suspected it.

Let's just say that it's damned odd how little embarrassing anti-Hillary material turns up on Drudge!

:tinfoilhat:
rocknation

[donheld]

23. She may as well if

she's cozying up with Richard Mellon Scaife she may as well snuggle up to drudge too.

[emilyg]

24. Drudge has one mission in life

destroy Hillary.

[kevinmc]

25. Only a Skunk can stand another Skunk n/t

[1776Forever]

26. NY Times Article Oct. 22, 2007 - Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge

October 22, 2007
Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge
By JIM RUTENBERG

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/us/politics/22drudge.html?ei=5065&en=8e8c56803a2a987c&ex=1193630400&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 — As Senator Barack Obama prepared to give a major speech on Iraq one morning a few weeks ago, a flashing red-siren alert went up on the Drudge Report Web site. It read, “Queen of the Quarter: Hillary Crushes Obama in Surprise Fund-Raising Surge,” and, “$27 Million, Sources Tell Drudge Report.”

Within minutes, the Drudge site had injected Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s fund-raising success into the day’s political news on the Internet and cable television. It did not halt coverage of Mr. Obama’s speech or his criticism of her vote to authorize the war in 2002, but along the front lines of the campaign — the hourly, intensely fought effort to capture the news cycle or deny ownership of it to the other side — it was a telling assault.

Mrs. Clinton’s aides declined to discuss how the Drudge Report got access to her latest fund-raising figures nearly 20 minutes before the official announcement went to supporters. But it was a prime example of a development that has surprised much of the political world: Mrs. Clinton is learning to play nice with the Drudge Report and the powerful, elusive and conservative-leaning man behind it.

(snip)

But, typical of a campaign with a reputation for exploiting every advantage and trying to neutralize every disadvantage, Mrs. Clinton’s communications team, led by Howard Wolfson, is not leaving Mr. Drudge to the Republicans. Five current and former Democratic officials said Mrs. Clinton has on her side the closest thing her party has ever had to Mr. Rhoades in Tracy Sefl, a former Democratic National Committee official, who has established a friendly working relationship with Mr. Drudge — and through whom Mrs. Clinton’s campaign often worked quietly to open a line of communication.

[Vinca]

27. This pretty much explains away the Obama in native dress photo

(aka scare the stupid people into thinking he's a Muslim terrorist picture).

[Garbo 2004]

34. Politico article: "Clinton's right-wing media romance sours"

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=1F12BEC6-3048-5C12-0025CD00D13BFCB6

It also cites previous NYT article cited by other posters here.