Clinton Campaign Connection to Drudge Detailed by International Herald Tribune in October 2007

[tekisui]

Source:Buzzflash
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/054

An International Herald Tribune story of October 22, 2007, covers the irony of the Clinton campaign feeding stories to the Drudge Report as part of its strategy. (It was a repost from the New York Times, which owns the IHT.)

And the Clinton campaign wasn't hiding their new found interest in using Drudge to get attention for stories. They had a designated "liaison" according to the International Herald Tribune:

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.

The International Herald Tribune story begins with a telling anecdote:

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.

more at link....

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. interesting!

[Lerkfish]

2. boy, howdy! "interesting" is an understatement.

good work on the op's part digging that up.

[Egalia]

3. total bull

There was an effort by her office to get some decent press from the creep. Ghetto journalism calls that being 'cozy.' Anything to smear a Clinton. The real criminals are the sleazy irresponsible lying media.

[tekisui]

7. Sending the creep an email with a picture meant to hurt your opponent

is not "decent press". The Clinton camp appears responsible for this mess. Remember when they denied responsibility for the "Obama's a muslim" email, then two staffers were canned? This seems very familiar.

[Adelante]

13. What does "Ghetto journalism" mean?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. I don't understand your post at all.

"was an effort...to get some decent press from that creep."

How do you get decent press from that creep? The guy himself is a "ghetto journalist" as you put it.

[godai]

4. Wow...their tactics never cease to amaze me.

I believe that the Clintons will do anything to get elected but still, some of these tactics are surprising and distasteful. Anything goes, I guess but the 'outrage' over the mailers just becomes another laughable tactic, with many more such mudpies ready to be thrown over the next week.

[global1]

5. HRC Accused BO For Using Rovian Tactics - Isn't.......

a classic Rovian tactic to accuse your opponent of doing what you are actually doing as a deflection and cover?

[NightWatcher]

6. So, she has fundraisers thrown by Rupert Murdoch and she cozys up to Drudge?

is there anything that she is not willing (or happy) to do in order to grab power?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

8. Buzzflash so caught up in your "cult" of Obama and & is full hate for all things Clinton...

the GOP thanks them

[tekisui]

9. It's not my "cult".

It just looks like the Clinton's have dirty hands, again.

The "cult" slur is silly. Obama is just a better politician, and Hillary is trying to find a way to bring him down.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. and Obama's are squeeky clean right?

[tekisui]

14. I never claimed that.

It's politics. Not a cult.

[NightWatcher]

10. to criticize anything that Hillary does = cult worship of Obama???

it's ok, you can come join us too if you want. it will be ok.

[godai]

11. It's an International Herald Tribune article.

Cult, hate, GOP all in your sentence. That seems like a lot of misplaced anger.

[AtomicKitten]

15. Apparently the Clinton people shopped the photo around with the note attached:

"You wouldn't let Hillary get away with this without scrutiny."

It's rather sad that even with a documented history of the Clinton camp shopping around the cheese they want to push on Obama many of the most virulent sycophants pretend it isn't true.

[rinsd]

17. Marc Ambinder asked Tracy Sefl specifically if she did this, she said no.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/the_photo_cont_cont.php

[tekisui]

18. Good. It wasn't her, or Wolfson.

I am curious to see who actually sent it. I know the Clinton camp denied the previous email smears before having to fire staffers and volunteers.

I hope the Clinton camp didn't do it, but with their track record, I say wait and see.

[Freida5]

19. The ghetto politics is coming from Chicago