February 12, 2004

Uh-oh. Kerry in trouble?
posted by SideDish 20 years ago
  • in case you can't get into the Drudge report: XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU FEB 12, 2004 11:45:28 ET XXXXX CAMPAIGN DRAMA ROCKS DEMOCRATS: KERRY FIGHTS OFF MEDIA PROBE OF RECENT ALLEGED INFIDELITY, RIVALS PREDICT RUIN **World Exclusive** **Must Credit the DRUDGE REPORT** A frantic behind-the-scenes drama is unfolding around Sen. John Kerry and his quest to lockup the Democratic nomination for president, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. Intrigue surrounds a woman who recently fled the country, reportedly at the prodding of Kerry, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. A serious investigation of the woman and the nature of her relationship with Sen. John Kerry has been underway at TIME magazine, ABC NEWS, the WASHINGTON POST, THE HILL and the ASSOCIATED PRESS, where the woman in question once worked. MORE A close friend of the woman first approached a reporter late last year claiming fantastic stories -- stories that now threaten to turn the race for the presidency on its head! In an off-the-record conversation with a dozen reporters earlier this week, General Wesley Clark plainly stated: "Kerry will implode over an intern issue." [Three reporters in attendance confirm Clark made the startling comments.] The Kerry commotion is why Howard Dean has turned increasingly aggressive against Kerry in recent days, and is the key reason why Dean reversed his decision not to drop out of the race after Wisconsin, top campaign sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT. MORE
  • I give the Drudge Report about as much benefit of the doubt as I give the Enquirer. That guy and his spin bugs.
  • Ever since the lifesize picture of Janet's nipple graced the front page of the Drudge report, I am afraid to look at his site at work. I will start listening when I read it in the Times.
  • From now on, I'll prepend **WORLD EXCLUSIVE** to every post of mine.
  • I read that title on the sidebar as "Kerry is Drugged".
  • kerry LOOKS drugged sometimes, doesn't he? heh. only other outlet carrying this so far is worldnetdaily. if it has legs it should be into the mainstream by the end of the day.
  • "if it has legs", ha! If it doesn't there'll just be a bloody smear as the story's dragged into the press room. I put $5 on hearing this on NPR's news show on the drive home.
  • I can't believe I am actually going to say this. Drudge was the first to write WORLD EXCLUSIVE!!! about Bill and Monica when no other news organization would touch it. Due to Clark's comment, I think this may have legs. If so, there is enough time between now and Super Tuesday for some interesting drama. [on preview, what boo_radley and SideDish say] So, please let me introduce you to the next Democratic nominee for President.
  • It will be mainstream by the end of the day--don't doubt it. I'm sure fox is talking about it too by now (and i'm kinda happy--I don't like Kerry, and never thought he was the most electable--I'm for an Edwards/Dean ticket in any order). So, would anyone here actually have an affair with Kerry? ; >
  • SideDish: As "a Washington, D.C., 'inside the Beltway' but tattooed media personage" had you heard of this before?
  • scott: nope, but i HAVE heard that cheney is on the outs. indictments coming on his staff re: the whole CIA leak thing. he'll bow out of a second term due to "health issues" and look for giuliani as a bush running mate. kid you not.
  • the story on the story from editor&publisher mag. i find it fascinating to see how stories develop. guess that's why i'm a reporter. ha!
  • Cheney out seems to be gaining, but Giuliani as the new running mate. I had been hearing Condi Rice. Are you going to be our 'inside source'?
  • Scott: Drudge breaks all sorts of "exclusives", and more than a few of them have later been shown to be big, steaming mounds. But I doubt the truth or otherwise will matter to such bastions of integrity as Fox News, what with a news director who openly brags his job is to get Busg elected.
  • I've heard the Giuliani/Bush rumor and it makes me shake in my boots. It's a brilliant idea. What also makes me shake in my boots is that both parties are having a grand old time discrediting anyone who shows a bit of promise to make it impossible for anyone to win. Do you know what Republicans typically do for their front-runners? They circle the wagons. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, it would make me feel better about my mounting irritation at the ineptness of the Democratic Party as a whole.) There's a disturbing glee on both sides to shoot the candidates down. I don't get it.
  • Then again, Kimberly, hasn't politics been like this since mudslinging began. I think that was back when Adam accused Eve.
  • Hey ho. I wouldn't trust a solitary Drudge report even if it was (accurately) telling me my own name - but just because he's a vitiolic, lying, muckraking, hypocritical wingnut doesn't mean that he's incapable of reporting true stories at some point. I think the Kerry campaign's response to this will be the most telling. Ah well. Choose your conspiracy theories now: 1) It's all a massive fabricated lie, because Bush is running scared of Kerry, 2) It's all true, and the right-wing press have actually been sitting on it for some time, ready to unleash it once Kerry had an unasailable lead, thus screwing the entire Democratic race, rather than a single candidate. 3) It's all a lie, and it's been put about by Democrats who have realised with some concern that Kerry is actually a complete dope with no policies, who can't do soundbites of less than five utterly boring minutes and who looks like some freaky character from a bad sitcom, possibly about a robot with no friends. 4) It's true.
  • So this election is going to be a referendum on gay marriage, adultery, and public nudity. Does anyone have a time machine I can borrow? The Middle Ages just aren't doing it for me and I'd like to move forward.
  • yeah i'd be a real poor "inside d.c. source" for you guys considering i mainly write about weirder stuff, like this. but i'm happy to pass along any gossip i hear from our congressional and white house reporters! i'll keep my monkey ears open.
  • You know, a small part of me would like nothing better than for this to be true. But I just can't give it to Drudge.
  • But Dishie, if it turns out that Kerry's adulterous affair was with his cousin, you're perfect... And I fully expect that cousin allegation to be on Drudge's front page within the hour.
  • 20 years ago by goetter
  • Goetter: Excellent link!! Please accept my heartfelt thanks for posting it.
  • Issue aside, I still like Dean best of all.
  • As for Drudge, he has no credibility with me. I'm still waiting to see the black baby Clinton had. That said. He did blow MonicaGate open. If this story has legs then it will stand. I hope Drudge never makes the mistake of going after Tom Cruise or Michael Douglas. Those guys will sue his ass off. I'm not buying the Cheney is out talk. The guy is the President. Let's be truthful. Cheney has more pull in the Republican party than Dubya. Bush won't fight him. The only people that Bush fired were Whitman and O'Neill. I don't agree with most of their stances on policy issues, but they went into the White House with the best intentions. They refused to push policy they didn't believe in and got the axe. Cheney was the one who told them they were fired.
  • I think if Cheney does go out, it will be because Bush has a better chance to win with another running mate and Cheney will still influence policy from the sidelines.
  • SIDEDISHIE SCOOP: a congressional reporter pal says this story has been "shopped around" for quite some time now by a staffer who used to work for clark and gore. supposedly, that's why gore never seriously considered kerry for a running mate. but kerry is insisting to the dems that this is "manageable." DEVELOPING.... (as our pal drudge would say. heh.)
  • Interesting. Assuming (hypothetically) that Drudge is right about Kerry, and the Cheney-is-out-Giuliani-is-in is also true, the Republicans are going to have to take a very careful approach- Giuliani has a massive Achilles' heel (ouch) [scroll down] on the issue of marital fidelity.
  • hey! it's jumped the pond!
  • Although that article is quoting Matt Drudge, so I'm not sure that counts ;)
  • we should see how long it takes for AP to get it. that's the gold standard. once AP is reporting anything, it's considered legit. now, of course, that doesn't necessarily make it absolutely TRUE, just legit. verified by several different and unrelated sources, stuff like that.
  • Allegations against Vietnam war hero John Kerry today threatened his runaway presidential campaign Thought it would be: this.
  • Yeah, just been on TV news over here too; though then again, my mate in BBC News hadn't even heard of it. Oy.
  • Once its on BBC its legit - they would never lie to us...
  • Personally, I like to think of myself as a 'single source'.
  • Alistair Campbell will fuck you up if you're not careful, flashboy. Alistair Campbell is rock hard. And his Dad is harder than your Dad, no doubt.
  • I find it somewhat hard to believe that Clark said that "Kerry will implode over an intern issue," given that Clark has apparently decided to endorse Kerry.
  • Thought it would be: this. That's nothing, look at this!
  • Here's something interesting about Drudge by Josh Marshall. So imagine that. The same day Drudge has his 'world exclusive' with ridiculously distorted clips of Wes Clark's September 2002 congressional testimony on Iraq, RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie is in Little Rock giving a speech about Clark and he's using the same testimony to riff on. What a coincidence they were both using google on the same day with the same idea, right? Amazing. And then, according to KnightRidder, it turns out that Drudge didn't even play the smear straight. To quote the KnightRidder ...
    Clark's congressional testimony was further distorted Thursday by cyber-gossip columnist Matt Drudge, who quoted selected portions of Clark's testimony and added sentences that don't appear in the transcript on his Web site Thursday. Drudge didn't respond to an e-mail request for comment.
    Oh what a tangled web ...     What Marshall is talking about is Clark's testimony in front of the House Armed Services Committee during the run up to the Iraq War. I went into great detail on how full of bullshit Drudge was. What's interesting is Marshall is stating that Drudge gets talking points from the Republican National Committee and that the eggman refuses to be interviewed about his own "world exclusive." *** If Kerry acts scared then there might be something to this. If he handles it well and says it's bs then the Republicans are going to have to find something that will stick. It seems to me that they want Kerry out and Dean in. If they get Dean, Bush will win 49 states.
  • That's nothing, look at this! Honestly, what's wrong with being young?, Other than you may make unwise decisions.
  • Anybody else think that maybe Clark said, "Kerry will impolde over an internal issue." Clark's seemed to be above this petty shit so far, it just doesn't make sense that he would cockpunch him now.
  • at this point, i'd like to official derail this thread momentarily to extend a warm monkey paw to mefi's famous thomcatspike, a new member! greetings! *presents a special ripe banana and cup of cock punch* (we're more fun here. ooga.)
  • >>Anybody else think that maybe Clark said, "Kerry will implode over an internal issue." no, but *i* think that dizzy will implode over an internal weetabix issue. heh. or would that be explode? ohhhhh the mental picture.... diz, tell us you're off the 'bix and back on the 'tarts...
  • I was thinking the same thing ColdChef. And being firmly in the "Anyone but Bush" camp, right now I'm just praying that someone comes out unscathed enough to have a chance.
  • Upon the advice of Dr. Ben-Way,a noted fictional character in "Naked Lunch", I am presently adding Cheetos and Fresca to my Weetabix/Pop-Tarts regimen. Seems my chronic lack of whey and Nutra-Sweet (of which the Ch'e and Fre' contain vast, healthful amounts, mind you) were keeping me a wee bit floonchy in the Backhoe Department, but now this finely-tuned machine is cranking out fat'n'sassy loaves like Betty Crocker on a meth bender with Carrie Fisher.
  • I think it's time we introduced legislation banning interns from DC. They'll be required to a) telecommute, b) be married and c) be ugly as sin. Those interns that still get politicians in trouble will be banned from appearing in talkshows and women's magazines, and from starting their own handbag label. We need to protect our politicians from this evil!
  • How about thumbing our nose at France once again, and make wearing a "Freedom Veil" mandatory- all women who work on Capitol Hill would have to wear a headscarf! That would fix *everything.* snort. I wonder what Gary Hartthinks about all of this...
  • slate has a good thing on this, and these kinds of scandals in general.
  • Prefer your Slate without the ads? This is the joint.
  • some more, from the sun-times
  • Salon. (daypass here) Diz: oy vey!
  • *presents a special ripe banana and cup of cock punch* Thanks, breakfast...[/looks at time posted]*head spins*...More punch please. Pssst: are the clocks off on the site, or is there a place for me to set my "time" in profile?
  • Her name's Alex Polier, it would seem. That's according to the London Evening Standard, at least, and a few other sources. Different sources can't seem to decide if she's 37 or 24. The Sun says she's 24. So I'd guess she's probably 37. And Drudge says she's in Africa, so I'd guess... "The woman was today named as 37-year-old journalist Alex Polier who has left the US and is now believed to be in London. Mr Kerry is said to have had an affair with her when she was a young intern working for news agency Associated Press." - ES ...that she's in London. thomcatspike, don't tell anybody, but the clocks seem to be set to French time... no idea why...
  • A thread about the time settings.
  • I certainly don't want a man who likes to have sex with young women as President. That's ridiculous.
  • "The gays! It was the gays! They wouldn't let me respect the sanctity of my marriage!" If he plays this right, he can win a lot of ground from Bush, methinks...
  • Uh-oh! More Kerry/Fonda photo fun. I prefer this one.
  • Seems Watchblog broke this before Drudge on Feb 6.
  • More darned good intelligence.
  • If Alexandra Polier won't vouch for the story then this may have hit a dead end. Her reasons for denying the rumors are a) she's telling the truth b) She doesn't want to become the next Monica Lewinsky c) the thought of people saying she had sex with a man that had a bad botex job makes her sick.
  • An update from the Post I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that Drudge is a wanker.
  • Dude, you're not the only one who thinks Drudge is a wanker. The phrase 'barely disguised contempt' doesn't even come close to it. Go Albert and John Scardino! "For a moment, he seemed on the verge of breaking back into the small time, just as he had a decade ago..."
  • Yeah, it's brill. No affair, not an intern, and left the country to visit her fianc
  • Uh-oh.
  • EEK!