Hillary Clinton Woos Man Who Nearly Ruined Her Husband

A decade ago, the internet journalist Matt Drudge was very nearly Bill Clinton's ruin, after leaking the story of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. These days, Drudge is one of Hillary Clinton's best kept secrets. During the presidential campaign, the Drudge Report, once known as the scourge of Democrats, has betrayed a surprisingly soft side for the woman previously viewed by die hard Republicans as the mother of all that is liberal and permissive in America.

When Ms Clinton had a coughing fit during a speech in New Orleans last summer, Drudge reacted with genuine concern, telling listeners to his Miami radio show: "Hillary dear, take care of yourself. We need you," according to New York magazine. On another occasion, he confessed: "I need Hillary Clinton. I need to be part of her world. That's my bank."

Yesterday, it emerged that the caring went two ways. The New York Times reported that the Clinton campaign had grown adept at using the Drudge Report to leak news that could steal the thunder from rivals, or to solidify her position as the front runner for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for next year.

Earlier this month, Ms Clinton's staff leaked campaign fund raising data to the website just as her rival for the nomination, Barack Obama, was to deliver a policy speech on Iraq - and a crucial 20 minutes before the official release of the information. The story on Ms Clinton's fund raising prowess dominated the news cycle.

The New York Times reported that the Clinton campaign had opened a direct line of communication to Drudge through a former Democratic national committee official, Tracey Sefl. Ms Sefl refused to comment yesterday, but the revelation was widely seen as a sign of Drudge's importance in the US media, despite his reclusive nature and a history of getting some stories spectacularly wrong.

The Drudge Report's influence goes beyond its average readership - the site claims 422 million log-ons in the past month - with television and radio producers scouring the site for potential scoops.

Some would argue that Ms Clinton owes her political career to Drudge. In 1998, the humiliation of her husband's affair with the White House intern led to an outpouring of sympathy for the first lady. Her approval ratings soared, the image of the calculating political spouse blurred. The idea of running for the Senate, which Ms Clinton had been pondering, seemed less of a long shot. She launched her campaign early the next year.

Aside from the bond with Drudge, however, her relationship with the media has remained frosty. In the early primary states of New Hampshire and Iowa, she has reportedly permitted just one unscripted press conference since announcing her campaign last January. Other candidates routinely have two or even three such media "availabilities" a day.

Ms Clinton's events typically also allow less time for questions from the audience than the other Republican and Democratic contenders. At an event in New Hampton, Iowa earlier this month, she was obliged to apologize to a man she accused of asking questions planted by her opponents.

"She is one of the most isolated candidates in modern American history. Everything is stage-managed," said Larry Sabato, a politics professor at the University of Virginia.