The DrudgeReport must be experiencing problems right now -- probably Y2K related (gg).
Here is some of it:
DRUDGE REPORT
By Matt Drudge
Thu Sep 03 19:30:59 1998
STARR DEPUTY: PROBE IS OF 'CONSTITUTIONAL AND HISTORIC IMPORTANCE'
Court Papers Reveal Tripp Key Witness in Travelgate, FBI Files
In unsealed court papers, a deputy in the Office of Independent Counsel declares that theinvestigation of alleged White House wrongdoing is of "constitutional and historic importance"
that reaches "to the highest level of the federal government."
And in a stunning twist, Independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation of "Filegate" and "Travelgate" -- thought to be dormant -- are continuing and "in extremely sensitive stages, "according to his deputy, Robert Bittman.
"These investigations are factually and legally complex and they involve issues of singular and historic importance," Bittman wrote in court papers obtained by the WASHINGTON TIMES.
TIMES reporter Bill Sammon is first to break the development.
Bittman's court arguments helped persuade a federal judge to postpone Friday's scheduled deposition of FBIFILESTRAVELOFFICEMONICALEWINSKY witness Linda Tripp, which had been requested by JUDICIAL WATCH.
"Premature disclosure could affect the testimony of witnesses, and it could affect the behavior of targets" in several broad criminal investigations, Bittman pleaded.
Sammon reports: "When Judicial Watch first tried to subpoena Mrs. Tripp two weeks ago, the process server was turned away at Mrs. Tripp's Columbia, Maryland home by Starr representatives."
A second subpoena was accepted by Tripp's lawyer.
Judicial Watch chairman Larry Klayman was set to videotape Tripp in a discovery session for a lawsuit brought by victims of the FBI files episode.
Starr moved to block the testimony of his key witness, as Tripp's lawyer, Anthony Zaccagnini, moved to ban the video camera.
"Mr. Zaccagnini stated a likely concern of Ms. Tripp in being videotaped was that it would reduce her marketability to sell her story for television appearances," Klayman argued in aaffidavit.
"Eventually, Mr. Zaccagnini decided it was not in his clients interest to be exposed after all and asked to excuse her," reports Sammon.
X X X X X
"President Clinton is the subject of a new Justice Department probe to determine whether an independent counsel should investigate allegations that he personally violated campaign spending laws during his 1996 re-election effort," the WASHINGTON POST reported in late Thursday editions.
The president's private attorney David Kendall met with top Justice Department officialsWednesday in an effort to convince them that no further investigation was justified, says thepaper.
"What specific information triggered the new inquiry could not be determined Wednesday night,but officials familiar with the matter said that it arrived at the Justice Department threeweeks ago and prompted a fresh review of Clinton's role in orchestrating the DNC's advertising efforts."
Developing...
X X X X X
NBC'S LISA MYERS STEALS DRUDGE REPORT
She said it was "Breaking News." She said that she had just learned it...
"Monica Lewinsky had a sexual encounter with the president in his White House study, hours after Clinton attended Easter services with his family," rushed Myers.
NBC's Myers broke the "breaking news" on MSNBC Wednesday evening. She then rushed it over to the network, breaking the breaking on NBC NIGHTLY NEWS.
There was fallout all over the peacock. On CNBC's Chris Matthews HARDBALL, White House sex on Easter Sunday dominated conversation. HARDBALL guest, TIME magazine Karen Tumulty, told Matthews, "The White House has known this was coming for three days now."
Well?
Of course White House staffers knew the sex/church story was coming -- they read it in the DRUDGE REPORT.
And so did Lisa Myers.
Late Wednesday, a senior NBC producer explained that he was "aware" of a DRUDGE REPORT slugged "exclusive" that moved late Sunday night: "Sex on Sundays." The producer went silent when asked why there was no credit given to its original author.
DRUDGE: "One date in question, Easter Sunday, April 7, 1996."
MYERS: A Lewinsky visit on April 7, 1996 - Easter Sunday.
DRUDGE: President Clinton attended an Easter Sunday church service that was filled with references to the death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and the other 32 Americans killed in a plane crash in Croatia earlier that week.
MYERS: Clinton was publicly mourning Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and his staff on that Easter, days after they were killed in a plane crash in Croatia.
DRUDGE: After attending Easter Sunday church services with his wife Hillary Clinton, President Bill Clinton reportedly shared some private time with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
MYERS: [Lewinsky] had a sexual encounter with the president in his White House study, hours after Clinton attended Easter services with his family.
...And to think that it was just last week that NBC NEWS forever-tanned-anchor Brian Williams referred to the DRUDGE REPORT website by saying: "It rhymes with 'grudge.'"
"You mean 'sludge,'" laughed NEWSWEEK reporter Howard Slimeman.
Well. All is better than FUDGE.
Myers did not return repeated phone calls seeking explanation on Wednesday. NBC NEWS president Andy Lack was on vacation and not available for comment on the Myers theft. |
