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.

But Drudge, who enjoys being convinced of his importance, dislikes being portrayed as manipulatable. Shortly after the New York Times brought the world the story of how Matt and Hil are sitting in a tree, the Drudge Report reverted back to its traditional "merciless smearing of that Clinton harridan" mode, with the photos of Hil becoming even more grotesque and unflattering than ever before, the most pointless anti-Clinton stories suddenly getting major play, and the treatment of Obama remaining surprisingly even-handed.

Which, perhaps, explains this story, the clearest proof yet that if Clinton's campaign hasn't yet removed Ms. Sefl from the Drudge beat, they really ought to. Drudge, handed a hilarious photo of a Democratic politician, one that he could play as proof that this politician was un-American or too "different" or "foreign" to be president (a media narrative portions of the Right have been trying to push as Obama surges), turns it into a story of Hillary Clinton's inept and straw-grasping team. He even includes a cute little "EDITOR'S NOTE" explaining that "other leaders have worn local costumes," which he follows with hilarious pictures of Hillary, G.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton looking like ponces in wacky clothes. Amazing.

Update/Clarification: Ms. Sefl has denied being involved in sending the picture to Drudge. And we believe her! Because, rly, she's too smart for this kind of foolishness.


[DRUDGE REPORT]