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Profile: Matt Drudge - Webmaster of Pork Pies
Scotland On Sunday ^ | 02 March 2008 | Scotland On Sunday

Posted on 03/02/2008 1:48:41 PM PST by fight_truth_decay

Edited on 03/02/2008 1:58:39 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

Written and posted in haste, it contained even more grammatical slips than usual webspeak. But it didn't miss its target: "The Drudge Report is a Heap of [crap] US-based news aggregation website run by Matt Drudge, Who is a C***... Occasionally Drudge authors news stories himself, such as the one about prince harry being deployed. what a tit."

Welcome to the world of Matt Drudge, the man labelled "the most important journalist in the world" and "the Walter Cronkyte of his generation". The fact that he has also been dubbed "a moron with a modem" shows that he splits opinion as effectively as he breaks stories which can destroy political careers.

SNIP Matthew Drudge – for that is his real name – was born into middle-class comfort 41 years ago in Takoma Park, Maryland. It surprises many who view Drudge as part of a right-wing conspiracy that his parents were liberal Jewish Democrats – his mother, Claire, worked as an attorney for Ted Kennedy. The couple divorced when Drudge was six, however, setting up a troubled early life for their only child.

Viewed as a loner by classmates – one claims he started wearing his trademark pork pie hat at high school to cover premature baldness – Drudge had a double crisis at the age of 15. First, his mother was hospitalised, reportedly with schizophrenia. Then he was arrested for making harassing phone calls to a girl, leading to a referral for psychiatric treatment. Drudge left school with as few qualifications as he had ideas about what to do with himself


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: drudge; mediaspys; princeharry; supportthetroops; taliban
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Newsweek..."talking to newsweek via satellite phone from that region last week, deputy commander Mullah Abdul Karim recalled getting an urgent message from Taliban intelligence in late December or early January that "an important chicken" had joined British troops in his area of operations. Karim promptly sent his men hunting for the prince. "He is our special enemy," says Karim. "Our first option was to capture him as a prisoner, and the second, to kill him."

SkyNews Exclusive Photographs of Harry

A Poster on the UK Land Rover Forum was surprised at the lack of personal protection for the Royal.

"Nope, he would've had maybe one or two chaps from Hereford Gun Club tag along but that'd be about it. Too much CP and he'd stand out even more, and personally, I can think of no better protection than being attached to the Ghurkas. No other regt or corp is quite so loyal, dedicated and humble. Harry must've been in amongst it as a Widow call sign, I might've even have spoken to him on the net."

Poster: "As for his participation increasing the efforts of the Taliban- perhaps that was part of the plan? My friends who are serving in Afghanistan have mentioned a distinct increase of Taliban activity and an increase in material supplied to the Taliban- starting ~December. Coincidence??"

"Bob says, too much protection and he would stand out.

"The niave Officers who insisted on being saluted in WW1 and 2 were the first to be hit by snipers.

"If people have the resources to take planes and crash them into the twin towers and the pentagon, blow up buses in London, etc are easily going to find people to attack a British Prince in a small, known area in territory they know well and can attack at will.

Imagine the bounty put on Harrys head, the Forces out there would be overwhelmed. Beheading a Royal live on the Internet would inspire the insurgents.

The Mujahadin come all the way from the time of Sala al din ( Saladin) in the Crusades, it means Volunteer. Volunteers fight better than conscripts, look at the Russian invasion using a Conscript army, driven out. The Taliban are also Mujahadin, fighting for something they believe in.

The right decision was taken, get Harry out for the safety of the majority."--Chris

Poster: Having been told by a friend of mine in Harrys regiment, he is a good bloke who is respected for his ability not his status. He went out there along with others of not so high and mighty status and did what he was told along with them.

If the drudge report has not told everyone he was out there he would still be doing his job.

My old man (ex RN WW2 Vet) has nothing good to say about the royals in general but just told me how proud he was of Harry and what he has done.


1 posted on 03/02/2008 1:48:42 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
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To: fight_truth_decay
If the drudge report has not told everyone he was out there he would still be doing his job.

If Matt Drudge could find out, so could the terrorists. Matt may have saved the man's life.

2 posted on 03/02/2008 1:54:18 PM PST by Mojave
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To: fight_truth_decay

I can’t believe Drudge was the only outsider who knew Harry was in Afghanistan. I’d bet dollars to donuts the badguys already knew it.


3 posted on 03/02/2008 1:55:20 PM PST by samtheman
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To: Mojave

Just think how many lives he could have saved if he had been able to inform the Germans that General Patton wasn’t really training an army in Scotland or where General Montgomery or General Bradley were spending the spring of 1944.


4 posted on 03/02/2008 2:00:33 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: All

I’m glad this thread was started.

Maybe some good people knew Harry was in Afghanistan; but good people wouldn’t say word 1 about it if they knew.

Sometimes patriotism, loyalty to doing what’s right comes before being “first” on a story.

This American housewife appreciates your military service, Harry.

God bless you.


5 posted on 03/02/2008 2:00:56 PM PST by Cindy
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To: samtheman
I understand the media in Australia also published the story about about the same time as Drudge did.
6 posted on 03/02/2008 2:02:24 PM PST by Uncle Hal
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To: All
RECAP:

YNET NEWS.com (AP): "BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE SAYS PRINCE HARRY TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM AFGHANISTAN" (Published February 29, 2008, 13:23) (Read More...)

DAILY MAIL.co.uk: "HARRY THE NO 1 TERROR TARGET AS AL QAEDA THREATENS TO TAKE REVENGE FOR 'ROYAL AGGRESSION AGAINST MUSLIMS'" (Last updated February 29, 2008, 22:58 pm) (Read More...)

7 posted on 03/02/2008 2:02:35 PM PST by Cindy
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To: fight_truth_decay

“But the secret was revealed in two little-noticed articles in an Australian tabloid magazine, and then blasted into the global media spotlight Thursday by the Drudge Report Web site”

I don’t think Drudge actually broke the story. He just took it from a small Australian tabloid and blasted it out to his 20,000,000 daily visitors and beyond.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/02/29/DI2008022901135.html

Some are being too rough on Drudge. If he hadn’t taken the story to prominence, some other news outlet would have.

Sounds like good news gathering to me. I’d hope Matt would not have chosen to be the very first to break the story, but can only guess whether he would have or not.


8 posted on 03/02/2008 2:07:54 PM PST by Will88 ( The Worst Case Scenario: McCain with a Dhimm majority in the House and Senate)
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To: samtheman; Uncle Hal
The German tabloid “Das Bild” printed the story 2/28/2008
Here is the link:

http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/vermischtes/2008/02/28/prinz-harry-afghanistan/einsatz-krieg-england.html

Notice the date in the url.

9 posted on 03/02/2008 2:09:36 PM PST by Chgogal (When you vote Democrat, you vote Al Qaeda! Ari Emanuel, Rahm's brother was agent to Moore's F9/11.)
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To: All
As already stated, this story was already out there.
Interesting link to see some of his old pages.
10 posted on 03/02/2008 2:09:50 PM PST by MaryFromMichigan
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To: Mojave
"If the drudge report has not told everyone he was out there he would still be doing his job."

If Matt Drudge could find out, so could the terrorists. Matt may have saved the man's life.

Not only that, but if a public personage can't visit a place where he needs more than a couple of guys with sidearms to fend off attack, then that nation should be outcast to the public personage, screw "diplomacy."

I want a nosy, snoopy, APOLITICAL newsman who's not a "personality" himself. I think Drudge is an American hero because he is more of a fly-on-the-wall reporter than a ponderous and deeply informed "impartial newsman" like Dan Rathergate. Drudge is a working rat terrier. Rather and the rest of the talking heads are Golden Retrievers playing "fetch the stick."

11 posted on 03/02/2008 2:11:19 PM PST by Finny (Limited Government is Christian Morality's Best Friend -- The horse that pulls the cart.)
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To: fight_truth_decay

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23295795-7582,00.html?from=public_rss

“...A German newspaper and then US website the Drudge report picked up the story this week. With the ban broken, the story has received intensive coverage in Britain and around the world...”

Drudge wasn’t the first.

Australian TV showed interviews and images of Harry in Afghanistan, the content was clearly a publicity excerise, for which the explanation was - nothing to be realised until the end of his 14 week tour of duty.

Just how naive are they? Trust the Press?


12 posted on 03/02/2008 2:14:43 PM PST by Fred Nerks (a fair dinkum aussie)
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In fact, Mr. Drudge, who declined to comment, was not the first to report the news. New Idea, an Australian magazine, was apparently the first to report the prince’s presence in Afghanistan, on Jan. 7. Bild, a German newspaper, ran a brief item on Feb. 27. Neither report elicited attention from the British press.

'He initially credited New Idea and Bild, and then almost immediately reneged and labeled the news a “world exclusive.”'

13 posted on 03/02/2008 2:15:35 PM PST by A.A. Cunningham
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To: samtheman; Uncle Hal
Hmmmm....looks like Das Bild is covering its butt.

“Ist Prinz Harry im Krieg? - Bild.de - [ Translate this page ]
Wo steckt Prinz Harry (23)? Seit Monaten keine öffentlichen Auftritte, ... Nun geht das Gerücht: Er ist heimlich im Krieg! ... BILD.DE. SHOPPING ...
www.bild.de/BILD/leute/star-news/2008/02/ 26/prinz-harry/ist-vermutlich-im-kriegsgebiet,geo=3866540.html - Similar pages
More results from www.bild.de »”

Translation of title:

“Is Prince Harry in War?”
When you click on the title....the article has been deleted! There seems to be no cache.

Google search: das bild prinz harry in afghanistan

14 posted on 03/02/2008 2:19:19 PM PST by Chgogal (When you vote Democrat, you vote Al Qaeda! Ari Emanuel, Rahm's brother was agent to Moore's F9/11.)
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To: fight_truth_decay

Did Matt fly to Afghanistan for a few days and take all those pictures and video of Harry?


15 posted on 03/02/2008 2:21:31 PM PST by fso301
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To: Cindy
This American housewife appreciates your military service, Harry.

and this American gramma with family in Afghanistan appreciates you also, Harry.

Well done, lad. I suspicion your mother is looking down, and is proud indeed.

16 posted on 03/02/2008 2:24:10 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: A.A. Cunningham; Fred Nerks
Hey DU was on top of things. They have the translation of the original Das Bild article!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3202340&mesg_id=3202390

17 posted on 03/02/2008 2:24:27 PM PST by Chgogal (When you vote Democrat, you vote Al Qaeda! Ari Emanuel, Rahm's brother was agent to Moore's F9/11.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
"...talking to newsweek via satellite phone from that region last week, deputy commander Mullah Abdul Karim..."

Now, see.... this really pisses me off. Newsweek is taking calls from terrorists??? And printing their threats???

How stupid are these idiots? They'll do anything to get the story. This BS directly supports AQ's propaganda machine. Now they can crow about driving him out of there. Any US reporter that does this should thrown under the jail, period. Including Drudge unfortunately. Barring any exculpatory reasons, disclosing Harry's presence was wrong.

Think what would have happened if Edward R. Murrow had taken private calls from Von Ribbentrop, and then broadcast about how the Nazis planned to kill Ike's son, John, or one of FDR's 4 sons who served in WWII. He'd have spent the rest of his life in jail.
18 posted on 03/02/2008 2:27:31 PM PST by conservativeharleyguy (Democrats: Over 60 Million Fooled Daily!)
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To: fso301
Did Matt fly to Afghanistan for a few days and take all those pictures and video of Harry?

Red herring.

the deal with the UK Press was that they would be allowed to go into the field and take photos if they would hold the story and photos for the duration....They held to their bargain.

Betcha no matter whose life would be up for grabs no one would be able to get the US press to keep such a deal

19 posted on 03/02/2008 2:27:36 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: maine-iac7

I appreciate all who are serving in Afghanistan maine-iac7.

May God bless your family.


20 posted on 03/02/2008 2:28:14 PM PST by Cindy
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