· Drudge clarifies: "The woman fled to Africa." OK, that sounds more plausible. (But still, she slept with Kerry? Really?) [Drudge]

· From Slate: "Ten ways to rationalize the publication of infidelity rumors." No. 11: "You could write an article about the media attempts to rationalize it." [Slate]

·February 6, 2004: "Rumor has it that John Kerry (D) is going to be outed by Time Magazine next week for having an affair with a 20 year old woman who remains unknown." So there, Drudge! [WatchBlog]

· Just in case you think Kerry's not getting enough head, NPR sucks long and hard: "This is a John Kerry I'd never known before: affable, funny, relaxed. . . So what gives with this transformation? Sure, he needs the media more now. But here's my theory: Kerry has, for better or worse, the natural temperament of a leader, a loner in charge." [NPR]

· Top 10 Reasons Kerry Cheated on His Wife: "What fun is a meteoric rise to power without some Icarian self-destruction?" [D-Nasty]

· A very detailed tick-tock on the coverage so far: "The new questions is this: How long does it take for a potentially major story to hit the mainstream blogosphere?" [Strathlachlan]

· The Grand Unifying Theory of Politics: "If Hillary wants to be president in 2008, if Hillary wants to be president, period, the Clintons will take care of this year's nominee." [RushLimbaugh.com]

· Across the pond, the standards are lower: The Scotsman and The Times figure out ways to cover the flap, covering their asses by attributing the news to a "right-wing news web site." [Times and Scotsman]