Saluting The Birth Of A Web Pioneer

Today (October 27) is the birthday of a true web pioneer.

No, we're not talking about WWW founder Timothy Berners-Lee or even Netscape's Marc Andreesen. We speak of Matt Drudge, the proprietor of the Drudge Report.

Our boy Matt, who turns 31 today, fashions himself as the web's Walter Winchell, a fearless gossip who lets nothing stand in the way of a good story. And we mean nothing! Sure, the facts sometimes get mangled, but you can't forget that Matt, a registered Republican, is a man on a mission.

While his Bill Clinton bashing is legendary, we love Matt's strange preoccupation with the weather (not to mention those handy earthquake reports!).

But not everyone is a fan of the Drudge Report. In fact, Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal is suing Drudge (and America Online, which carries the gossip) for $30 million, charging the scandal sheet libeled him in an August edition.

What follows is that tainted Drudge report (pages 1-2) and Matt's immediate retraction (page 3). As a birthday bonus, we're also including documentary proof that Matt has long been a rebel (page 4).