An amazing number of conservatives view Drudge as a reliable, impartial source. One even told me, “He just links to stories, he doesn’t write them.” Totally reliable. And yet:

CNN’s Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware has reported from Iraq for four years and regularly corrects the record when politicians mislead about conditions on the ground there. Now he’s under attack.

Yesterday, right-wing Internet gossip Matt Drudge posted an “exclusive” report — based on an anonymous, unnamed source — claiming that Ware had acted inappropriately during a weekend press conference and implying that Ware is an alcoholic:

During a live press conference in Bagdad, Senators McCain and Graham were heckled by CNN reporter Michael Ware. An official at the press conference called Ware’s conduct “outrageous,” saying, “here you have two United States Senators in Bagdad giving first-hand reports while Ware is laughing and mocking their comments. I’ve never witnessed such disrespect. This guy is an activist not a reporter.” […]

This morning on CNN, Ware said the attack was a fabrication: “I did not heckle the senator. Indeed, I didn’t say a word. I didn’t even ask a question. In fact, when I raised my hand to ask a question, the press conference abruptly ended.” Watch it.

Drudge’s “exclusive” also implies that Ware is an alcoholic, quoting an appearance last year on Bill Maher’s HBO comedy show:

Michael Ware has also publicly expressed his views on the war last year in an interview with Bill Maher, saying, “I’ve been given a front-row ticket to watch this slow-motion train wreck … I try to stay as drunk for as long as possible while I’m here … In fact, I’m drinking now.”

It’s clear from the video that Ware was joking when he talked about his drinking habits.

CNN transcript:

Let me ask you a question. There was a report that said you were heckling and you were laughing during the senator’s press conference. Is that true?

WARE: Well, let’s bear in mind that this is a report that was leaked by an unnamed official of some kind to a blog, to somewhere on the Internet. No one has gone and put their name forward. We certainly haven’t heard Sen. McCain say anything about it or any of his staff have come forward to say anything about it. I did not heckle the senator. Indeed, I didn’t say a word. I didn’t even ask a question. In fact, when I raised my hand to ask a question, the press conference abruptly ended. So what I would suggest is that anyone who has any queries about whether I heckled, watch the videotape of the press conference.