Tracy Sefl, the "informal conduit between the Clinton campaign and Matt Drudge," didn't have anything to do with the wacky Obama-in-dress picture that ended up embarrassing the Clinton campaign on Drudge this morning. [The Atlantic, Earlier]

We are kind of loving The Root, maybe unfairly called The Black Slate upon its launch by Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive (which also owns Slate, a.k.a. "The White Slate"). This column, by Lawrence Bobo, is a fine example of why. Here is the magic formula for becoming a successful Conservative Black Pundit:

Michael Kinsley's column about the reaction to the Times' story about John McCain's alleged lobbyist romance is annoying, because it is a Michael Kinsley column in Slate, but it is also pretty spot-on in its parody of New York Times Kremlinology: "I may be creating the possibility that some people might worry that other people might think that I have created the appearance of suggesting that the New York Times has created the possibility that some people might worry that other people might think that McCain has created the appearance that some people might worry that other people might think that there could be an appearance that McCain was having an affair with a lobbyist." Funny cause it's innuendo! Meanwhile, Michael Isikoff's Newsweek story on same suffers from having its most newsworthy scoop sacrificed to the web last week, but it has a couple entertaining details:

Reporter Michael Isikoff's story of John McCain's unethical relationship with lobbyist Vicki Iseman is up at Newsweek! It's been speculated that news that Isikoff was working on the story is one of the many factors that prompted the New York Times to "rush" their version into print earlier this week. Isikoff's story comes with a nice little mini-bombshell: proof that McCain already lied in his "sweeping denial" of the Times story!

"We have a society columnist who looks at the computer and says, 'Over my dead body.' And that may indeed be the situation." —A city and regional publisher on the struggle to change the editorial culture at his magazine. [FOLIO]

Tucker Carlson, on John McCain: "I instinctively jump to the defense of anyone whose private life is violated." Tucker Carlson, on whether or not the Clintons still fuck: "Of course it's an issue." [ThinkProgress]

A scary question: Is widespread product placement—a phenomenon that's already here in television and movies—going to become ubiquitous in our beloved magazines, as well? The question was debated at the FOLIO Publishing Summit, currently underway at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. In one of Doral's more than 40 meeting rooms, several panelists said that it's only a matter of time before product placement spreads. One suggested that the issue may not be sacred to most average readers, like those leafing through their favorite magazines as they relaxed in the Doral's European inspired spa. The debate will likely continue over dinner at Doral's Champions Bar and Grill, and may even spill over into a nightcap at the poolside Cascades Bar. But contentious as the product placement issue is, it's nothing that can't be discussed politely over 18 holes on one of Doral's five championship golf courses. Regardless, it is a question of policy that not just magazines, but all forms of media need to "work out"—perhaps they should try one of Doral's personalized fitness consultations, only $100 for an hour-long Specialty Session.

The New Republic's story-of-the-story of the New York Times' story of how John McCain might've fucked lobbyist Vicki Iseman is up, and, as could probably be predicted, it's the story of Bill Keller being a total pussy and not letting his reporters go with all the awesome juicy stuff they were totally sure they had nailed down, provable or not. It's also the story of how now, basically, the standard for publication at the Times has slipped measurably closer to, say, ours.

These are troubled times in the magazine industry. Reed Elsevier announced today that it is selling its mag publishing division, which includes Variety and Publishers Weekly, in order to reduce exposure to "cyclicality" in ad markets. And bad news for any editors looking for employment at Meredith: their president, Jack Griffin, says "We don't hire editors any more. We hire content strategists." Hope they teach that at Medill! But the real question is, is the magazine industry actually changing as quickly and perilously as business types seem to think?

UK tabloids are enjoying huge web traffic thanks to American celebrity scandals. Unfortunately for our trade deficit, we see none of that money. Even when the Daily Mail runs New York's NUDE LINDSAY LOHAN shots, without permission. (The photos, owned by Bert Stern, are under embargo—the Daily Mail just made up a little "nymag.com" watermark, slapped it on, and ran with them.) [FishbowlNY]

Kind of the most astounding lede we've read this week: "So I was having lunch at the Four Seasons with Lou Dobbs the other day, locked in disagreement over who cared more about working people, him or me." (The answer? Lou Dobbs is not swayed by reasoned arguments or civil discussion, demonstrates no interest in workable solutions to problems he identifies for the purposes of <a href="http://gawker.com/342376/lou-dobbs-scumbag".employing trumped-up rage to appeal to the angry white people who've made him an unlikely TV star.) [NYT]

Spy magazine co-founder who didn't make quite as good as the other one Kurt Andersen has been named the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design's "visionary in residence" for the spring semester of 2009. Kurt, admitting that he "should be flattered," admits to actually feeling "embarrassed." Which he should! Because the position is a handy acknowledgment that Andersen has a history of not delivering on his grandiose ideas and has officially wasted his vast potential. That is more or less what "visionary" means, as we understand it.

HuffPo Political Journalist Extraordinaire Sam Stein wants to know why the New York Times ran their odd story on alleged lobbyist-fucker and MAVERICK presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain now, of all times. Popular conspiracy theories include: they wanted to wait until the story wouldn't affect McCain's stunning primary victory, because they love him, or hate Rudy Giuliani; they wanted to dump it when it would be least effective against McCain, in the long winter between the end of the GOP primaries and the start of the bloody general election battle, because they love McCain; they wanted to wait until the Dems could use it against him and not maybe have to face a Republican candidate without an embarrassing cheat-y past, because they hate America and love Democrats; finally, they ran it now because after it had been killed twice, they finally cleaned it up and hedged its claims sufficiently to meet their standards of publication, just in time to beat a New Republic piece about how they killed the story. Our money, more or less, is on the last one.

New York got 20 million page views on Monday and Tuesday. Non-Lohan content "received between 2 million and 3 million page views." Further: maybe we are wrong about everything, or some things, at least? "A spokeswoman says New York has sold 500 more subscriptions this week than in an average week." Sure to be 500 very disappointed people. Unless they really need to know the best doctors in New York or why everyone hates Park Slope. [Portfolio]

The Wall Street Journal's lifestyle magazine, Pursuits, has a brand-new name! It will be called: WSJ. Note the period... the period is part of the name. OK? WSJ (period). Wow, that's even more annoying than Yahoo! or OK! "Its understatedness suits the personality of the Journal and avoids the pretense and artifice of many bad magazine names," says a WSJ(.) spokesperson. "The three letters happen to be typographically quite pleasing." Not as pleasing as WTF! (We think the period stands for Rupert Murdoch symbolically putting his foot down: "No, srsly, guys, I am in charge now. PERIOD.") [WWD]

Those mythical "swing voters" love O: The Oprah Magazine (advantage: Obama!) and the Hallmark Channel (advantage: Hillary!) and Nascar.com (advantage: Hephaestus, the god of fire!), according to Advertising Age and "an Experian Consumer Research analysis of Simmons National Consumer study." AdAge's Ken Wheaton says the results of the study ought to lead the Dems to nominate Hillary Clinton, because she'll appeal to "Conservative Democrats"—who are apparently educated women who watch Lifetime and spend no time on the scary internet—because these women "might have liberal views on immigration and the environment, but tend to be pro-life and religious." Pro-life, unlike both Dem candidates, and religious, like both Dem candidates. See how it works? Oh, and there's a fancy explanatory PDF. Click to enlarge the relevant bits. [AdAge]

Magazines are dying and the web is surging, but maybe there is a web ad bust on the way, and also maybe the web is what is killing magazines, or maybe no one reads anymore, and (former Gawker managing editor) Choire Sicha is trying to figure it all out in today's Observer. He's also trying to figure out Rolling Stone's Britney Spears cover and New York's Lindsay Lohan cover, the two most important magazine covers of this century. But, about that Rolling Stone piece—we all saw the good bits, because they were leaked, by RS, to Perez, but maybe we mostly missed the more "important" thinky bits of Vanessa Grigoriadis' story, because RS only put the first 606 words on their website? Regardless, Rolling Stone had their "best week ever in the history of the Web site," even without the story. So maybe all they needed were the photo galleries? "Until the people on the business side are sure they're going to replace that revenue, that's how it's going to be," says an editor. Maybe we don't actually need content anymore, just the idea of content? That will save everyone a bit of time and money!

Silver-maned CNN heartthrob Anderson Cooper's New Year's Resolution was to "blog more." And blog more he has, taking time during the commercial breaks of his nightly CNN program to join in the online discussion of the events of the day. But, as he explained last night to Conan O'Brien, this allows his "stalkers" to find him. Stalkers like the woman—"clearly deranged," in the words of Cooper—who crashed his book signing and made him take a crazy letter. Then, King of Comedy-style, she ended up in his waiting limo. Thanks to blogging, and to bloggers like us, and like him, stalking Anderson Cooper is apparently not that hard. It's easier than stalking Conan, as we learn in the anecdote's surprise twist ending. Full clip attached. [NBC]

The celebrity weekly's cover story is actually about how the children of mentally ill famous woman Britney Spears are pretty much doing just fine, it turns out, under the care of people who properly strap them into carseats and wear underpants, but there's no denying the power of that headline. What do they know? Is Us Weekly willing to do whatever it takes to find out what Sean and Jayden know? There are lives on the line, people. The entire celebrity-industrial complex may depend on whatever actionable intelligence can be procured—by any means necessary—from these tow-headed youngsters. How do stars get glam? Who benefits? That's the real question, isn't it—why?—the "how" is just scenery for the suckers. Lufti, Adnan, X17, TMZ, it keeps people guessing like a parlor game, but it prevents them from asking the most important question—why? You're close, Us Weekly. Closer than you think. [Us Weekly]

• Valleywag article on News.com editor-in-chief Jai Singh's resignation: 11:00 a.m.