Michael Bloomberg’s recent surge in the polls, showing he is a serious candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, virtually guaranteed the former New York City mayor would be subject to increased scrutiny.

That premise began to crystallize last week as Bloomberg’s rivals turned up the attacks and he faced a fresh stop and frisk controversy. Yet the threat of a real five-alarm fire for his candidacy may have been diffused when, within hours of an extensive report about Bloomberg’s alleged comments and treatment of women, the influential Drudge Report drew eyes toward another story about the billionaire.