"Tuesday, the national media began bombarding IllinoisLeader.com, questioning the fledgling operation's intention to take on a fight with national political implications," the conservative Web site reported.

"The Chicago Tribune and a Los Angeles Family Court judge have established a new standard for the release of marital and custodial documents," Proft said. "OK, then everyone in the public arena needs to be held to that standard. John Kerry is the start, but there will be others we will seek to hold to this new standard."

The Leader reported that Proft would appear tonight on Fox News Channel's top-rated "The O'Reilly Factor" and that he had been interviewed by CBS News, ABC News and national print media.

The question hanging in the air: Why are the Tribune and its fellow media giants sitting around with their fingers up their noses when it comes to a potential president's secrets? Oh, right: Kerry is a Democrat.

Kerry's Wall of Silence

Meanwhile, Kerry doesn't want his divorce and custody records exposed anymore than he wants the public to have scrutiny of his complete military and medical records.

"I have no intention of doing that at all. There's no reason whatsoever. It's history, ancient history," he said in Phoenix in an interview with Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo.

"My ex-wife [Julia Thorne] and I are terrific friends, very proud of our children. We have stayed close as an extended family in a sense through those years," he insisted.

"It's none of anybody's business. Period."

He failed to say if he thought Ryan's private records were anybody's business.

Editor's note: