They were pioneers in the worlds of media, publishing and entertainment who made it to the top - and who became pals along the way.

Thanks to Woodward, Bernstein and Deep Throat, the first rule of investigative journalism is “Follow The Money.”

The rule works for Muckety, too, especially when it comes to politics. Connections between politicians and their donors are always revealing.

A case in point: A story by Michael Cooper and Leslie Wayne in Thursday’s New York Times. It focused on the wealthy Paul E. Singer, a hedge-fund founder and backer of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid.

Judith Miller, a central figure in both the Lewis Libby trial and the debate over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, has joined the Manhattan Institute.

The former New York Times reporter is now an adjunct fellow at the conservative think tank. The bio posted on the institute’s web site describes her focus as “Middle East and counterterrorism, and the need to strike a delicate balance between protecting both national security and American civil liberties in a post-9/11 world.”