Johnson is a very nice guy -- last time we saw him around here, in 2002, he was the spokesman for failed Comptroller candidate Bill Mulrow; then he jumped over to Tom Golisano's failed campaign for Governor -- and perhaps he has a career as a top strategist before him.

But the reported Clinton connection is raising some eyebrows. Former top Clinton campaign aides say they've "never heard of him."

UPDATE: Johnson tells us he volunteered for Clinton before he got into professional politics, working in the research shop no less.