Raymond Hernandez of the New York Times informs the world that Hillary Clinton has long enjoyed the services of a chief aide, someone who plays an absolutely key role on her life, whose existence has received approximately zero media attention until now.

[The person Senator Clinton] is relying on to run things is a reclusive adviser who is intolerant of leaks, who demands strict loyalty from her staff and who, on those rare occasions that she speaks publicly, measures each word.

Her name is Patti Solis Doyle, and the job of mapping out the senator's national political strategy falls to her. Indeed, as the news media buzz grows around Mrs. Clinton's political ambitions, Ms. Solis Doyle has worked in the shadows wooing prominent donors over dinners, meeting with some of the Democratic Party's top talent for potential campaign openings, and conferring with Mrs. Clinton on an almost daily basis.

Officially, Ms. Solis Doyle, 41, is the executive director of Hillpac, known widely as Hillary Inc., a vast political operation that has employed as many as 50 press assistants, opposition researchers, media specialists and fund-raisers at any one time. But Ms. Solis Doyle's title does not begin to convey the singular role she has played for Mrs. Clinton since the two women crossed paths about 16 years ago.