An Aside On The Beauchamp Bellyflop

Fabulist Scott Beauchamp, writing his Iraq war-visions in the TNR, has recanted.  Via Glenn, we note this from Bill Quick:

And Bill Quick observes: "The biggest mystery to me is why the mainstream media has any credibility left at all. Maybe its users aren’t looking for credibilty any more. Just reinforcement."

Say it with me - many consumers of "news" are seeking affirmation, not information.

Comments

[anduril]

"Affirmation not information": chant it loud. That could be the anthem at YKos. It has an almost Jacksonesque quality to it--as in Jesse.

[Crunchy Frog]

I wonder how they apply the "fake but accurate" meme to this one.

Seriously, the Onion and Scrappleface have more credible reporting nowadays. At least they're funny.

[maxxman]

The msm still serves as the 24/7 equivalent of a 'sermon in the church on Sunday' for a lot of people - who generally fall into one of 3 categories:

i) over 65 years old;

ii) work in the public or 'soft' private (foundations, academia) sectors; or

iii) work for the msm itself.

[R C Dean]

I wonder how they apply the "fake but accurate" meme to this one.

Check Andrew Sullivan, who is complaining that people who oppose abandoning Iraq are focusing on Beachamp because they can't refute the underlying reality that Iraq is a disaster. IOW, the narrative that Iraq is lost is true regardless of the lies told by those peddling it.

[hit and run]

Crunchy Frog:
I wonder how they apply the "fake but accurate" meme to this one.

Well, they probably aren't even heading to fake but accurate yet (except on the Iraq v Kuwait detail regarding the melted face woman).

Isn't it obvious?

The army's "investigation" consisted primarily of Beauchamp being waterboarded, where he only "confessed" to making sh!t up just to get them to stop.

Good thing he confessed, too. I hear the next planned torture was to have Cheney sing Christina Aguilera songs.

And if that didn't work, W was going to give a dramatic reading of Beauchamp's blog.

Oh the humanity!

[Gmax]

H & R

the exclusive story that I just heard was he cracked quite quickly when they threatened to make him watch a loop of famous Joe Biden speeches on the Senate floor. That would make a man mountain tremble.

[EH]

Yes, I'm sure being held incommunicado by the military has nothing to do with this. His recantation is pure honesty.

[Jim Treacher]

Seems to me the spin this time isn't so much "fake but accurate" as "fake but irrelevant."

[Neo]

interesting piece on federal “shield-law” legislation.

[Jim Treacher]

"Yes, I'm sure being held incommunicado by the military has nothing to do with this."

Were you under the impression he was at sleepover camp? He's in the U.S. Army.

[steve sturm]

I don't remember who first broached this (Mickey Kaus?) but the idea was that as 'traditional' circulation dropped, editors desperate to save their jobs and status would increasingly cater their content to those seeking validation of preconceived notions. They would no longer (if they ever did) seek to provide neutral unbiased information to an audience eager for such information, but would instead feed red meat to the animals... and the editors would figure that the animals wouldn't care if the red meat they were fed on Monday turned out to be a bit tainted on Friday.. that is, of course, if they ever accepted that the meat was in fact tainted.

[Neo]

Last on the list of Beauchamp tortures is .. hunting with Cheney.

[Cecil Turner]

Heh. Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive does a well-deserved Church Lady dance with his Beauchamp sinks TNR piece. Probably the critical bit of debunking, though, was when J.D. Johannes correctly nailed his unit down to the company level, and talked to his unit PAO. It may have unraveled sooner or later anyway, but that certainly provided a catalyst.

[PeterUK]

Scott,you never write,you never call!

[clarice]

Posted on wrong thread--

Latest from TNR:
"We've talked to military personnel directly involved in the events that Scott Thomas Beauchamp described, and they corroborated his account as detailed in our statement. When we called Army spokesman Major Steven F. Lamb and asked about an anonymously sourced allegation that Beauchamp had recanted his articles in a sworn statement, he told us, "I have no knowledge of that." He added, "If someone is speaking anonymously [to The Weekly Standard], they are on their own." When we pressed Lamb for details on the Army investigation, he told us, "We don't go into the details of how we conduct our investigations."
--The Editors

posted 2:12 p.m."

[winding]

Interestingly enough, that update from TNR doesn't look to add any new information. Unless I'm mistaken, they're stating what they've already done to date. Nothing in that statement leads me to believe that they have disputed any of the latest information.

[hit and run]

7/26, 6:30AM, TNR posts the Scott Thomas Beauchamp coming out piece.

7/26, 1:40PM the army was the midst of a formal investigation, via an email posted by Michael Goldfarb at WS. "In the midst of" implies a certain amount of time had already ellapsed in the investigation itself.

We know* have an anonymous source who says that Scott Thomas signed the sworn statement recanting his stories on the first day of the investigation.

We don't know when the coming out piece was actually written and sent by Beachamp, and when it was received by TNR. It is most likely to have occured before the investigation began, since we have been told that Beachamp was cut off from outside communication during the investigation.

Still, we find out 7 hours after the coming out piece that there is an investigation, and we learn, if only be an anonymous source, not yet officially confirmed that Beauchamp recanted on the first day of the investigation.

I Question The Timing.

-------------
*glad I read the Clarice comment before hitting post. It really is an anonymous source, not a named official.

[hit and run]

WS, quoting Major Steven F. Lamb, the deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad:

An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims.

TNR:

When we pressed Lamb for details on the Army investigation, he told us, "We don't go into the details of how we conduct our investigations."

Goldfarb asks, "what's up with the investigation?"

TNR asks, "did you waterboard him?"

[Jane]

"Yes, I'm sure being held incommunicado by the military has nothing to do with this."

Hey EH - did you hear the latest? He was told he would be sent to Gitmo if he didn't fess up.

It's Bush's fault!

[Sara]

This is OT, but I had to post it here where I know it will be so much appreciated by so many. ::smile::

Via Gateway Pundit:

Video by Mudville Gazette

Today in the Opinion Journal, former KGB intelligence officer Ion Mihai Pacepa explained the propaganda tactics of the communists during the Cold War.
Here is a bit of what Pacepa had to say about the Soviet's propaganda campaign in the West:<

During the Vietnam War we spread vitriolic stories around the world, pretending that America's presidents sent Genghis Khan-style barbarian soldiers to Vietnam who raped at random, taped electrical wires to human genitals, cut off limbs, blew up bodies and razed entire villages. Those weren't facts. They were our tales, but some seven million Americans ended up being convinced their own president, not communism, was the enemy. As Yuri Andropov, who conceived this dezinformatsiya war against the U.S., used to tell me, people are more willing to believe smut than holiness.

Does that remind you of anyone?

Here are the words of future democratic Senator John F. Kerry in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 22, 1971:

They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam...

John F. Kerry- Useful Idiot.

[Carol Herman]

From where I sit, I still see people are FURIOUS with the Bonkeys for running the gigolo in 2004!

Since the take-down of Buttchump is another success for the Internet. It shows how, when people have a forum, they can come forward with information to butt the crap that comes out of the MSM.

The best guess is that Franklin Foer learned NOTHING from the Dan Rather "episode."

And, the only place where I'm curious, ahead, to look and notice anything, will be "how thick will the Christmas issue of TNR be?

Is it possible advertisers of glamorous goods, are aware that Conservatives wouldn't be amused to see "stuff to buy" in the pages of TNR? What about the Leftists? What if they get angry? Could it be they'd be willing to beat up advertisers?

You think marketeers don't think about things like that?

It's impressive, the things you've learned from the Net about buttchump.

He was never first class, when TNR was printing that he was.

He probably saw the "skull games," while he was in Germany. Since there was some front page news of American troops locating an old grave yard from WW2. Only Buttchump "forgot" to attribute.

Sames goes for the "burnt lady." In fiction, BRAD THOR used this "device." FICTION. And, yet, Buttchump did not attribute.

Perhaps, he read the fiction in Kuwait?

As to the current line, that the editors of TNR called a military person named LAMB, who could not confirm any information about Buttchump, doesn't change the facts. Goldfarb's listed the Army personnel who have confirmed "Scott Thomas' stories" as being FALSE. Why didn't they check with them?

IF the old media just thinks it's a shell game. And, we have to find the pea hiding under the rock; they lose.

We already know the truth. And, Franklin Foer seems to think he can avoid it.

In any event, NO PULITZER FOR THEM! The Putz Prize, instead. And, good luck.

[Phil]

Hmm. On the first day of the investigation, Beauchamp signs a sworn statement recanting his story, but the Army goes ahead and interviews everybody in the platoon, trying to corroborate his story anyway? When the Army's spokesman announces the end of the investigation, he doesn't mention that Beauchamp recanted? When specifically asked about it, he says he doesn't know anything about a recantation?

Has the Weekly Standard seen said sworn statement?

Affirmation not information, eh? That's clever.

[TexasToast]

I would guess the pressure to "recant" was, well, significant.

[Sara]

He recanted on the first day HE was investigated, that is not to say that his command had not already talked to the others in his unit first.

There is the recantation and there is the investigation which interviewed everyone in Beauchamp’s unit and no one recalled the things he wrote about, plus we have statements and here and here and here from a variety of PAOs making official statements denying the incidents Scott Beauchamp wrote about.

[Rick Ballard]

"I would guess the pressure to "recant" was, well, significant."

Absolutely no one would ever be surprised by what you would guess conerning the matter.

When he met with the investigators, Pvt Beauchamp faced a dilemma with only one tenable solution. If he lied he would need an accomplice to corroborate the lie and that accomplice would have to be willing to commit a crime that carried jail time plus a Dishonorable Discharge as a penalty. If his accomplice failed to corroborate, Pvt Beauchamp faced the same penalty.

None of the alledged incidents nor the aggregate total of the alledged incidents carried penalties heavier than an Article 15. Lying to investigators is in a whole 'nother weight class.

I could draw it in heavy crayon on a whole roll of butcher paper and it wouldn't change what you call a mind but that really is the way it works - and worked.

[Cecil Turner]

Hmm. On the first day of the investigation, Beauchamp signs a sworn statement recanting his story, but the Army goes ahead and interviews everybody in the platoon, trying to corroborate his story anyway?

Yep. That's exactly how I'd do it if I were ordered to do an investigation. I'd also look for any corroborating or contradictory evidence from folks who weren't in the unit but might have knowledge (e.g., support personnel). And the spokesman probably doesn't know details of the investigation, nor would he be allowed to divulge them if he did. None of that contradicts Goldfarb's story.

Has the Weekly Standard seen said sworn statement?

Since Goldfarb never said they did, I'd suspect the answer is "no." But I'm not sure it matters. Long and short of it is that Goldfarb has now bet his career and credibility (see the update linked) on this . . . and Foer has been "all in" for a week or so. Can't see why Goldfarb would call unless he had the cards.

[Sara]

I cut off my own comment, it should include Major Lamb's statement to an inquiry by Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee:

Major Steven F. Lamb, the deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad:

An investigation has been completed and the allegations made by PVT Beauchamp were found to be false. His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims.

Foer's claims that Lamb doesn't know anything about the WS claim of recantation, is being disingenuous. Lamb knows full well about whatever Beauchamp has done, but that isn't to say he knows who the anonymous source is or that he is willing to confirm info to TNR about that source.

It didn't take a recantation for most people knowledgeable about the military to spot this lying putz. You can't even say that he was honest about being a "soldier in Iraq," since it turns out that his lies started while he was still in Germany, and continued when he was in Kuwait, yet he wanted the reader to believe he'd lost his humanity because of these atrocities he witnessed and participated in in Iraq.

[Sara]

I call it Post Traumatic Potato Peeler Syndrome.

[PeterUK]

Essentially Beuchamp did what is called a Ratner on the organisation he worked in,very stupid if you want to outlast the prawn sandwich.

Of course those of TT's stamp wouldn't understand that the Beauchamp's comrades in his company,where trust is a matter of life and death,might feel utterly betrayed.Rather nasty having a political commissar reporting your every action to the party,but then again,probably par for the course for TT.

[TM Lutas]

Liars say all sorts of false things. If Beauchamp signed a statement saying he lied, why should his word on the statement be trusted without corroboration? The choice in this sad affair has always been what crimes have been committed and by exactly who. Under exactly zero scenarios was Beauchamp innocent of any crimes. Let's say the melted lady thing was made up and the part about running over dogs but some nutbar actually did play around with human remains in some fashion, why wouldn't the investigation not want to find out?

So yes, the investigation went by the book, top to bottom and Beauchamp's statement meant very little to the scope and duration of the thing. And we should be glad of it no matter what our politics are.

[BarbaraS]

The leftists seem to have this charming idea that when lied about the right has no right investigate or kick back. When the Bush administration investigated Joe Wilson's allegations they were perceived by the left as "punishing" Joe Wilson and "outing" his wife. If Joe Wilson was worried about his wife being "outed" he shouldn't have printned his op-ed. He shouldn't have brought her to anyone's attention. People who live in glass houses should know what happens when they throw stones. The truth is he knew what would happen and twisted the truth accordingly with the help of our dishonorable media.

The left will never understand the military. They think the military is made up of oppressors and murderers. Some patriotism, isn't this? The truth of the matter is that the military is a tight knit organization who polices it own. It would be a real donnybrook if only the judiciary was allowed to try the military which is what the left wants. A real mess. Well, the military are not oppressors and murders. They are made up of men and women who are hhonored to serve. They are all that stands between us and destruction. The left is stupid not to understand this. Instead, they try to tear down the military at every opportunity with their lies and celebration of each death. Beauchamp is an opportunist who was caught. No senator for life for him. Too bad the internet was not in existence when Kerry spouted his lies.

The left says "don't question our patriotism". Well, I question it. T think it is non-existant.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

The leftists seem to have this charming idea that when lied about the right has no right investigate or kick back. When the Bush administration investigated Joe Wilson's allegations they were perceived by the left as "punishing" Joe Wilson and "outing" his wife.

Exactly. Franklin Foer even used the same word, 'smear' to describe The Weekly Standard's side of the story, as was (and still is) used to describe the Cheney-Libby refutation of Joe Wilson.

It's also the reason that people like Brad DeLong delete comments that disagree with them from their blogs. If you disagree with them, you're not playing fair.

[PeterUK]

"some nutbar actually did play around with human remains in some fashion,"

This part is true,but it was German troops in Afghanistan,Beauchamp probably got it from Der Spiegel.
The miserable little shit should have called his pieces,"From Behind the Lines".Odd thing is only in America,all left dictators would have had him shot.

[Cecil Turner]

The choice in this sad affair has always been what crimes have been committed and by exactly who.

Yes, but the bottom line on crimes is that there isn't much there. Far worse happens in war zones every day, often by accident or oversight. And whether some "Private Joker" engages in petty misbehavior is predominantly an issue for his NCOs.

The question is whether a [reputable?] US news outlet is ginning up enemy propaganda in the time tested VVAW "Winter Soldier" mode. And whaddya know . . . the gent that wrote the definitive piece on Kerry's shennanigans, Mack Owens, gives us a good overview of this affair as well, in Stephen Glass Meets the Winter Soldiers:

Nonetheless, the "Diarist's" stories remind me of the sort of shocking and outrageous statements young men like to tell to credulous listeners. As the late Harry Summers, a veteran of two wars once remarked, such stories are intended to have the same impact as the sight of two Hell's Angels French-kissing in front of a group of bystanders: shock and awe. They also remind me of the predisposition of the American press to believe the worst about American soldiers, a predisposition that dates to the Vietnam War.

Oooh, nasty visual. At any rate, the villains in this piece aren't soldiers in the field, even if they are fabulists making up the juicy bits. It's the editors and publishers who provide a willing market for this sort of thing, either knowingly, or with reckless disregard for the facts. And are using it to paint a Kerryesque word-picture they ought to know is false.

[centralcal]

I simply do not believe that there is anything even resembling integrity at TNR and probably hasn't been for a long time. Besides the Editor, Foer, and his employee Elspeth who is the wife of Beauchamp, Jason Zengerle and Jonathan Chait (to name two) have also done what they could to obfuscate and try their hands at smoke and mirrors.

Dean Barnett is having one of his "Dead Pools" - guessing the date of Foer's departure/resignation/termination. I have become very cynical. I do not think anything at all is going to happen to Foer (at least not from his bosses). They are all diseased liberals to the core and any lie is justified in their world.

I do like to read Marty Peretz's "The Spine," and have had some respect for his views. No more. Alas, no more.

Scott Thomas Beauchamp - a no talent, scumbag - has cast a shadow over the whole TNR crew and they all come out looking really, really bad.

[Rick Ballard]

For those who don't quite understand what "Gramscian" truly means, read this and then this. I really wonder if there's a picture of the Foer boys in their cute little red diapers...

[PeterUK]

VVAW was a communist front orgaisation,there are some accusation about Kerry.
more on VVAW associations

"The National Review quoted a Defense Department news release: "Alfred H. Hubbard entered the Air Force in October 1952, re-enlisted twice and was honorably discharged in October 1966, when his enlistment expired. At the time of his discharge he was an instructor flight engineer on C-123 aircraft with the 7th Air Transport Squadron, McCord Air Force Base, Tacoma, Washington. There is no record of any service in Vietnam, but since he was an air crew member he could have been in Vietnam for brief periods during cargo loading, unloading operations or for crew rest purposes. His highest grade held was Staff Sergeant E-5."

Hubbard was registered with the VA with a service-connected disability rating of 60 per cent."

Her he is with John F.Kerry

What is the point of this? There was a conspiracy then,why not now?

[clarice]

I'm getting old. I saw the Manchurian Candidate the other night and immediately thought of Kerry.
Jason Zengerle used to be in my son's cub scout troop.
Yikes.

[PeterUK]

Gosh! Did Kerry sail his Swift Boat up the Amur River in Manchuria?

[Topsecretk9]

So long, timmy. And be thankful I’m not the guy you say I am, or I’d post all your fawning emails to me, juxtaposed against your final rant.

According to the Golfarb report. Scott recanted all 3 of the TNR diaries he wrote.

[narciso]

The argument about Hubbard, is that he claimed he had been based at Tachikawa
SFB, in Japan; and that was a convenient
TDY for those who wanted to obscure a
support role in Vietnma. It's not unlike
Beauchamp's dodge about Camp Buehring when
everyone was scouring Camp Falcon. Not surprising that part fell through; as did
Amarita Barnes, the raped army Iraq war
vet, that hadn't been in Iraq; Jesse MacBeth, who hadn't been in the army, Micah Wright, the alleged Panama vet; Marcos Moulitsas, the Persian Gulf War vet that wasn't.

[Gmax]

The weekly Standard responds:

"They neglected to report that the Army has concluded its investigation and found Beauchamp's stories to be false. . . . We have full confidence in our reporting that Pvt Beauchamp recanted under oath in the course of the investigation. Is the New Republic claiming that Pvt Beauchamp made no such admission to Army investigators? Is Beauchamp?"

they aren't playing Texas Holdem as that is a table stakes game. I see this as a straight poker match. Weekly Standard just calmly answer the raise of TNR with a see and raise you. Unfortunately, I dont think TNR has anything in their pockets to meet the raise. Should have stuck to their story about being on vacation.

[Gmax]

The weekly Standard responds:

"They neglected to report that the Army has concluded its investigation and found Beauchamp's stories to be false. . . . We have full confidence in our reporting that Pvt Beauchamp recanted under oath in the course of the investigation. Is the New Republic claiming that Pvt Beauchamp made no such admission to Army investigators? Is Beauchamp?"

they aren't playing Texas Holdem as that is a table stakes game. I see this as a straight poker match. Weekly Standard just calmly answer the raise of TNR with a see and raise you. Unfortunately, I dont think TNR has anything in their pockets to meet the raise. Should have stuck to their story about being on vacation.

[Carol Herman]

Buttchump's first lie was to claim he was a PFC. Wasn't first class. Had been demoted. It shows on his pay records. He left this information off his diary entries.

When in Germany, there was a front page military article about American soldiers discovering an old WW2 grave yard. There was a front page photo of a soldier olding up an old skull. (No yarmulkas. That's the detail "added" by Buttchump.) But you get the idea? He was lifting stories from stories he already saw.

The Burnt lady's face by IED: Here, you'd have to read fiction. BRAD THOR's fiction. He used this as a device in one of his stories. Buttchump used this without attribution. Perhaps he read Brad Thor's fiction while in Kuwait, waiting to move into IRAK?

Franklin Foer is a piece of work, if his hands are on today's TNR piece that they still can't confirm Buttchump has admitted to lying. Since TNR is quoting LAMB.

You get to compare what Goldfarb wrote. Where Lamb acknowledges that Buttchump has already signed the "affy-davy" ... admitting to lying.

The "smidgen of truth?" Buttchump's a male. Serving in Irak. And, among about 100 men JD JOHANSEN (sp?) identifies.

I actually think this idiot can still get another manuscript published. But he'd have to talk about how it feels to get one's private parts "stuck in a wringer."

[Rick Ballard]

The movie now playing is Saving Foer's Privates. Pvt For Life Beauchamp doesn't even rate a walk on from here on out.

While I like Gary's poker analogy, I think it's really been a journo duello mano a mano with Goldfarb still sitting on his charger, idly chopping the tops off weeds with his sword, and Foer now doing a poor imitation of the Black Knight.

If I were going to put a bid in on Dean Barnett's Foer Dead Pool, I'd go for 5PM Friday.

Good riddance when he goes.

[richard mcenroe]

Front Page Frankie Foer will be happy to know that Rightwing Scandal Sheet The New York Times is smearing him now, too. (HT: Instapundit)

[TexasIsHeaven]

When the blind lead the blind - they all fall into the ditch, as the Good Book says.

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch of folks.

[Daddy]

Well I have to give the left one thing. After 30 years of leftist media drivel they have finally made me understand how one could actually loathe a military man so much that you could actually consider spitting on him. That's what Foer and The New Republic were trying to accomplish lo these many years, but somehow I don't think they imagined Private Scott Thomas Beauchump would wind up being the troop worthy of the spittal.

[PeterUK]

Daddy,
Beauchamp is to star in the remake of "Platoon",to be called "Spittoon".

[PeterUK]

Daddy,
Beauchamp is to star in the remake of "Platoon",to be called "Spittoon".