“…if that Weekly Standard story is correct, it moves Private Beauchamp into full-blown Stephen Glass territory. In essence, they made the same mistakes all over again – falling for pat cinematic vividness, pseudo-novelistic dialogue, all designed to confirm prejudices so ingrained the editors didn’t even recognize they were being pandered to. But this time they did it in war, which is worse.”
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTJhZTViMDUxYmNhNWNiNzAzMGY0N2ExOWE0OGJkZGY=
THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned from a military source close to the investigation that Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp–author of the much-disputed “Shock Troops” article in the New Republic’s July 23 issue as well as two previous “Baghdad Diarist” columns–signed a sworn statement admitting that all three articles he published in the New Republic were exaggerations and falsehoods–fabrications containing only “a smidgen of truth,” in the words of our source.
Separately, we received this statement from 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.”
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2007/08/beauchamp_recants.asp
But in good Dan Rather tradition the New Republic tried to defend their bogus story which to any astute reader was absurd on its face. If you trumpet a tasty Progressive theme, even though totally discredited, you still “never have to say your sorry.” Bush derangement syndrome has driven many Progressive journalists over the edge.
