Boot’s In The Other Mouth
The New Republic’s Beauchamp dodge, more or less:
We’re afraid we’re not going to be able to acknowledge that our reporter is full of crap until we can prove he never saw a woman with a half-burned face. It’s the Army’s fault. They won’t open up the files of their internal investigation into the misdeeds of a rogue private. Our critics are all rightwing nutjobs, by the way, but we’re pretending to take them seriously as an indication of how magnanimous and journalistic pure we are, when in fact it’s because they have us dead to rights and we have no choice but to address them. Further, we insist on our right to support leaks only when they work in our favor. Oh yes, and … eff you.
OK, that’s not what The New Republic said. But that’s what I’m getting from this:
For several weeks now, questions have been raised about Scott Beauchamp’s Baghdad Diarist “Shock Troops.” While many of these questions have been formulated by people with ideological agendas, we recognize that there are legitimate concerns about journalistic accuracy. We at The New Republic take these concerns extremely seriously. This is why we have sought to re-report the story, in the process speaking with five soldiers in Beauchamp’s company who substantiate the events described in Beauchamp’s essay.
Indeed, we continue to investigate the anecdotes recounted in the Baghdad Diarist. Unfortunately, our efforts have been severely hampered by the U.S. Army. Although the Army says it has investigated Beauchamp’s article and has found it to be false, it has refused our–and others’–requests to share any information or evidence from its investigation. What’s more, the Army has rejected our requests to speak to Beauchamp himself, on the grounds that it wants “to protect his privacy.”
At the same time the military has stonewalled our efforts to get to the truth, it has leaked damaging information about Beauchamp to conservative bloggers.
…
Part of our integrity as journalists includes standing by a writer who has been accused of wrongdoing and who is not able to defend himself. But we also want to reassure our readers that our obligations to our writer would never trump our commitment to the truth. We once again invite the Army to make public Beauchamp’s statements and the details of its investigation–and we ask the Army to let us (or any other media outlet, for that matter) speak to Beauchamp. Unless and until these things happen, we cannot fairly assess any of these reports about Beauchamp–and therefore have no reason to change our own assessment of Beauchamp’s work. If the truth ends up reflecting poorly on our judgment, we will accept responsibility for that. But we also refuse to rush to judgment on our writer or ourselves.
To understand exactly how full of crap TNR’s dodge is, let’s put the boot on the other foot. Or in the other mouth, if you prefer.
Let’s say The New Republic was an organization suspected of misdeeds driven by ideology. Given the events of the last few weeks, not too hard to imagine.
Now let’s say an indignant Army wanted to expose that. The Army happens to have a private whose wife has gone to work at The New Republic because she finds it morally reprehensible, and wants to expose all. Under a false name, she starts slipping dirt on The New Republic … all false … that the Army, through its massive PR apparatus, gets out into the press.
The New Republic, stung by false scandal, conducts an investigation, identifies the rogue employee and turns the screws. The New Republic has a great deal of leverage over this employee, who has libelled it as a business, and let’s say, for the sake of argument, has violated a contract clause against revealing any of its internal dealings. The New Republic announces to the world that not only is the scandal all crap, that none of its employees support the false claims and the employee herslef has denounced them, but worse, the falsehoods were deviously solicited by the Army, which in a sleazy manner took advantage of this marital relationship and ideological bent.
The Army indignantly denies all of this, and demands to see the details of The New Republic’s internal personnel disciplinary affairs before it will admit to anything.
The New Republic, of course, says that its internal personnel matters are its own affair, and it doesn’t intend to release its rogue employee, already shown to be unreliable, from her legal obligation to STFU.
One problem with this entire scenario … both the real scenario and my hypothetical scenario that is intended to throw some light on the absurdity of TNR’s dodge … Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp is not, as The New Republic states, “our writer.” Pvt. Beauchamp is the United States Army’s soldier. He owes exactly nothing to The New Republic, nor does the Army. Beauchamp has, however, for the term of his enlistment, sworn his life and his honor to the United States Army.
Welcome Instapundit, etal! I’m taking my kid to a ballgame today but you’re welcome to hang around. I was working on a campaign strategy for Cindy Sheehan, feel free to pencil your ideas in the margins. That global warming thing … maybe it is rocket science. If that’s too heavy for you, maybe take a read of this Dick and George book. Like history? Je Me Souviens Too. Hey, new poll out. It says you’re young and smart and I stink. Yawn, need to stretch, start the day with some exercise … how about a little YMCA in a Filipino prison?
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 6:58 pm on Friday, August 10, 2007
25 Responses to “Boot’s In The Other Mouth”
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August 10th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
You can almost hear the sighs of relief behind all the indignant spluttering at TNR. Because if the Army allowed them access to Beauchamp at this point, they really would be blown out of the water.
August 10th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
A poll out today says half the country doesn’t trust the left wing media, which is just about all of it. Media executives will ignore this, however. They’re too busy rearranging deck chairs.
August 10th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Why hasn’t TNR released the names of the five soldiers that supposedly backed up Beauchamp’s story?
August 11th, 2007 at 12:10 am
So the guys who said Pat Tillman died a heroic death fighting the neocon’s mortal enemies…are to believed?
I can’t say I’m shocked to see how fast the “support the troops” crowd will piss all over an actual troop to maintain their fantasy, though.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Cid, you forgot “ass.”
August 11th, 2007 at 1:11 am
Like I said over at my place, “They think they spin but they only twist in the wind.”
A bunch of young kids smart about the ways of Washington but terribly dumb about the world.
They need to man up and take their medicine.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:23 am
Salty, admit it…you have the loyalty of a whore.
You’ll put a shiv in the back of any actual shoulder who says something you don’t want to hear.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:39 am
THE ALPHTARD™ knows much about loyalty, as THE ALPHTARD™ is loyal to the followers of the Religion of Pieces™. This is obvious when He speaks for His jihad brothers around the world, those esteemed members of the Religion of Pieces™ who bomb markets, attack funerals, blow up churches and mosques, machine gun children, behead prisoners, rape women, and so on.
THE ALPHTARD™ is loyal to them, and will gladly cut the throats of anyone who disagrees with Him and His jihad brothers. That THE ALPHTARD™ is but a mere dhimmi, and not a full fledged member of the ROP™ is one the bitterest disappointments of His life.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Either you guys support the troops or you dont, Jeffy.
This guy didn’t say anything that would “shock” soldiers who fought in WWII (the one we won).
Come to think of it…you’re worse than whores.
August 11th, 2007 at 2:10 am
al-Phie, you speak of whores when you’d sell your country like you were a hooker on crack. Your jones is hatred, go, crawl back under your rock and let life progress unfettered.
August 11th, 2007 at 2:25 am
MikeH,
Your hatred of any soldier in Iraq who doesn’t parrot neocon talking points is truly disgusting.
It’s obvious listening to your kind that the “war” has nothing at all to do with “support the troops.”
August 11th, 2007 at 3:01 am
TNR makes almost as much sense as Cindy Sheehan.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Alphie, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say to Salty. You’re out.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Sorry, I like to maintain free speech zone, but I’m getting tired of that jackass.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:34 am
If the Lefties like Alphie had any idea what it was like to wear a uniform in the armed services, they would understand why a soldier like Beauchamp doesn’t deserve any support from either the general public at large, or the other soldiers in his unit.
But there is exactly one Leftie like Alphie in uniform, and his name is Private Beauchamp. And he’s shown why Lefties shouldn’t wear the uniform.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:02 am
TNR is pretty much spinning this to cover their collective a$$. Beauchamp has been discredited, except for the usual “fake but accurate” truthiness schtick that lefties are so addicted to.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Oh, and Jules, no loss on banning alphie. “Free speech” does not mean people have to listen to a$$hats, especially self-loathing ones.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I’m becoming more convinced every day that al-Phie is a bot.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:03 am
On a previous thread Alphie reveled in new of the soldier who got 110 years for raping and killing an Iraqi girl’s family.
Alphie was so overcome with joy with the news that the military had such monsters within its ranks it was like watching a dog roll in its own shit.
No rational person would be surprised that any profession had a percentage of psychologically unbalanced people. In fact, the percentage in military is lower than the general public and the punishment any crimes if far more severe.
Now he defends a lying leftist mole to the last breath.
Good timing Jules.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Thank you, Jules!
August 11th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Good riddance. His rising shrillness in the last couple of months over the fifth column becoming increasingly irrelevant in the news cycle made it a matter of time before his supercilious front cracked completely. He must be steaming over his comic books. When alphavictim was banned from another site - PW? - he claimed afterwards it was because the site owner couldn’t deal with jihad boy’s exposing his bad logic. I can imagine what he’ll say about this banning on the next site he graces with his rapier intellect and focused logic skills.
I’m sure you’ll check in and read the thread, jihad boy. The middle finger salute from all of us.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Thank you, Jules.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Alphie still beating that intellectually retarded strawman to death? He has been floating that at other blogs too. Getting his ass handed to him there also.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Jules, I was getting damn tired of posting all of those cognizant think and reason things…PLUS our DearSalty, had just added another. So thanks from the bottom of my fingertips.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
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