August 09, 2007
Absolutely Fabulist
Printer FriendlyBy: Ann Coulter
In their latest demonstration of how much they love the troops, liberals have produced yet another anti-war hoax.
The New Republic has been running "true war" stories from a brave, anonymous liberal penning dispatches from Iraq. The famed "Baghdad Diarist" described his comrades joyfully using Bradley fighting vehicles to crush stray dogs, mocking a female whose face had been blown off by an IED, and defacing Iraqi corpses by wearing skull parts on their own heads.
Various conservatives began questioning the plausibility of the anonymous diarist's account — noting, for example, that Bradley vehicles don't "swerve," as the diarist claimed. The editor of The New Republic responded by attacking the skeptics' motives, complaining that some conservatives make "a living denying any bad news that emanates from Iraq."
But when that clever retort failed to quiet rumblings from the right wing, The New Republic finally revealed the "Baghdad Diarist" to be ... John Kerry! Actually it was Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp, Democratic candidate for president circa 2028. (That gives him 20 years to learn to pronounce "Genghis.")
In revealing himself two weeks ago, Beauchamp lashed out at "people who have never served in Iraq." He said he was too busy fighting "an actual war" to participate in "an ideological battle that I never wanted to join."
He had tried to stay out of ideological battles by writing made-up articles in a national magazine claiming soldiers in Iraq had become callous beasts because of Bush's war, killing to "secure the riches of the empire." Alas, this proved an ineffective method of keeping his head low. Beauchamp's next bid for privacy will be an attempt to host "The Price Is Right."
In response to Beauchamp's revelation that he was the "Baghdad Diarist," the military opened an investigation into his allegations. There was no corroboration for his stories, and Beauchamp promptly signed an affidavit admitting that every single thing he wrote in The New Republic was a lie.
According to The Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb — who has led the charge of those who "make a living denying any bad news that emanates from Iraq" — Maj. Steven F. Lamb, the deputy public affairs officer for Multi-National Division-Baghdad, said this of the Baghdad diarist:
"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."
In response, The New Republic went into full Dan Rather loon mode. This astonishing post showed up on The New Republic Web site on Tuesday afternoon:
"A STATEMENT ON SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP:
"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 Maj. 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"
It's good to see Mary Mapes is working again.
What on earth is going on? Either the military investigation found that Beauchamp lied or it didn't. Either military personnel corroborated stories of soldiers wearing skulls as crowns or they didn't. Either Army spokesman Maj. Steven Lamb gave a statement to The Weekly Standard or he didn't.
At the same time as The New Republic was posting the above statement, which completely contradicted The Weekly Standard's update, renowned right-wing news outlet ABC News confirmed that the military has concluded that Beauchamp was writing "fiction." ABC also quoted Goldfarb's account and said that Maj. Lamb reiterated his statement that Beauchamp's stories were false to ABC. The New York Times had the same story on Wednesday.
The New Republic has gone mad. Perhaps the magazine brought its former employee, fantasist Steven Glass, out of retirement. It's long past time for The New Republic to file for intellectual Chapter 7. Arthur Andersen was implicated in fewer frauds.
And we wonder how Democratic congressmen can lie about a vote they lost on the floor of the House — captured on CSPAN for all the world to see — changing the vote so that they win.
America's imminent victory in Iraq and safety from terrorist attacks at home is driving them all crazy.
Posted by redguy at August 9, 2007 06:43 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.redstatesusa.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/784
Comments
Probably would have been a good political move, as it was for Senator Kerry, except that information is more widely available and people talk more.
His writing didn't meet the 'smell test' because he never reported issues of which he claimed personal knowledge. Further, with the Army, he criticized sources which were held to very credible like Mike Yon.
I would further say that his lack of importance and the contempt in which he is held is demonstrated by the fact that he is still alive.
Posted by: taffy
at August 9, 2007 07:31 AM
I get so sick of these people and the hate they have for America. They are able to justify anything and any lie so long as it supports their cause or undermines the United States.
Posted by: Michael
at August 9, 2007 08:26 AM
I care far less about some fiction writer than I do about what the heck is actually going on over there.
Whether you are from the 'rose-tinted glasses' set, or the 'doom and gloom' set, we are all sick of this banal cheerleading.
We need a coherent strategy for this unending quagmire one way or the other, and I mean COHERENT as in actually long-term do-able!
And grow up with this crap about these unsustainable 'surges' being the answer to our problems. They ain't. And our problem won't BEGIN to be solved with everybodies government going on vacation!
And while I'm on the subject, I have had it up to HERE with this total B.S.: Dem, Republic, whatever!
We, AMERICA, have a problem, BIGTIME! And anyone who thinks the INCOMPETENT BUFFOONS and outright CRIMINALS in Washington are gonna fix it is an outright fool!
This constant freakin' nonsense squabbling is gonna be the END of this country, and FAR more quickly than any terrorists can accomplish.
Posted by: kevind
at August 9, 2007 09:10 AM
kevind- Go post at dailykooks.com, dummycrapunderground.com, or huffingpaintpost.com you moronic loser...Libs aren't wanted or needed here, douchebag.
Posted by: Robert Cooper
at August 9, 2007 10:12 AM
Thank God for Ann Coulter. She is more honorable than the "honorable" in congress.
Posted by: BWC
at August 9, 2007 10:12 AM
kevind- Go post at dailykooks.com, dummycrapunderground.com, or huffingpaintpost.com you moronic loser...Libs aren't wanted or needed here, douchebag.
Posted by: Robert Cooper
at August 9, 2007 10:14 AM
Pvt. Beauchamp's biggest mistake for his 2028 plans was he forgot his camcorder. J.F. Kerry remembered to pack his 8mm so he could record his 4 months of service to our country.
Just want to let you know, "Scott Thomas" your hateful words have been proven worthless - may your days ahead be filled with the consequences of your actions!
Ann, another great column! Thanks!!
And, once again, kevind, you stray from the topic at hand. Hate will eat your tummy up real quick-like!
Posted by: CapeConservative
at August 9, 2007 10:17 AM
Rofl.
I see school must still be in recess.
And after the week of scandal they've had, no wonder these 'young college republicans' are a mite touchy.
Posted by: kevind
at August 9, 2007 10:30 AM
Scott Thomas Beauchamp is a plant. This really does parallel the Dan Rather Incident. One unverified document is the story, rather than the accuracy of his point: Bush was a draft dodger who used the connections of the power to let others fight and die in his place. The war got a huge black eye from the fifty soldiers who went public with Chris Hedges giving their testimony of atrocities. The Mooslim haters, profiteers, and the rest of the patriots needed a stooge. Beauchamp is a liar-- therefore they must all be liars. Just look away folks, nothing to see here.
And kevind, why poke the bear? It's never going to stop being a bear. It likes being a bear. It needs to be a bear. I recommend reading Bob Altameyer for some insight into a mindset you may not understand.
Posted by: Doorma
at August 9, 2007 11:00 AM
Poking a bear?
Around here?
lol.
It's more like poking a balloon.
Lots of hot air in a fragile, synthetic cover.
Posted by: kevind
at August 9, 2007 02:33 PM
bottom line?
the world has changed for "liberals" and they just cant stand it. and to think the pentagon had a hand in creating the internet..
what kevind is doing is "emotional thinking". he cant concede that beauchamp was, in the end, a self destructive person that undermines our political plurality by making the "left" look like liars and idiots, so he has to change the subject to himself and try and force us into discussing HIM. Just as the loser Kerry and his generation are so adept at getting the press to also do. Sadly for them, the internet user is usually smart enough to get a job and save enough money to buy a computer and get online. that alone spells doom for his side as there are now thousands upon thousands of writers circumventing the evil capitalist conspiracy of newspaper unions and "liberal" writer guilds and organizations. And to think that he's probably younger than I am.
I love Ann. Her is a geni-ist.
Posted by: playertwo
at August 9, 2007 03:40 PM
Great article, but...I was surprised, no make that horrified, that when I moved my mouse over the "George Bush" link in the posting of this article it offers a nude love poster of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Were we aware of this? Is this the kind of advertiser the RedStatesUSA website uses?
Terribly disappointed...and disgusted...seems not too "Red" to me.
Oh, and kevind...if you don't like the "squabbling", then, DON'T.
Posted by: RedStateResearcher
at August 9, 2007 03:51 PM
kevind:
All sites have jerks who think calling someone a douchebag is a witty retort. I read all the sites--left, right, far left, far right--and they're all chock full O'nuts. The left is more often right and the right is more often wrong, but at least the holier-than-thou's on this site are funny (in the sense of being clever--huffingpaintpost.com). Ever troll on the Council of Conservative Citizens website? At least these folks aren't completely wrong 100% of the time.
Posted by: Doorma
at August 9, 2007 03:57 PM
Ann...I never even attempted to check the GB link. You MUST remove it now! Someone has sabotaged your column...I know you would not have put that in. Trashy people just can't stand to not spread their "wealth"
Posted by: CapeConservative
at August 9, 2007 09:56 PM
What a shocker that a DemocRat plant was lying! Egads, what next? A President having sex with interns young enough to be his daughter in the White House and then not knowing the meaning of "sex?" Oops! My bad, that already happened ...
Liberals are so wonderful at name calling. But then it is all about that emotional versus logical thing they have so much trouble with. They can't think straight because they are too busy feeling. I know because I used to be a liberal until I grew up.
kevind, what are we supposed to do? Announce to the Muslim extremists that we are pulling up our skirts and heading home with our proverbial tails between our legs and white flags flapping above our heads? Or should we stick this out and get the job done? Do DemocRats really believe that Muslim extremists are not monitoring our news media and using every bit of distorted, biased piece of crap mainstream news outlets spew to their advantage? How do you guys survive living in a bubble? Must get pretty hot in there, which could explain an awful lot.
Posted by: The_Kat™
at August 10, 2007 01:11 AM
Just had to check in quickly. Back from vacation and am tan, rested and ready for almost anything.
Ann's fantastic column serves to point out the bleeding obvious to most of us: the left lies. Sadly, 99 and 44/100% of the people will never see this article nor the rest of the attending story. But that said, the really sad things are the postings of those who disagree with her and by extension, the rest of Good Americans.
I am not suggesting that honest discourse is not welcomed, far from that, it is to be embraced. But the operative word is "honest." (I will wait until the pair of lefties who left their droppings here can go and look up that word.)
One poster claims to check out both sides of the discussion. I am sure that those of us who have done the same have been impressed with the warmth with which our ideas have been received. The Lefty blogers are some of the nicest and open-minded folks you will ever run across. No, sorry, my bad, I was thinking of Uday and Quasy Hussein. Compared to the fringists of the left, the Hussein boys were a couple of swells.
So, kindly spare me the rhetoric and empty stories from the left. Leave out the jejune apologetics. Disabuse yourself from trying to be clever when you only expose your ignorance. (You know of whom I refer.)
If you are on the Right or Left, I care not a whit. If you agree or not, that is fine. If you have a point to make, please, make it and do us all the favor of backing up your arguments with verifiable facts.
Thank me very much.
God Bless and God Speed
John
Posted by: Jaksavin
at August 15, 2007 08:12 AM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)