The details in the story give an insight into how the left wing media think.
"The magazine's editor, Franklin Foer, disclosed in an interview that Beauchamp is married to a New Republic staffer, and that is "part of the reason why we found him to be a credible writer." Foer also said Beauchamp "has put himself in significant jeopardy" and "lost his lifeline to the rest of the world" because military officials have taken away his laptop, cellphone and e-mail privileges."
Foer found him credible simply because he was married to one of his staff? Oh, and Thomas has ""has put himself in significant jeopardy" has he? What about all the other soldiers in Iraq his unsubstantiated claims slander? As far as his privilges go, that's what you get for not reporting gross miscounduct and possible war crimes as Thomas alleges. Either Thomas is lying, in which case he should lose his privilges and be prosecuted, or, he's telling the truth, in which case he should be prosecuted for not doing his duty. Either way he's screwed.
As for Foer, he believed Thomas' story because he wanted to believe it.
"As both the military and the magazine investigate Beauchamp's allegations, a personal blog surfaced in which Beauchamp said last year that each morning he feels "retarded for joining the army," "a little more liberal than the day before" and "a tool for global corporations."
Right up Foer's alley. Which is why Foer ignored this: "Beauchamp did not provide any documentation for his three published columns. He is married to a reporter-researcher at the New Republic, Elspeth Reeve."
Caught out and on the defensive, Foer offers this: "Foer said the magazine is attempting to confirm every detail. "We are trying to be as deliberate and meticulous as we possibly can," he said. "We're not going to be rushed into making any sort of snap judgment."
But that's exactly what Foer did when he published Thomas' unsubstantiated claims without confirming every detail.
Thomas "...said he did not use his full name "because I wanted to write honestly about my experiences, without fear of reprisal."
What did he have to fear in reporting a mass grave?
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