The Media "Fact Checking" Myth

There is a myth that the MSM has "fact checkers" to insure the accuracy of the facts presented in the stories that they print. Well, the Scott Beauchamp stories in the New Republic have demonstrated in glowing terms, the famous "fact checking" that the media claim to do it so much eyewash.

Here's another great example: is George Bush a Viet Nam veteran? We would say "no" because he never served in Viet Nam although he was in the National Guard during that war. So why does the Washington Post call Markos "Kos" Moulitsas Zuniga a "Persian Gulf War Veteran" even though he never set foot in the Middle East?

And lest you ask, who the hell is "Kos?" He is currently the kingmaker on the Left who every Democrat candidate for President is paying homage to.

MORE on the Beauchamp/TNR fiasco from OPFOR:

An investigation of the allegations was conducted by the military and
found the allegations were false. In addition, members of Thomas'
platoon and company were all interviewed and no one could substantiate
his claims.

The rest of will or won't happen is to be handled internally within the
unit and are not discussed publicly.

Best,

Steve

Steven A. Boylan
Colonel, US Army
MNF-I CG, PAO

And the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb:

The editors of the New Republic have responded here. Three points:

(1) They neglected to report that the Army has concluded its investigation and found Beauchamp's stories to be false. As Major Lamb, the very officer they quote, has said in an authorized statement: "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."

(2) Does the failure of the New Republic to report the Army's conclusions mean that the editors believe the Army investigators are wrong about Beauchamp?

(3) 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?

From the Columbia Tribune:

The U.S. Army is disputing all of the claims made by former University of Missouri-Columbia student Scott Beauchamp in essays for The New Republic about his experiences in the Iraq war, according to the results of the military’s internal investigation.

"The allegations were found to be false," Major Steven F. Lamb, deputy Public Affairs Officer for Multi National Division-Baghdad, said in an e-mail to the Tribune. "His platoon and company were interviewed and no one could substantiate the claims he made."

Ace of Spades reveals the title of Beauchamp's new book: "Me Kill Pretty One Day." [Sarcasm]

And the fabulous Jeff Goldstein chimes in: The semiotics of Beauchamp, cont