Bob, go to Drudge. He says he's obtained transcripts of the conversations between Beauchamp and Foer (& TNR editorial staff). Interesting stuff, but nothing we didn't already know. The question is, how did he get them, and who does the leak benefit? This line makes me think the editors might be trying to save face, and present themselves as exemplars of journalistic ethics:

"The editors respond that, "we just can't, in good conscience, continue to defend the piece" without an explanation, but Beauchamp responds only that he "doesn't care what the public thinks."

So is the leaker a TNR staffer, the editors or does Beauchamp long for another fifteen minutes? I'll leave it to you to delve deeper. Oh, and keep up the good work.

Indeed, the NYTimes is now entering TNR territory with its abject denial of reality.

Several years ago, when The SCO Group launched its lawsuits against Novell and IBM, many in the open source community looked at the hard facts and realized the reality was 180 degrees out of phase with SCO's complaints. I predicted then that SCO's outcome would be a complete and total collapse (although many in the news media, including predominant Forbes magazine editors, felt a SCO victory was most likely). Simply put, an organization cannot survive in complete opposition to the facts. Last month, SCO went from a slightly increasing stock with hopes for a new product strategy and potential long-shot litigation settlement to bankruptcy with liquidation most likely given licensing fees obligated to Novell.

TNR is now imploding as many of us have expected. This is quite unfortunate as CanWest didn't respond in time, cleaning house and protecting their investment. It's too late now; TNR will only exist as a warning to others to not stonewall in times where serious internal error and incompetence has been uncovered. Hint to CanWest: The executive that got you into the mess really isn't a good choice for getting you out. It's probably time to re-assess CanWest management as they didn't seem to correctly assess the risks with TNR, and have had numerous other problems relating to executives with an ideological conflict of interest.

The collapse of the NYTimes is even more fascinating to watch. Unlike some analysts that predict they can milk a few more years out of the mess, those familiar with the history of these catastrophic events know that these things pick up speed at the end. Unless an outside party takes over control in the next half-year, it too will survive only as a case study of how not to run a news organization.

completely off topic, but may be of interest

http://drudgereport.com/flash8.htm

I was aware of the docs Drudge has posted, and ironically, he may have them because someone decided to leak the results of a FOIA request I had sent in, asking for these docs specifically. These are the results was expecting back this week.

I'm somewhat irritated someone in the Army leaked my exclusive to Drudge (I had been assured I was the only person to even ask for these by the FOIA office), but I guess what matters is that the truth came out.

The New Republic's website (including its house blog, "The Plank") has its own search engine.

Search Blogs (10/24/07 2:00 PM)

You searched for the word(s): Beauchamp

Sorry, we were unable to find any results using your search terms. Please change your search terms and try again.

How it ends.

Victory in Iraq in 2008 was predicted in much detail way back in may 2006.

When liberals say they support the troops but not the mission, they are not intentionally dissembling. They are merely stating their belief that individual life has value, and they therefore "support the troops" by trying to keep individual soldiers alive through bringing an end to the conflict.

This, of course, reduces a soldier's value (or anyone's value for that matter) to nothing but a continued heartbeat. They give no value to the troops' sacrifice for the good of the nation, because they care little for the nation, and are actually contemptuous of it. When they claim that they honor the soldier's service to his country, THAT'S when they're lying.

Instapundit seems to infer Drudge's transcript came from someone within TNR. The transcript, however, appears to be an Army document - unless TNR is starting to use military time and date notation. Note also the file name "Misconduct_4/1lD_Beauchamp_17Jul07". Doesn't look like a file name TNR would use.

I wonder if the TNR folks knew they were being recorded?

Reading through the transcript PDFs, I'd have to suggest that Foer is in serious trouble. I was laughing pretty hard at the first transcript until I reached Foer's implied threats to Beauchamp's wife's safety, e.g. "...your wife is involved in this...I don't want her to get hurt in all of this." Maybe they can get Wilford Brimley aka William Devasher to play Foer in upcoming film version of "The News Firm".

For those from TNR and CanWest reading the posts, it's time to move onward as your association with this organization is going to taint your resume. Two words should sum this up for you: Enron Accountant (I know two that have had to find alternate careers or work for well less than their experience justifies as nobody wants any association with that ethical meltdown).

At the same time, it's refreshing to see the maturity and seriousness taken by the military in this matter. LTC Glaze's letter to Beauchamp clearly speaks to the character of leadership we have in Iraq.

I'm somewhat irritated someone in the Army leaked my exclusive to Drudge

Perhaps someone at TNR caught wind of the pending release and this was merely a pre-emptive strike to prevent you from getting the scoop. I'm sure you can imagine how that would have chafed.

The frequency of bad news associated with the Iraq war will not decline during our lifetime. The media are still reporting negative news about the Vietnam war, however peripherally associated.

Look, for example, for increases in stories about veterans' jobs, disabilities, medical problems, psychological problems and syndromes; and increases in stories about how the Pentagon has changed this, that or the other thing in response to "lessons learned," or on the other hand, how the Pentagon has yet to learn any lessons whatsoever. Look also for reportage of every single stubbed toe and crime in Iraq for the next three generations. Finally look for all the stories about the continuing international presence, either in the form of coalition advisors or UN peace keepers.

With cautions optimism, I propose that a meme be started that the victory in Iraq, when acknowledged, be known as "Bush's Victory"

When liberals say they support the troops but not the mission, they are not intentionally dissembling.

I wished I could believe that, but frankly I don't. Suppose someone said that he supports homosexuals, but not homosexual marriage. Would lefties buy that position?

Given the absolute, inexcusable, yet ongoing media distortions re Iraq, based on a demented antipathy to GWB, couldn't some outsider startup do wonderfully well by honestly reporting real news? Recruit a bunch of 18 - 20 year old interns, train 'em in the basics, send 'em out... no CSJ or other phonies need apply.

The New York Times dates from 1850. If it exists through 2012, we'll be surprised.

Naaah, it wasn't really Bush's victory. Bush held his nerve, yes, but he kept the wrong people in command in Iraq for too long. The victory belongs to our men and women in uniform, and to those who will not return to share in it.

But above all, the victory belongs to those Iraqis, who, generations hence, will have a chance to live without fear or terror, because they finally stood up. For all the valor of our men and women, we could have done this without the Iraqis.

So was it FDR's victory in WWII, up to the day he died, even though he presided over a number of hideous disasters, most of them avoidable? Of course it was, just as it will be Bush's despite his failures. To say otherwise is to presume the possibility of presidential perfection in wartime.

Enough second-guessing already. The war in Iraq is working, despite the incredible degree of difficulty imposed by modern sensibilities, and at least Bush is a first guesser (stole that from Dennis Miller). Courage of his convictions and all that.

All these docs are coming up 404. Anyone keep copies?

I find the New York Times Editorial Board's statement to be perfectly consistent with what Greyhawk's, if you consider that they are not on the same side of the war.

I think it is likely that the Drudge documents were leaked by somone at TNR rather than from a military source. Sure, they may have all (even the transcripts, perhaps) originally been in the hands of the military, but, as the transcripted phone conversation makes clear, Beauchamp intended to authorize his attorney to obtain all the military documents regarding his case and turn them over to TNR. Someone at TNR could have easily then passed them on to Drudge -- the rats are ready to jump from that sinking ship.

Heck. The creaky old media dinosaurs can't even get their focus off of W's TANG years. The world is passing them by.

The networks, the newspapers, the cable new networks: they're akin to 8-Track Tapes. Nobody listens to them anymore.

When Bush makes a post-Presidency trip to Iraq, and is greeted as a hero, I expect there will be no New York Times to bury the story.

The NYT are journalistic dead enders. Its starting to show in their fiscal performance as well.

Malkin/Hot Air and Jawa have them, Pablo.

Pshaw! When Iraq gets a space program *then* it'll be over. /sarc

Before declaring victory, shouldn't you discuss how we've won in terms of the US government's official goals for the war in Iraq? Perhaps it's obvious that we're winning, but this seems like an important step. Some of your readers might not be familar with them.

OUR NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR VICTORY IN IRAQ:

Victory in Iraq is Defined in Stages

Short term, Iraq is making steady progress in fighting terrorists, meeting political milestones, building democratic institutions, and standing up security forces.

Medium term, Iraq is in the lead defeating terrorists and providing its own security, with a fully constitutional government in place, and on its way to achieving its economic potential.

Longer term, Iraq is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism.

{The system will not allow posting the URL, but you can Google it.}

Fabius, I post links in comments all the time. Just follow standard HTML formatting (i.e. an "a href=" tag) and it works just fine.

If ya don't know HTML, well... Google it! -lol-

You are being unfair. To the NYT, the situation is getting worse. To the Democrats, the situation is getting worse. To the AQ, the situation is getting worse. To OBL, the situation is getting worse. It all depends on which side you are rooting for. The NYT editorial board is just being truthful. To them the worst thing that could happen is for us to win in Iraq. So for them, the situation in Iraq is getting worse.

Someone asked me what victory in the War on Terror meant and I said "When the left in this Country starts telling our enemies that, without reservation, they will now be joining the American Right in seeking their absolute eradication. Or surrender." Then we will have victory. But then I realized that such a victory is truly illusory. I guess I'll have to settle for a true, freedom-based democracy in Iraq, and among those neighbors who might wish to follow. Such a victory will have to serve.