Good Night and Good Luck, New Republic suckers!

So I'm in Baghdad yesterday, right? And these Young Republican frat boys stuff 15 puppies in this mini-fridge!

This one is too delicious to let go without drawing as much attention to it as possible. Yes, it seems The Old Democrat, er, New Republic just got pantsed again.

In the grand tradition of pinko fake-o Stephen Glass, TNR's covert "Baghdad Diarist" -- a U.S. soldier blogging about the barbarism of his fellow G.I.s in Iraq -- has been unmasked. We now know his name, rank and serial fibs as a shill for the anti-war movement.

Though editors at everyone's favorite toffee-nosed Lefty rag are understandably in deep, deep denial about this embarrassing repeat of recent history, Pvt. Scott Thomas Beauchamp has reportedly signed a statement recanting his unsubstantiated claims of U.S. soldiers wearing dead children's skulls and swerving to run over puppy dogs with Bradley Fighting Vehicles. (Turns out Bradleys are incapable of "swerving" -- one of a few clues that led The Weekly Standard to investigate this brave truth teller's claims.)

From the above-linked TNR statement on Beauchamp:

"Although we place great weight on the corroborations we have received, we wished to know more. But, late last week, the Army began its own investigation, short-circuiting our efforts."

Translation: "We asked around, confirmed our guy was there. Blame Bush we may never really know the truth!"

Ann Coulter has a piece on the Beauchamp incident, though a far cry from her best. Her boredom reporting this latest moment of media hypocrisy and disinformation is palpable. It's understandable, though. Can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Liberal fraudster these days. Where's the challenge anymore?

Movie tie-in...

If you haven't yet, do check out Broken Glass, an excellent little film about the first time this happened. Available on DVD or occasionally The Independent Film Channel.

True, New Republic's editors are champions of truth depicted as victims of their own good hearts, rather than the willing accomplices that this latest incident is further evidence they may have been. But it also shows a Liberal muckraker nailed by New Media upstarts and disgraced for lies intended to disgrace conservatives. (Best scene: a stunned Peter Sarsgaard yanking issue after issue of the magazine off the office racks in mute horror... Watch it on a loop. Make extra popcorn.)

But given that this latest incident also happens to touch on Iraq, don't hold your breath waiting for a sequel.