Yesterday we wrote about the redemption of Scott Beauchamp, The New Republic's discredited "Baghdad Diarist" whose missives about running over dogs and mocking mutilated women were semi-retracted by the magazine after a right wing shitshow. Today we are back with two clarifications courtesy Beauchamp belle Elspeth Reeve, who you'll recall is not only the wife of the young soldier, but also his fact-checker. The first is that a lot of Beauchamp's details about his fellow soldiers' coarse behavior might seem more credible in light of the fact that as our buddy Leon pointed out a few weeks ago it is Beauchamp's army company that produced those four soldiers charged with conspiracy to commit murder. And clarification #2 has to do with my suggestion that TNR editor Frank Foer retracted the columns because he was "fundamentally a pussy." Reeve pointed out that some TNR editors are actually somewhat badass!
While Reeve pointed out that there was "indeed a disconnect" between Scott and his editors at the magazine — when Scott would be two hours late for a scheduled conference call because, say, his friend had driven his Bradley into a canal and he had to pull him out, Foer would panic and be "like, 'OH MY GOD WHERE WERE YOU?!?!'" — she says that the editors did their very best to communicate with her broad-shouldered beau "on his level." How'd they accomplish this?
In emails and IMs with their soldier correspondent, she explains, they littered their exchanges with phrases like "yeah man" and "fuck that d-bag" and also "we're gonna nail that guy's balls to the wall."
In addition, says Reeve, one editor revealed to her husband — and also, the TNR office — that he had come "thisclose" to joining the Marines 10 years earlier. (Another ex-TNR staffer, corroborating this story, added that this particular editor, is also "given to wearing" motorcycle boots along with jeans and french-cuffed shirts to work.)
Another editor told Reeve he "very seriously considered joining the IDF" right after high school, but didn't because he "knew someone like Ariel Sharon could be elected." (Hey guy: Marty Peretz resembles that remark!)
Reeve added that she is considering pursuing a graduate degree for which she will write a thesis about "manliness and how it ruins everything."
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