The New Republic this weekend finally came out with its investigation of fabulist Scott Thomas Beauchamp. It's long, and, sadly, TNR editor Franklin Foer buried the lede.

When I last spoke with Beauchamp in early November, he continued to stand by his stories. Unfortunately, the standards of this magazine require more than that. And, in light of the evidence available to us, after months of intensive re-reporting, we cannot be confident that the events in his pieces occurred in exactly the manner that he described them. Without that essential confidence, we cannot stand by these stories.

Yep, what should be the first paragraph is instead the last. I encourage you to read Confederate Yankee's Bob Owens' piece on the TNR report for a good explanation of where the magazine fell short.

Reading TNR's long article, with the bombshell at the end, convinced me that they really didn't want anyone to read the article. TNR generally provided a good defense of Beauchamp and its own editorial standards -- if you hadn't read any of the other reporting in the blogosphere. TNR refers to the Confederate Yankee blog, but not to Bob Owens by name. TNR refers to The Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb and at the same time dismisses him as a nobody -- "I didn't know him or his byline."

TNR's characterization of its conversation with BAE Systems spokesman Doug Coffey is also troubling. TNR stands by its re-reporting that: "Nothing in our conversations with them had dissuaded us of the plausibility of Beauchamp's pieces." But that re-reporting was called into question by Owens when he actually tracked down Coffey -- whom TNR never named.

In other words, BAE System's Head of Communications over the division than manufactures the Bradley IFV was never specifically asked to comment on the claims made in "Shock Troops" by TNR's legion of fact-checkers.

When he saw the claims made in "Shock Troops," he stated, by citing the physical properties of his company's vehicle, that it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, for the Bradley story told in "Shock Troops" to have been correct.

While TNR now refuses to stand by the stories, they leave the casual reader with the impression that they are likely true -- but cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. That's a smokescreen. Beauchamp is a fabulist, but TNR cannot bring itself to admit that. Under Foer's leadership -- which it appears will continue -- TNR is a deeply flawed publication and cannot be trusted.