While the details of CNN’s SEAL’s account match up more with those laid out in No Easy Day, written by another SEAL on the mission, Esquire’s editor-in-chief David Granger writes that he and the magazine stand by the Shooter’s account:

Yesterday, CNN issued a report that attempted to cast doubt on The Shooter’s account of the mission and on whether he was the man who was responsible for killing Osama bin Laden. To be clear: Esquire and Phil Bronstein, the veteran journalist and writer of the story, object to CNN’s report in the strongest possible terms. By stark contrast with Bronstein’s thoroughgoing 15,000 word report, the CNN story constitutes a mere act of assertion. As far as can be gleaned from the report, it is based on the opinion of one current SEAL who was not on the bin Laden mission and who therefore could not have first-hand knowledge of it. It is little more than gossip. Esquire’s story remains the most thoroughly reported account of the raid and of the death of Osama bin Laden.

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David Granger, Esquire’s editor-in-chief, told Adweek, “We had so much extra video for August, so we wanted to put it to good use.” Unfortunately, this is not good use. There are too many trailers in our lives already. Adding another one won’t do anyone any good.

We love Esquire, but this is madness and it must be stopped before it becomes a trend in the industry. Granger said he’d phase them out if readers opposed, so please — please — write him and say you don’t like the idea.

We’d show you our email to him, but we’re still editing the trailer. SPOILER ALERT: The subject contains a frowning emoticon.

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Simon Dumenco

‘This is not an anti-aggregation group, we are pro-aggregation,’ Mr. Dumenco told me. ‘We want some simple, common-sense rules. There should be some kind of variation of the Golden Rule here, which is that you should aggregate others as you would wish to be aggregated yourself.’

As aggregators ourselves, we completely agree that there should be some sort of standard. But there’s a couple problems with the CEBA. Maybe the most troubling thing is that for a group developing rules for bloggers, there aren’t many bloggers taking part. Here’s the rundown of who has signed up so far:

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Charles Pierce

“Ever since Norman Mailer followed Superman into the supermarket, Esquire has been at the forefront of explaining this complicated country’s complicated politics to its complicated self,” said Pierce. “Now, as we come into a presidential election, with a battered economy and two-and-a-half ongoing wars, and with one of our two major political parties seemingly succumbing to dementia, Esquire.com will bring that long tradition into a new era.  I look forward to helping make that process happen along with the talented stable of writers who also will contribute to the Politics Blog. And there will be fun. And snark.”

David Granger, Esquire’s Editor-in-Chief, was obviously excited about adding such a talented writer as Pierce. “Charlie is going to make Esquire.com’s ‘The Politics Blog’ one of the very few political blogs one has to read every day, all day,” he said.

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My motivation for doing this is simple: Magazines have already done one essential thing — we’ve made people want things, whether it’s a better life or better shoes … But for the hundreds of years that magazines have been around, magazines have stopped short on delivering that desire.

He didn’t offer up any specifics about Clad, but did say that it would be connected with “one of America’s largest retailers.”

What could that be? Well, Esquire isn’t one to flaunt the latest looks from Sears, so whichever company it is, it’ll be slightly upscale. J. Crew perhaps? If it’s anything more expensive than that we’ll be emailing the editors, “Hey, wrote about Clad and we love the tweed overalls, any chance for a discount?”

Tweed overalls are going to be everywhere next fall, by the way.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

You may have to wait until next week to pick up Esquire‘s December issue featuring augmented reality from the newsstands, but you can get a sneak peek at what’s inside right now.

In the video above, from Esquire‘s augmented reality home page, editor-in-chief David Granger demonstrates some of the issue’s special features, including extra video clips from cover model Robert Downey Jr.

If you don’t already subscribe, will you be picking up the new Esquire? We’ll admit, we’re intrigued.

Earlier: Esquire Continues To Bring Multimedia To Print Issues

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Well, at least it wasn’t a one-time trick. A year later, Esquire is back with another attempt at bringing technology into print, instead of the other way around.

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This year, in an election year in which the stakes are even higher, there was no real decision to make. We were going to reprise the “Endorsement Package.” In honor of the election, the entire November issue became the “endorsement issue,” stuffed with impassioned recommendations to our readers.

Perhaps you will not be surprised to hear that Esquire also endorsed Obama, making us think, wouldn’t it be great if the Onion now decided to follow suit and devote and entire issue to endorsing McCain and Palin. Maybe next week People will weigh in with their thoughts.

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The party was held at Gotham Hall, the inside of which sort of looks like a set piece from Triumph of the Will meets Lost Boys — great for a party but a bit of a strange atmosphere to watch, say, a former President give a speech. Which is exactly what happened when, shortly after we arrived, David Granger introduced Bill Clinton as the night’s surprise guest speaker (Clinton says every time he comes to Gotham Hall he expects Batman to appear). Actually Clinton wasn’t a surprise to everyone, Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales later told us that he’d heard about Clinton’s arrival beforehand from Julia Allison, at which point Charlie Rose leaned over to us and asked: “Who is Julia Allison?” More pictures and video of Clinton’s Peron-like speech (but, sadly without the music) after the jump.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

I thought I’d seen just about everything from my regular perch at Michael’s during my weekly visits, but today topped all. They were serving up sides of card tricks with the Cobb salads today and the gang was just eating it up. When I arrived, illusionist JB Benn was standing at the bar shuffling a deck of playing cards for Frank Gifford as his pals Hunter Millington — yes, Steve‘s brother — and Chris Graham looked on. He asked the gridiron great to sign a card and place it back in the deck. After a great deal of slow-mo shuffling, he finally pulled out the very same card from a sealed envelope in his jacket pocket.”I better make sure I’ve still got my watch,” quipped Frank. JB then drafted me into service asking me how many dollar bills he was holding in his hands. Frank and I both agreed he had four single dollars. Literally, right before our eyes the bills turned into hundreds. Within minutes, a crowd had gathered and there were gasps all around. I wouldn’t be surprised if JB is now booked between now and 2010 as the entertainment at parties from the Upper East Side to Easthampton as result of his impromptu performance this afternoon.

The utterly charming and adorable Mr. Benn (“He looks like a better-looking Tom Cruise,” said one smitten diner) made the rounds in the dining room eliciting applause all around. When I saw how wowed Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb were after the illusionist worked his magic on them, I suggested they might want to have him on the show to make ‘Sam the Cooking Guy’ disappear. In case you haven’t heard, Sam caused quite a stir on Today last Wednesday’s show in a segment during the fourth hour when he basically told the co-hosts to shut up and let him talk about his salad when he thought they had gotten too chatty. Sam clearly didn’t know what to do when he realized he had actually verbalized what he was thinking. He then sputtered out the ingredients of his salad while Kathie Lee and Hoda just watched him squirm — a classic TV moment. But, says Kathie Lee, Sam isn’t banished from the set. “I’m big on second chances,” she says. But be warned, Sam. “I forgive — but I don’t forget.”

Here’s the rundown on today’s crowd:

1. Woody Johnson (sporting a discreet ‘McCain‘ button) and a squadron of suits. Just asking: Is the Jets’ owner advising Michael’s on personal seat licensing?

2. Three members of the ‘Imber Gang’: Dr. Gerry Imber, Andy Berger and Jerry Della Femina. I had a great chat with Jerry about AMC’s runaway hit “Mad Men.” (If you haven’t tuned in, check it out on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. It’s the best dramatic series on television right now — seriously) Turns out the legendary ad man was one of a select few that got an early look at the script for the series’ pilot because creator Matthew Weiner wanted to make sure he got every detail right, from the Brooks Brothers suits worn by the execs to the nonstop smoking that helped fuel the creative fire on Madison Avenue in the early sixties. Jerry, who had a “four pack a day” habit back then, says the show has been a boon for business. “For the longest time nobody wanted to be in advertising. Everybody wanted to be an investment banker. Now, because of the show, people are talking about advertising again. It’s revitalized the industry. I’m back in fashion again!” Indeed.

3. ‘Mayor’ Joe Armstrong, producer Joan Gelman and marketing strategist and frequent CNN contributor Robert Zimmerman (glad to hear you’re a ‘Lunch’ fan!). Before my good pal Joe — who is jetting off to Europe this week for a much-deserved vacation — and his fellow Democratic boosters settled down for lunch they, too, were dazzled by Mr. Benn’s sleight of hand. Before they could dash off to their table I asked Robert, who is privy to the inner workings of the Democratic party, for his thoughts on who will be Barack Obama’s running mate. The suddenly taciturn strategist demurred, but offered his thoughts on who it should be — “Joe Armstrong, of course.” Remember, you heard it here first.

4. Gerald Schoenfeld and Carnegie Hall head Clive Gillinson

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FastCompany.com says that between the manufacturing of the cover (in China and Mexico) and the shipping (the finished product needs to travel in a refrigerated truck) the carbon footprint of this digital publishing adventure is fairly large. Not only that it can’t be recycled. All of which may not be totally surprising considering Green hasn’t been selling so well of late. All that glitters (in press coverage, anyway) sells better, at least for the moment.

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— DIANE CLEHANE

We’ve truly hit the dog days of summer when there isn’t one Fiji water sipping-celeb in sight come high noon at 55th & Fifth. Luckily, that didn’t mean there was a shortage of Tinseltown talk in the dining room. The topic du jour — what else? — Lindsay Lohan’s latest arrest on suspicion of DUI. (For those two people who’ve been on the moon, it’s the starlet’s second bust in three months and comes on the heels of her recent 45-day stay at Promises and her big show of wearing an ankle bracelet that was supposedly programmed to detect any alcohol in her system). “If I were her publicist,” sighed one media maven, “I’d have my head in the oven.” Uber publicist Ken Sunshine, who represents one-time rehabber Ben Affleck, told me he’d received “tons of calls” from outlets near and far to weigh in on Lohan’s dire straits and said, “Her problems are beyond PR issues.” The Today Show‘s Marc Victor says Lohan’s relapse is sure to focus attention on the country club-like atmosphere of facilities that cater to coddled celebs: “That’s certainly something that will be looked at now.” The general consensus among today’s crowd is that this story has gone from tabloid train wreck to a truly tragic tale. “She needs compassion,” said Lisa Sharkey, Harper Collins’ senior vice president and director of creative development who, together with the house’s executive editor, Maureen O’Brien, was lunching with Sunshine. No doubt that’s exactly what the editors of Us Weekly, In Touch and TMZ.com are thinking …

Here’s the rundown on the rest of the crowd:

1. Jeff Greenfield, Jerry Della Femina, Gerald Imber and another gentleman we didn’t recognize.

2. Peter Brown

3. ‘Mayor’ Joe Armstrong, Today‘s Marc Victor and Men’s Health editor Dave Zinczenko. Our pal Dave was overheard thanking Esquire‘s David Granger for putting a call into none other than George Clooney inviting him to speak at the upcoming American Magazine Conference about his work in Darfur. (Politicians are so last year!) To entice the Oscar winner, seems plans are in the works to see if there’s a way to “incentive-ize” publishers into offering ad space to help promote Clooney’s off-screen endeavor.

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While we were intrigued to spot Michael Caine and Vernon Jordan at opposite ends of the dining room, we were most interested to catch up with Star Jones who slipped in after most of the crowd had begun tucking into their Cobb salads. The svelte and smiling Star told lunchtime chronicler Diane Clehane that she’s thrilled about her yet to be titled Court TV show set to debut on August 20th. “They’re calling it The Star Jones Project for now,” she said over her lunch of soft-shelled crab. “I think they want to announce the name at TCA.” Was it really just a little under a year ago that Star’s tumultuous departure from The View was Barbara Walters‘ biggest problem? No matter. That’s all ancient history now anyway, says this fall’s comeback kid who plans to spend her summer vacation jetting between Europe and the Hamptons: “This is a joyous time in my life.” See, there really are happy endings.

Here’s a rundown of the crowd:

Table 1. Howard Rubenstein and Betsy Perry presiding over a table full of gents in suits and grand dames in pearls.

2. Star Jones and her friend David (whose last name we didn’t quite catch).

3. Jonathan Tisch, Wayne Tabach and a bespectacled gentleman we didn’t recognize …

4. Two-time Oscar winner Michael Caine (That’s Sir Michael to you) and, we’re told, Bobby Zarem‘s brother (?). Quick: For which films did this tireless thespian nab his little gold men? Answer: Cider House Rules in 1999 and Hannah And Her Sisters in 1986. According to Michael (McCarty, who owns the joint), Caine and his wife have dined here “hundreds of times” (we’ve just never seen them on our weekly Wednesday visits) and “usually prefer the Garden Room.” So take that all you wannabes — it’s not Siberia, it’s chic!

5. Peter Brown and guest.

6. Terry Allen Kramer, who passed the time waiting for fellow diners Margo McNabb and Claire Mercuri by checking her cell phone.

7. Dave Zinczenko with The Waverly Inn’s chef John DeLucie. The Men’s Health honcho, who has become something of a cheerleader for Graydon Carter‘s downtown hotspot, introduced John to Michael and general manager Steve Millington. The culinary confab kicked off a nonstop food fest that left DeLucie and Zinczenko begging for mercy. After sampling everything from salmon carpaccio to foie gras to duck, the duo joked that today’s meal was a marked departure from The Abs Diet. “It’s more like the three hour workout meal,” said Dave.

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We were expecting a celeb sighting or two since it’s Upfront time — the week the networks trot out their overpaid and underfed stars to shill for their supper — but alas, there were no signs of McDreamy or Matthew Fox anywhere. (Thankfully, we didn’t see any cavemen either.) Disappointed, we settled in at our regular perch at the bar to survey the suits and check out the regulars when our pal publicity maven Leslie Stevens appeared on the scene. A scheduling snafu left Leslie solo, so she gamely pulled up a stool and chatted up lunchtime chronicler Diane Clehane. The tireless pitchwoman told us she only had time for a quick bite because she was en route to D.C. to attend the launch party of the Onion Express, a joint venture between “America’s Finest News Source” — The Onion — and The Washington Post. Tonight’s soiree is expected to draw the likes of Christopher Hitchens (just don’t get him started talking about religion) and Christopher Buckley as well as “a bunch of politicos.” See, there really is life outside of New York.

Here’s a rundown on the rest:

Table 1. Glamour‘s Cindi Leive, Allure‘s Linda Wells, Playboy‘s Chris Napolitano and a few folks we didn’t recognize having their monthly “editor’s lunch.”

2. Ben Silverman and guests. The ubiquitous Ms. Stevens is throwing a party for the reality show guru (The Biggest Loser, The Restaurant) at the new karaoke joint Spotlight Live (we hear J.Lo has been by) on Thursday night for the crowd in town for the Upfronts. Sorry, by invite only …

3. Terry Allen Kramer and a table full of guests. (We’re told Mayor Joe Armstrong is not MIA, but simply enjoying a trip across the pond to London. Hurry back!)

4. Norman Pearlstine, sporting a military-looking buzz cut, with two equally close-cropped young gents.

5. Arnold Scassi and Parker Ladd. After witnessing Mr. Ladd take a call at the bar we’re amused to report he might be the only adult male in New York City that doesn’t own a cell phone.

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New York’s Adam Moss [left] and the New Yorker’s David Remnick [right] flank Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner at the 2006 National Magazine Awards

Counting down the hours to tonight’s National Magazine Awards in New York (FishbowlNY will be there, liveblogging). It’s about time to reveal our bracket-busting picks for the 2007 Ellies — which oughta fare better than last year’s debacle.

Our picks:

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