Disney getting KILLED on their fictional 9/11 miniseries

[Korben Dallas 0]

Clinton tells them to fix the lies or pull it

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- A miniseries about the events leading to the September 11 attacks is "terribly wrong" and ABC should correct it or not air it, former Clinton administration officials demanded in letters to the head of ABC's parent company.

 

But in a statement released Thursday afternoon in apparent response to the growing uproar, ABC said, "No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible."

 

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Clinton Foundation head Bruce Lindsey and Clinton adviser Douglas Band all wrote in the past week to Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., to express concern over "The Path to 9/11." (Read the letter from Sandy Berger -- .pdf file, requires Adobe Acrobat)

 

The two-part miniseries, scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday and Monday, is drawn from interviews and documents including the report of the September 11 commission. ABC has described it as a "dramatization" as opposed to a documentary.

 

"For dramatic and narrative purposes, the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, and time compression," ABC said in its statement. "We hope viewers will watch the entire broadcast of the finished film before forming an opinion about it."

 

The letter writers said that the miniseries contained factual errors, and that their requests to see it had gone unanswered.

 

"The content of this drama is factually and incontrovertibly inaccurate and ABC has a duty to fully correct all errors or pull the drama entirely. It is unconscionable to mislead the American public about one of the most horrendous tragedies our country has ever known," Lindsey and Band wrote in their letter.

 

The letter writers pointed out examples of scenes they had been told were in the miniseries, but which they said never happened. Albright objected to a scene that she was told showed her insisting on warning the Pakistani government before an airstrike on Afghanistan, and that she was the one who made the warning.

 

"The scene as explained to me is false and defamatory," she said. (Read Albright's letter -- .pdf file, requires Adobe Acrobat)

 

Berger objected to a scene that he was told showed him refusing to authorize an attack on Osama bin Laden despite the request from CIA officials. "The fabrication of this scene (of such apparent magnitude) cannot be justified under any reasonable definition of dramatic license," he wrote.

 

Lindsey and Band objected to advertisements for the miniseries, which they said suggested that Clinton wasn't paying enough attention to the threat of terrorism.

 

"While ABC is promoting 'The Path to 9/11' as a dramatization of historical fact, in truth it is a fictitious rewriting of history that will be misinterpreted by millions of Americans," they said. "Given your stated obligation to 'get it right,' we urge you to do so by not airing this drama until the egregious factual errors are corrected, an endeavor we could easily assist you with given the opportunity to view the film."

 

Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Harry Reid of Nevada commented on the controversy at a morning news conference.

 

"I haven't seen it, but from everything I've heard it's not down the middle. It's not fair at all. And to have a film that seems to be biased and take one side put on by a network seems to be the wrong thing to do," said Schumer. "You can't take a film that's supposed to report on something that's so real and so close and make it into fiction. That's beneath ABC's dignity."

 

"They started off this as being a documentary," added Reid. "They changed it to a docudrama and now it's a work of fiction and that's what it is. And, yes, they should pull it."

 

The five-hour miniseries is set to run without commercial interruption. Director David Cunningham said it was a massive undertaking, with close to 250 speaking parts, more than 300 sets, and a budget of $40 million. Cunningham has said he shot 550 hours of film. Among the actors in it are Harvey Keitel, Patricia Heaton and Donnie Wahlberg.

 

So far today. Scholastic, their partner in the series has pulled all of their materials they were planning on sending to schools.

"After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues," said ###### Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic, in a press release.

 

Clinton himself stepped up and told them to pull it.

 

Disney's response has been slammed.

No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible.

 

Oops, except that they sent it to over NINE HUNDRED right wing bloggers, websites, and commentators. Some of which tipped off the Clinton folks because even they thought it was over the top dishonest. Is it only premature if its critical of it?

 

Pathetic. Remember, Disney is the same company that tried to block Moore's Farenheit 9.11.

 

WSJ's even thinks its over the top.

 

"The Clintonites may have a point here. A few years ago, when the shoe was on the other foot, we were happy to see CBS scotch 'The Reagans.'"

 

edited:to correct my moronic use of tense in the subject.

[jets24 6]

Clinton tells them to fix the lies or pull it

So far today. Scholastic, their partner in the series has pulled all of their materials they were planning on sending to schools.

 

Clinton himself stepped up and told them to pull it.

 

Disney's response has been slammed.

 

Oops, except that they sent it to over NINE HUNDRED right wing bloggers, websites, and commentators. Some of which tipped off the Clinton folks because even they thought it was over the top dishonest. Is it only premature if its critical of it?

 

Pathetic. Remember, Disney is the same company that tried to block Moore's Farenheit 9.11.

 

WSJ's even thinks its over the top.

edited:to correct my moronic use of tense in the subject.

 

 

 

What the hell does this have to do with the fact that there is a liberal media? You're a moron.

[D_House 0]

You're a moron.

Yes! Good job!

[jets24 6]

Bill Clinton sat on his arse with the rest of the cabinet while 19 terrorists made their way into the country and planned 9/11. Also, some of his members smuggled top secret plans in their pants. Gee, wonder why they wouldn't want a movie about that.

[Korben Dallas 0]

What the hell does this have to do with the fact that there is a liberal media? You're a moron.

Somebody is a moron here, but I don't think its me.

 

Disney/ABC/Viacom -is nearly 1/3 of the total US media exposure you tool.

[wiffleball 4,646]

I've been watching some pretty sharp cookies - who seem to know what they're talking about - who were IN the meetings that are being dramatized - and they've been ripping it apart. Not on some "you're helping the terrorists" BS angle, but just sentence by sentence ripping apart of the "facts" as they're laid out and common sense / 9-11 report / documented accounts that completely refute them. I can't believe anybody would fock around as badly as Disney apparently did on this one.

[Korben Dallas 0]

Bill Clinton sat on his arse with the rest of the cabinet while 19 terrorists made their way into the country and planned 9/11. Also, some of his members smuggled top secret plans in their pants. Gee, wonder why they wouldn't want a movie about that.

 

Good to know, as usual, that you have not the slightest clue what you are talking about. Did you repeat that directly from Hannity, or did you paraphase to make it sound more uninformed.

[jets24 6]

Good to know, as usual, that you have not the slightest clue what you are talking about. Did you repeat that directly from Hannity, or did you paraphase to make it sound more uninformed.

 

 

Hey Korben. Which part not true? The fact that 19 terrorists made their way into the US on his watch or that the moron stuffed plans down his pants? Or the part that you are a moron. All 3 cannot be argued.

 

Somebody is a moron here, but I don't think its me.

 

Disney/ABC/Viacom -is nearly 1/3 of the total US media exposure you tool.

 

 

 

Hey dipwap, you said "Liberal Media- HA!" My point to you once again is....what has changed?

[Guest Davaco]

remember when abc stations pulled nightline for showing the war dead, i bet they are licking their chops with this factually wrong "dramatization"

 

cbs pulled a regan mini-series after the right wing

 

 

i say show it, when the planes go into the towers, just remember who was on vacation the month before. will they show bush fly fishing?

[Korben Dallas 0]

Hey Korben. Which part not true? The fact that 19 terrorists made their way into the US on his watch or that the moron stuffed plans down his pants? Or the part that you are a moron. All 3 cannot be argued.

Hey dipwap, you said "Liberal Media- HA!" My point to you once again is....what has changed?

 

 

What you said was, "Bill Clinton sat on his arse with the rest of the cabinet while 19 terrorists made their way into the country "

 

Which is focking near the opposite of true. He set up a cabinet level terrorist watch group-under the protest of the GOP I might remind you that said it wasn't important. He fired missiles to try and kill him and got creamed by the GOP for "wagging the dog". Remember it was Bush that disbanded the terror watch group to focus on national missile defense.

 

I don't know what Sandy Berger putting copies in his jacket of meeting in 03 has to do with anything, but ok. They weren't "plans".

 

It's not my fault your not bright, quit trying to pretend. You'll feel better.

 

The media isn't even remotely liberal. The largest media empire in the world is spending $50 on false right wing propaganda in prime time, and they aren't the most right wing of the big 4.

[Toro 1]

I think both sides focked up.

 

That being said, what is in the show that is not true?

[kpbuckeye 2]

Kind of a shame that we can't even discuss 9/11 without it being manipulated for political purposes.

 

[Korben Dallas 0]

I think both sides focked up.

 

That being said, what is in the show that is not true?

 

 

 

Totally agree. That is why I can't understand why Disney is risking their reputation to put out some trash.

 

To answer what's wrong with it. Apparently several things. A pretty bad slander on Albright and Berger, no mention of the terrorism task force that Clinton created. etc. etc. Preet badly biased and several parts just made up...

 

James Bamford, an author and journalist who has written about security issues, appeared on MSNBC to discuss “The Path to 9/11.” Bamford revealed that an FBI agent who worked as a consultant to the film quit halfway through production of the mini-series because he believed the writers and producers were “making things up.”

[surferskin 30]

 

Totally agree. That is why I can't understand why Disney is risking their reputation to put out some trash.

 

To answer what's wrong with it. Apparently several things. A pretty bad slander on Albright and Berger, no mention of the terrorism task force that Clinton created. etc. etc. Preet badly biased and several parts just made up...

 

you mean they didn't blame the whole thing on bush?? UNPOSSIBLE!!!

[wiffleball 4,646]

I think both sides focked up.

 

That being said, what is in the show that is not true?

 

 

if you're interested, Focker Carlson has been doing shows on this the past couple of nights. You might be able to grab the transcripts. From what I saw, some pretty basic facts.

[Toro 1]

if you're interested, Focker Carlson has been doing shows on this the past couple of nights. You might be able to grab the transcripts. From what I saw, some pretty basic facts.

 

He has a sweet bowtie.

[Korben Dallas 0]

Here most inaccuracies being reported.

 

Less than two weeks ago, 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste confronted a lead writer of "The Path to 9/11" after watching the first half of the miniseries at a screening, but most of what we know amounts to bits and pieces because ABC chose to screen the miniseries to conservative bloggers and right-wing media outlets exclusively. Almost none of the Democrats portrayed in the film have even been asked for their thoughts.

But we still know enough, thanks to news accounts and crack research, to fact check "The Path to 9/11" as a biased, irresponsible mess. Here's what you need to know:

Richard Clarke -- the counterterrorism czar for the Clinton administration, now himself a consultant to ABC News -- describes a key scene in "The Path to 9/11" as "180 degrees from what happened." In the scene, a CIA field agent places a phone call to get the go ahead to kill Osama Bin Laden, then in his sights, only to have a senior Clinton administration official refuse and hang up the phone. Sandy Berger, President Clinton's National Security Advisor, called the same scene "a total fabrication. It did not happen." And Roger Cressey, a top Bush and Clinton counterterrorism official, said it was "something straight out of Disney and fantasyland. It's factually wrong. And that's shameful."

Another scene revives the old right-wing myth that press reporting made it impossible to track Osama bin Laden, accusing the Washington Post of blowing the secret that American intelligence tracked his satellite phone calls. In reality, responsibility for that blunder -- contrary to "The Path to 9/11" -- rests with none other than the arch-conservative Washington Times.

The former National Security Council head of counterterrorism says that President Clinton "approved every request made of him by the CIA and the U.S. military involving using force against bin Laden and al-Qaeda," and the 9/11 report says the CIA had full authority from President Clinton to strike Bin Laden. Yet chief "Path to 9/11" scriptwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh, a friend of Rush Limbaugh, says the miniseries shows how President Clinton had "frequent opportunities in the '90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks -- but lacked the will to do so."

ABC asked only the Republican co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean, Sr., to advise the makers of "The Path to 9/11". The producers optioned two books, one written by a Bush administration political appointee, as the basis of the screenplay -- yet bill the miniseries as "based on the 9/11 Commission Report."

 

So the head of the 9/11 Commission calls it crap, its references on the addendum to the 9/11 commission, not the report, and the screenplay was written by a GOP operative and the director is Rush's friend....

 

 

uughh...I'd figured by now we'd be visiting the new WTC and memorial in record numbers and celebrating their sacrifice without politics. The right wing strikes again.

[TyCobb 0]

Pathetic. Remember, Disney is the same company that tried to block Moore's Farenheit 9.11.

 

My guess is this has more truth in the first 2 minutes than Moore's hackjob had in the whole thing. But that's just my guess.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

ABC readily admits this is a "dramatization". Micheal Moore put forth his pack of lies as a "documentary" and the libs wanted to give him an Acadamy Award.

 

Go figure.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

ABC readily admits this is a "dramatization". Micheal Moore put forth his pack of lies as a "documentary" and the libs wanted to give him an Acadamy Award.

 

Go figure.

 

Where exactly do they say that is a dramatization? In small print at the very beginning and end of the film as they are putting other advertisements on the screen?

 

This was an opportunity to show what really happened and they threw in several fictional areas to give the Clinton administration some significant ammo. If they had told the truth that cuts in the Clinton administration with respect to HUMINT, bungling of the Bush administration when indications were in place, general inadequacies in our airport security, along with a improperly high sense of security with all citizens, then the "mini-series" might have some value.

 

Now, it means nothing and will merely be fodder for guys like you and torrid to debate things that will make no impact on anyone.

 

Carry on

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Now, it means nothing and will merely be fodder for guys like you and torrid to debate things that will make no impact on anyone.

 

Carry on

 

....and High-Brow Northeasterners such as yourself will stay above the fray. No way you would stoop to give us your .02.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

....and High-Brow Northeasterners such as yourself will stay above the fray. No way you would stoop to give us your .02.

 

You know better than that you close-minded fascist

[Recliner Pilot 61]

[Red White and Blue 0]

....and High-Brow Northeasterners such as yourself will stay above the fray. No way you would stoop to give us your .02.

 

Here's my .02: You're a blithering idiot.

[D'ohmer Simpson 0]

Hey Korben. Which part not true? The fact that 19 terrorists made their way into the US on his watch

Worst part is they carried it out under Bush's watch

[RLLD 3,455]

If I were the former president and responsible for 9/11 I would do the same thing. No one wants this on their head, you cannot blame Clinton for trying to weasel out of it..... any one of us would do the same thing in his position.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

If I were the former president and responsible for 9/11 I would do the same thing. No one wants this on their head, you cannot blame Clinton for trying to weasel out of it..... any one of us would do the same thing in his position.

 

Was there a sale on bait this morning or something?

[D'ohmer Simpson 0]

Was there a sale on bait this morning or something?

Yep, real stinky bait too

[RLLD 3,455]

Was there a sale on bait this morning or something?

 

Translation...." There is no way to argue against this, therefore I label it bait"

[porkbutt 861]

the hypocrisy of libs

[Artist Formerly Known as Big O 0]

Translation...."Everyone here will think whatg they want to think, never admit when wrong therefore I choose not to argue it"

 

Fixed

[RLLD 3,455]

I have nothing of value to offer to this agrument, I cannot argue against fact.

 

Corrected.....