Decision ‘08

More Signs That “Path To 9/11″ Will Be Edited

I’d say odds are 3-1 against the two or three most controversial scenes making it on the air:

Other Democrats have joined in complaints aimed at ABC, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer.

Reid said Disney’s Iger told him there may be changes in the film before it is aired.

The ex-POTUS has jumped on the complaint bandwagon, as well:

A furious Bill Clinton is warning ABC that its mini-series “The Path to 9/11″ grossly misrepresents his pursuit of Osama bin Laden - and he is demanding the network “pull the drama” if changes aren’t made.

Clinton pointedly refuted several fictionalized scenes that he claims insinuate he was too distracted by the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal to care about bin Laden and that a top adviser pulled the plug on CIA operatives who were just moments away from bagging the terror master, according to a letter to ABC boss Bob Iger obtained by The Post.

The former president also disputed the portrayal of then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as having tipped off Pakistani officials that a strike was coming, giving bin Laden a chance to flee.

“The content of this drama is factually and incontrovertibly inaccurate and ABC has the duty to fully correct all errors or pull the drama entirely,” the four-page letter said.

The problem, of course, is by making the idiotic decision to ‘dramatize’ what was already a riveting story, the producers have opened the door wide for Clinton and his supporters to engage in all kinds of face-saving apologetics. A disgusting spectacle all the way around, and one that could have largely been avoided by sticking to the facts as laid out by the 9/11 Commission…

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: Yep, the caving has begun. From the Chicago Tribune (with the hat tip to Allahpundit):

ABC toned down a scene that involved Clinton’s national security adviser, Samuel “Sandy” Berger, declining to give the order to kill bin Laden, according to a person involved with the film who declined to be identified. “That sequence has been the focus of attention,” the source said.

The network also decided that the credits would say the film is based “in part” on the 9/11 panel report, rather than “based on” the report, as the producers originally intended.

Bottom line: the film that airs will be much tamer (at least in a few key scenes) than the one that was screened. Probably for the best, as long as they don’t cave so much that they start whitewashing the whole thing…

10 Responses to “More Signs That “Path To 9/11″ Will Be Edited”

1 Sean P Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
ABC should hold a press release and announce they are leaving the miniseries as is and justify their decision as “Speaking Truth to Power” ™.
2 Pierre Legrand’s Pink Flamingo Bar » Berger didn’t hang the phone up…? Who knew? Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 6:09 pm
[…] Decision ‘08 Hot Air Plus Ultra Wizbang Sister Toldjah Sticky Notes Ed Driscoll MacsMind Decision 08 […]
3 jpe Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
I think you mean “speaking truthiness to power,” Sean.
4 mtl Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Would they protest as much if the docudrama showed Sandy shoving documents in his pants?

Let them edit all they want, portraying him as a buffoon has already been done in court. Well, actaully, that goes for Bill as well as sandy.

If bill wants a pass, he is going to have to be honest, and just say he didn’t know what bin laden was doing. The mythology of trying to pass themselves off as the terrorist A-team is pathetic.
5 mtl Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
The irony of this ‘dance of dwarves’ is just too rich.

An ex president defending his nsa chief and his own rep, in the shadow of Berger destroying documents from the national archives in his attempt to rewrite history about the Clinton administration.

versus

a docudrama that may play fast and lose with the facts, much as farhenhiet 9/11 did.

Crime v. propoganda?

Just putting some attempts to distort history in order. I would suggest an hour expose from abc to examine the actions and convicton of Sandy Berger.
6 Gwedd Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Comrades,

Lessseee here…. Docudrama where artistic license plays with some incidents regarding the Clinton administration gets severe backlash from members of same admin and many mainstream media types….. veiled threats to ABC if the docudrama airs, etc….

Michael Moore makes film called Farenheit 9/11 based upon lies, half-truths, and unsubstantiated rumours and…. the same Clinton and Mainstream media types go ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…

WTF??????

I think that that pretty well sums up the state of the American left and the mainstream media…….

F*ck Clinton and every member of his family and every one of his supporters.

Respects,

Gwedd
7 Aaron Says:
September 7th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
Not only did Michael Moore make a slanderous film (moreover two, if you count Bowling for Columbine), he called it a documentary, implying only statements of truth and facts.
8 JB Says:
September 8th, 2006 at 1:23 am
plus Moore got a seat of honor at the 2004 Democommie convention. Yep, they’re all about truth and accuracy in documentaries.
9 relish Says:
September 8th, 2006 at 7:37 am
Hey, what do you expect from a Mickey Mouse operation??
10 relish Says:
September 8th, 2006 at 7:42 am
Waiting for George Clooney to come out and blast the Democrats for trampling free speech and trying to censor an artistic effort.

What’s that? George hasn’t commented yet? Well, I’m sure we’ll be hearing from him any time now…