Posted on 09/11/2006 12:08:21 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK - Editing changes made by ABC to the first part of its miniseries "The Path to 9/11" were cosmetic and didn't change the meaning of scenes that had angered several former Clinton administration officials, a spokesman for the former president said Monday.
As for Clinton, he didn't bother watching the movie that angered so many people who once worked for him.
"He made the choice that most Americans made," said Jay Carson, Clinton Foundation spokesman. "Of a fictionalized drama version of Sept. 11 or the Manning brothers playing football against one another, he chose the latter."
The movie was flattened in the ratings by the debut of NBC's Sunday night football, matching Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts against his younger brother Eli of the New York Giants. The football game had an estimated 20.7 million viewers, while "The Path to 9/11" had 13 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The ABC movie did, however, beat CBS' third airing of its "9/11" documentary, which was seen by an estimated 10.6 million people, Nielsen said.
ABC resisted calls to cancel the $40 million miniseries, airing commercial-free over two nights. Part two was scheduled for Monday, with an interruption for President Bush's address to the nation. Several scenes were cut or changed from the first part of a movie ABC has stressed is a dramatization and not a documentary.
"You can take out some of the more dramatic details," Carson said, "but it is still utterly and completely false."
One scene, in a copy of the movie given to television critics a few weeks ago, indicated President Clinton's preoccupation with his potential impeachment may have hurt the effort to go after Osama bin Laden.
In the original scene, an actor portraying White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke shares a limousine ride with FBI agent John O'Neill and tells him: "The Republicans are going all-out for impeachment. I just don't see in that climate the president's going to take chances" and give the order to kill bin Laden.
But in the film aired Sunday, Clarke says to O'Neill: "The president has assured me this ... won't affect his decision-making."
O'Neill replies: "So it's OK if somebody kills bin Laden, as long as he didn't give the order. It's pathetic."
Another scene in the critics' cut showed O'Neill asking Clarke on the telephone: "What's Clinton going to do (about bin Laden)?"
Clarke replies, "I don't know. The Lewinsky thing is a noose around his neck."
This was cut entirely from the film that aired Sunday.
Another scene in the movie that depicted a team of CIA operatives poised outside of bin Laden's fortress in Afghanistan, ready to attack, was substantially shortened from the original. Pictures of the waiting Afghanistan operatives are interspersed with those of officials in Washington, who had to approve the mission.
The original version depicted national security adviser Samuel R. Berger hanging up on CIA chief George Tenet as Tenet sought permission to attack bin Laden. The movie aired Sunday did not include Berger hanging up.
The effect of the editing in that scene is to deflect specific blame. It ends with an actor portraying an Afghan ally saying to Donnie Wahlberg, who acted as the head of the CIA team in Afghanistan "Are there no men in Washington, or are they all cowards?"
In the critics' version, that statement is followed directly by archival footage of Clinton's video testimony about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Sunday, that footage was not included.
Left unchanged was a scene depicting the aftermath of an order by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to alert the Pakistanis ahead of time about an airstrike against bin Laden, which Tenet said let the al Qaeda leader slip away. Clinton officials claim this, as well as the other scene, didn't happen.
Twice, the network de-emphasized the role of the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks in its film.
The critics' version contained a note in the opening credits that the film is "based on the 9/11 commission report." That was omitted Sunday.
In a separate disclaimer that ran three times Sunday, ABC said the material is "drawn from a variety of sources including the 9/11 commission report and other published materials and from personal interviews." That differs from a note in the critics' version that said the dramatization "is based on the 9/11 commission report and other published sources and personal interviews."
The disclaimer emphasized that the movie was not a documentary.
"For dramatic and narrative purposes the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, as well as time compression," the note said.
Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said in a statement Sunday night that ABC and its parent, The Walt Disney Co., "chose fiction over fact and entertainment over education in airing their TV show."
Critics, such as historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr., said it was "disingenuous and dangerous" not to include accurate historical accounts in the movie.
Thomas Kean, head of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks and a backer of the film, said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that he hadn't seen the final cut of the movie but urged Americans to watch it.
"If people blame Bill Clinton after seeing this, then the miniseries has failed," said Kean, the former Republican New Jersey governor. "That's wrong and it shouldn't happen."
John Lehman, another Republican commission member, said on the ABC News show that he's told the film is equally harsh on the administrations of President Bush and his father.
"And if you don't like the hits to the Clinton administration, well, welcome to the club," Lehman said. "The Republicans have lived with Michael Moore and Oliver Stone and most of Hollywood as a fact of life."
___
AP Television Writer Frazier Moore contributed to this report.
This photo supplied by ABC shows Shirley Douglas portraying then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in a scene from ABC's 'The Path to 9/11.' Albright is one of the former Clinton administration officials demanding that ABC correct or not air the miniseries because it is 'terribly wrong' about events leading to the Sept. 11 attacks . The miniseries airs Sunday night Sept. 10 and Monday, Sept. 11, 2006.(AP Photo/ABC Peter Stranks)
Poor Bill...it is actually humorous to hear him refer to someone "Lying" with any form of indignation.
If I were the former secretary, I wouldn't have wanted that aired either. It showed us just how bad she was. And it was even worse than expected.
Go Vikes!!!
2 games tonight and Part Deux of The Path to 9/11.
Well d'uh. In other news - the sun will rise tomorrow.
How many people believe this? Okay. Good. None.
Go Vikes PING!
I don't get it, why ABC of all stations? Always Bill Clinton news airing this. I guess it's the bottom line, there is money in this for them somewhere.
Twice as many folks watched that stupid football game than the 9-11 show. This speaks volumes about what kind of people inhabit this nation these days.
I love football, although not so much the pros, but Lord in Heaven......
I guess if the peckerhead who tried to blow himself up at the Oklahoma game last year had been successful, these idiots might start paying attention.
Several scenes were cut or changed from the first part of a movie ABC has stressed is a dramatization and not a documentary.
"You can take out some of the more dramatic details," Carson said, "but it is still utterly and completely false."
---
Oh yeah, The "Legacy' thing still comes thru , no matter the cuts made..
People in this country are being lulled to sleep by TV,
sports events, etc. - anything to avoid confronting reality.
"Bread and circuses' - like the last days of the Roman empire.
the people who watched football last night for the most part already hate the libs
Not fair, many people who watched the game probably recorded. Also, many chose not to watch after news that ABC caved to the Arkansaw Mafia.
Yeah, it wasn't a true documentary like "Fahrenheit 911."
Ya seen the one below?
A Palestinian shows how a folded twenty dollar bill appears to show the World Trade Center buildings on fire. Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri has warned that the Gulf and Israel would be the next targets of Al-Qaeda, in a video message coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.(AFP/Hazem Bader)
Don't take it so personal because actually more than 13 million will see it. When there's a conflict between a sport and a show most people will record the show because it's no fun to watch a game after one knows the outcome and they can always go back to the show.
And the left luntic academics (which means nearly all of the academics) think Mad Halfbright is a genius.
A Palestinian shows how a folded twenty dollar
actually it appears to be two twenty dollar bills
But that's because if I watch I'll get angry all over again and people will be unable to have a yseful me for two or three days while I'm attempting to contain it.
I save my anger for appropriate times and the anniversary of 3,000 innocent deaths is not a time for my anger. Instead of anger I think we need to remember something else on this day.
Author Unknown
TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911) Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"
They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."
Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."
From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."
"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores
A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day
"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"
The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"
Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."
Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '45
The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."
"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one.
With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven
Clinton did'nt bother watching..who gives a rats ass?
Perhaps ABC realizes that the majority of Americans, those who elected George W. Bush, don't watch their left-biased news and opinion shows. So they decided to make something that would show less bias, hoping to improve their ratings. But it backfired when the Democrat-Stalinists said, "too many facts, we want lies" about what happened on Clinton's watch. Clinton's Watch: getting serviced by Monica in the Oval Office while the terrorists attacked U.S. interests repeatedly and planned 9/11/01.
--- As for Clinton, he didn't bother watching the movie that angered so many people who once worked for him.---
He couldn't be bothered to watch what he and his minions tried so hard to keep from us. There cannot be enough contempt for these people and all they represent.
The 'old media' still believes we get our milk from a milkman and we read the newspaper to get our 'news'. Recording devices on TV's are a thing of the future... and would be way too complicated for their viewing audience. ;)
Yeah, I also recorded the show and watched the Giants and Colts. I'm a lifelong Giants' fan, and it was a great (although disappointing) game. That having been said, I no longer can sit through 3 hours of commercials just to have the opportunity to watch one hour of football (over half of which is consumed by the huddle, the lining up, and the dancing around before the ball is snapped.)
I am spoiled by using TIVO and my HD DVR to record stuff and then blast through the commercials. Maybe, next week, I'll record the game and watch the recording, and use the extra three hours to watch a movie or two.
In a way i kinda believe it...
I mean he wasn't paying attention while in office, so why would he pay attention now?
ba dum ching
---A Palestinian shows how a folded twenty dollar bill appears to show the World Trade Center buildings on fire. ---
And the Palis wonder why their lives are complete crap...
Actually it says nothing. Twice as many people watched the football game as watched the ABC 9/11 show alone, add in the people that watched the CBS show and 9/11 edges the NFL in the primary broadcast networks. Haven't seen any numbers for the various cable shows but I'm sure if you add all the 9/11 shows together (and remember there were plenty, Sunday night, even Friday and Saturday and still more coming tonight) they stomp the football game.
I admit that I was one of those millions who chose to tune in to the Battle of the Mannings over the ABC POS. Good game, too.
I disagree.
The truth is, I caould care less about a "DocuDrama" where the details are changed or omitted to make the story better. The Discovery Channel did an excellent job of running it all down, without having to insert fiction. I watched them all. There are plenty of documentaries (a dozen, at least) that accurately depict all the incidents related to 9/11 from Osama as a kid up to present day.
If the facts had been portrayed accurately and completely, then there would be no way to challenge the Mini-Series by the Dems. As it was, the producers supplied plenty of ammo to shoot it up, and I lost all interest.
Bring on the Football!!!
Sounds like a case of sour grapes. Can't Clinton find any better spokesman than a sniveling wuss like Carson?
Works out just fine anyway. The damage is done. :)
Has his priorities straight, as usual--his personal enjoyment over the terrorist threat.
Agree completely with your comments about the Discovery Channel. They did an excellent job. Why would I spend hours watching someone's spin on who to blame? No thanks.
Between plays in the ball game, I popped over to the CBS program which I had already seen before. At least it portrayed reality.
People in this country are being lulled to sleep by TV,
sports events, etc. - anything to avoid confronting reality.
"Bread and circuses' - like the last days of the Roman empire.
___________
This from someone calling themselves Beethoven fan? Kinda funny, doncha think? Doubt that listening to a Beethoven piano sonata is going to fix what ails Western civilization.
Diversions are not always a bad thing, as you clearly (from your handle) realize.
Tonight's the same thing and I will probably get a chance to see all 5 hours in one day this coming weekend. I'm also spoiled with my DVR.
Yeah, especially the part where William Jefferson Clinton portrayed a President of the United States!
Shirley Douglas? Kiefer Sutherlands mother?
"Several scenes were cut or changed from the first part of a movie ABC has stressed is a dramatization and not a documentary."
I thought I heard Rush say that only one minute was deleted and some disclaimers added. Otherwise, the content was true to the version he received a couple weeks ago!
Nothing wrong with diversions ( I enjoy watching football)
but many people are so numbed by entertainment that they have
very little awareness of what's going on in the world - and
they don't want to know. With too many such citizens, our
democracy is at risk.
"You could watch both if you DVD'd the movie and watched the game since it was live. The movie could then be seen at your convenience. I'm sure many conservatives did just that and will do the same tonight."
That is 'zactly what I did.
...Course, after Cris Carter retired...so did I...as a SUPER fan. I'm just a regular fan that hopes they do well, now.
It was GREAT to see Tony D. and Jack Del Rio's (best MLB in all of football ;-) teams win their first games.
Go Vikes! - Go Former Vikes!
"Twice as many folks watched that stupid football game than the 9-11 show. This speaks volumes about what kind of people inhabit this nation these days."
One would suspect most of the football viewers were macho male, who don't need to be convinced to kick Osama's butt. If that forced the females to watch CBS or ABC on Osama, then all is not lost.
Put me in that category. I don't need to watch a docudrama on 9/11, my mind is already made up.
I think people should understand that difference. President Clinton seems to think that people are better off as ostraches. Nothing to see here, move on.
On another board I frequent, someone actually argued that point. Unbelieveable!
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