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Senate Democratic leadership threatens Disney with legal and legislative sanctions
americablog.blogspot.com ^ | September 07, 2006 | John in DC

Posted on 09/07/2006 4:12:34 PM PDT by Mo1


Senate Democratic leadership threatens Disney with legal and legislative sanctions

by John in DC - 9/07/2006 06:02:00 PM

This letter was sent today by the entire Democratic leadership of the US Senate. This letter is such a major shot across the bow of Disney, it's not even funny. It is FILLED with veiled threats, both legal and legislative, against Disney. US Senators don't make threats like this, especially the entire Democratic leadership en masse, unless they mean it. Disney is in serious trouble.

Read it, then read my analysis of it below:
September 7, 2006

Mr. Robert A. Iger
President and CEO
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank CA 91521

Dear Mr. Iger,

We write with serious concerns about the planned upcoming broadcast of The Path to 9/11 mini-series on September 10 and 11. Countless reports from experts on 9/11 who have viewed the program indicate numerous and serious inaccuracies that will undoubtedly serve to misinform the American people about the tragic events surrounding the terrible attacks of that day. Furthermore, the manner in which this program has been developed, funded, and advertised suggests a partisan bent unbecoming of a major company like Disney and a major and well respected news organization like ABC. We therefore urge you to cancel this broadcast to cease Disney’s plans to use it as a teaching tool in schools across America through Scholastic. Presenting such deeply flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public and to children would be a gross miscarriage of your corporate and civic responsibility to the law, to your shareholders, and to the nation.

The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airwaves in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events.

Disney and ABC claim this program to be based on the 9/11 Commission Report and are using that assertion as part of the promotional campaign for it. The 9/11 Commission is the most respected American authority on the 9/11 attacks, and association with it carries a special responsibility. Indeed, the very events themselves on 9/11, so tragic as they were, demand extreme care by any who attempt to use those events as part of an entertainment or educational program. To quote Steve McPhereson, president of ABC Entertainment, “When you take on the responsibility of telling the story behind such an important event, it is absolutely critical that you get it right.”

Unfortunately, it appears Disney and ABC got it totally wrong.

Despite claims by your network’s representatives that The Path to 9/11 is based on the report of the 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Commissioners themselves, as well as other experts on the issues, disagree.

Richard Ben-Veniste, speaking for himself and fellow 9/11 Commissioners who recently viewed the program, said, “As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 Commission’s findings the way that they had.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism czar, and a national security advisor to ABC has described the program as “deeply flawed” and said of the program’s depiction of a Clinton official hanging up on an intelligence agent, “It’s 180 degrees from what happened.” [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

Reports suggest that an FBI agent who worked on 9/11 and served as a consultant to ABC on this program quit halfway through because, “he thought they were making things up.” [MSNBC, September 7, 2006]

Even Thomas Kean, who serves as a paid consultant to the miniseries, has admitted that scenes in the film are fictionalized. [“9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased,” New York Times, September 6, 2006]

That Disney would seek to broadcast an admittedly and proven false recounting of the events of 9/11 raises serious questions about the motivations of its creators and those who approved the deeply flawed program. Finally, that Disney plans to air commercial-free a program that reportedly cost it $40 million to produce serves to add fuel to these concerns.

These concerns are made all the more pressing by the political leaning of and the public statements made by the writer/producer of this miniseries, Mr. Cyrus Nowrasteh, in promoting this miniseries across conservative blogs and talk shows.

Frankly, that ABC and Disney would consider airing a program that could be construed as right-wing political propaganda on such a grave and important event involving the security of our nation is a discredit both to the Disney brand and to the legacy of honesty built at ABC by honorable individuals from David Brinkley to Peter Jennings. Furthermore, that Disney would seek to use Scholastic to promote this misguided programming to American children as a substitute for factual information is a disgrace.

As 9/11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick said, “It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why – so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer.”

Should Disney allow this programming to proceed as planned, the factual record, millions of viewers, countless schoolchildren, and the reputation of Disney as a corporation worthy of the trust of the American people and the United States Congress will be deeply damaged. We urge you, after full consideration of the facts, to uphold your responsibilities as a respected member of American society and as a beneficiary of the free use of the public airwaves to cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program. We look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Sincerely,

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin
Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Byron Dorgan
The Senate Democratic leadership just threatened Disney's broadcast license. Not the use of the word "trustee" at the beginning of the letter and "trust" at the end. This is nothing less than an implicit threat that if Disney tries to meddle in the US elections on behalf of the Republicans, they will pay a very serious price when the Democrats get back in power, or even before.

This raises the stakes incredibly for Disney.



TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Government; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 109th; 1stamendment; 2ndamendment; 911; abc; abcbestrong; abledanger; abuseofpower; americanhaters; antiamericanhaters; arkancide; assclowns; balsawoodliberals; benedictarnolds; bergertheftofdocs; binclintonalot; bjclinton; bluedress; boohoo; bookburners; brownshirts; callfbi; cantstandthetruth; castrolovers; censorship; cheaters; chinesecampaignmoney; clinton; clintonhitlist; clintonistas; clintonlegacy; clintonoids; communists; crimedimwitparty; crybabies; democratcensors; democratgestapo; democrats; demofascists; demosocialists; demseattheirown; dimwitscry; dimwitthreats; dirtyrats; disbarred; disney; enemywithin; fascists; fraud; freespeech; gaydaysatdisney; gestapo; gflowers; gorelickmemo; gorelickwall; gramsci; hatefuldimwits; heilhitler; hitler; impeached; intimidation; islamofascism; jfkjrkilledbyhill; jimguytucker; lawsuit; letbinladengo; liars; mao; monica; monicasdress; monicastain; mussolini; nationalsocialists; nazis; notruth; ovalofficestain; pathto911; paulajones; perjury; pinkocommies; popcorn; putsomeiceonit; rapedjuanita; repealmccainfeingold; roselawfirmrecords; sandyburglar; scumbags; sept11; september10thrats; sinkmeister; slickwillie; ss; stabenow; stalin; stalinists; thefinalsolution; thosecrazyrats; thosedirtyrats; toodangfunny; truthhurts; truthiskryptonite; unamerican; waronterror; whileclintonslept; whitewater; whokilledfoster; whokilledjfkjr; whoshotjr; wordsfailme
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To: Christian4Bush

Boy, you've got some good memory, Christian. Good find.


301 posted on 09/07/2006 5:35:55 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: hoosiermama

Okay I will.


302 posted on 09/07/2006 5:36:19 PM PDT by jrooney ( Hold your cards close.)
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To: Eva

how many people are going to seek out the uncut version? very few.

either it airs unedited on a network, that can reach alot of sheeple viewers, or the Dems will have succeeded.


303 posted on 09/07/2006 5:36:37 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: darkangel82
The former president of Iran can come to Harvard to lecture us on the anniversary of 9-11, and that we have to put up with because it is "free speech". But an American news organization can't broadcast a factual documentary about the precursors to 9-11 - that Sandy Burger didn't stuff in his pants - because that's false and defamatory.
304 posted on 09/07/2006 5:36:49 PM PDT by JasonC
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To: oceanview

Everyone can find out about the censureship if we get off our darned behinds and send out e-mails.


305 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:19 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Mo1
But a movie about assassinating President Bush is A.O.K with the Dems isn't it? That's freedom of speech. But a movie that isn't nice to Bolsheviks, well that's all together different.
306 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:20 PM PDT by Gum Shoe
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To: Mo1

The Hezbocrat leadership publicly and in writing, dares to dictate what a major media outlet may or may not air, when said party is not even in power. This should remove any doubt as to the agenda of the Hezbocrats, should they ever regain power, to neuter the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as well, in order to retain power ever after.

Their mask is now off and their ugly, bully thug face is exposed to the world.


307 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:28 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Dean: " The democrats want to aggressively fight the war on terror." Inadvertent confession?)
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To: Mo1
The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a propaganda agent of the DNC................
308 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:30 PM PDT by umgud
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To: Mo1

Holey moley. Just when I was getting to ready to vote Democrat, too.

That does it! If they're throwing around threats like this, I'm voting straight Republican ticket this year!


309 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:39 PM PDT by pinz-n-needlez (Jack Bauer wears Tony Snow pajamas / prayers for Air Force Major Jill Metzger's safe return)
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To: oceanview
Dems don't seem to understand who owns the rights. ABC can edit the hell out of it and I guarantee you within a week the unabridged version will be available for internet download and distribution.

When the old is compared against the new, ABC will be done.

310 posted on 09/07/2006 5:37:44 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( I am sitting under my cone of silence, inside a copper wire cage wearing a tin foil hat...)
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To: Peach
The Democrats see the WOT as using a cannon to kill a mosquito--to them, Al Qaeda is just a bunch of thugs, not a large threat.

In fact, the WOT is more like using a pistol to kill millions of undercover agents. You have to keep looking, and keep shooting.

The Democrats think that once you've shot the terrorists who already attacked you, you've gotten them all. That's like only killing the ants at the top of the anthill.

311 posted on 09/07/2006 5:38:22 PM PDT by Darkwolf377
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To: SeaBiscuit

Rush and a lot of conservatives (and Democrats) have actually seen the movie and written about it. Articles were posted on FR and it was very, very damning of the Clinton administration.

Of course, that was before there was tweaking. Now ABC admits to "editing".


312 posted on 09/07/2006 5:38:26 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Bullish
These Rats are as bad as the Mullahs of Iran.
Maybe worse.

A bigger threat to American freedom, that's for sure.

There is a better chance of America becoming a liberal dictatorship than an Islamic state.

313 posted on 09/07/2006 5:38:28 PM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: NautiNurse

LOL


314 posted on 09/07/2006 5:38:46 PM PDT by pinz-n-needlez (Jack Bauer wears Tony Snow pajamas / prayers for Air Force Major Jill Metzger's safe return)
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To: Bryher1
Tim Roemer just said on CNN that "Bin Ladin was NEVER in someones sights"

What a crock, Bubba told everyone that would listen the first week after 9-11 that he tried to "get him", and "just missed".

315 posted on 09/07/2006 5:38:56 PM PDT by lawnguy (Give me some of your tots!!!)
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To: JasonC
The former president of Iran can come to Harvard to lecture us on the anniversary of 9-11, and that we have to put up with because it is "free speech". But an American news organization can't broadcast a factual documentary about the precursors to 9-11 - that Sandy Burger didn't stuff in his pants - because that's false and defamatory.

Great post!

316 posted on 09/07/2006 5:39:22 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: rintense
With no respect whatsoever,

*snicker*

317 posted on 09/07/2006 5:39:27 PM PDT by TankerKC (Step Back! Doors Closing.)
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To: Mo1

It sure looks like a threat. Hopefully Disney stands tough.


318 posted on 09/07/2006 5:39:41 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Eva
After all the fuss over this film, the Democrats will be finished for years, if it airs as is.

What do you mean, if it airs as is?

And I just think this all has something to do with Sandy Burglar.....and they're afraid people are going to put 2 and 2 together; they got to control all THEIR information into the 911 Commission.

319 posted on 09/07/2006 5:39:53 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Gum Shoe
But a movie about assassinating President Bush is A.O.K with the Dems isn't it? That's freedom of speech.

Hey dont ya know, it is thought provoking???? (sac. off)

320 posted on 09/07/2006 5:40:02 PM PDT by mware (Americans in armchairs doing the job of the media.)
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