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
Read it, then read my analysis of it below:September 7, 2006
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.
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
This raises the stakes incredibly for Disney.
Oh, that is JUST perfect! Thank you so much.
It is a blatant, open, threat to ABC.
Even the most cynical among us (I count myself as one) must find this truly stunning.
This- is America.
Nevermind Farenheit 11, what about the CBS/Rather debacle of false letters? They want to talk about "flawed and factually inaccurate misinformation to the American public? Not to mention the timing of the story surrounding these documents? I didn't hear any Dems speak out against that crime at the time. These people are pathetic.
Imagine if Bush tried anything like this? The WH press corps would beat Tony Snow to death.
Al Gore?
This is great
John Gibson: My word
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,212844,00.html
Clinton and Company Angry Over ABC's 9/11 Movie
Thursday , September 07, 2006
By John Gibson
President Clinton and a phalanx of Clintonistas from the old days have rolled out of the barracks and are putting up a fierce fight over a movie.
The complaint from the Clinton troops is that the movie "The Path to 9/11," which ABC will air this weekend, contains scenes that did not happen. Particularly, they complain about a scene in which CIA agents and Afghanis have bin Laden cornered and a character modeled after former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger won't give permission to capture or kill him........
Hugh Hewitt wrote:
Every time I think the democrats have hit bottom, they dig a new basement. LOL
ABC may become the Joe Liebermann of the MSM networks.
President Bush must be laughing his head off at that one.
QUESTION: Is this being presented as a movie or a documentary? Anybody know, hubby is asking, thanks.
So they don't want it censored, they want it flat out cancelled?
Nothing new here, apparently...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1667436/posts
I know, McGavin. This was one of the more stupid blunders they've made and they've made more than a few of them. They're acting just like the Mob.
The above letter is more damning to the democrat party than their attrocious lack of action leading up to 9-11. I've never seen them be so defensive about anything else.
My prognosis:
If you're recieving flak....you're over the target!
We have definitely hit a major nerve. Keep digging.
OK...THEY JUST ADVERTISED 'THE PATH TO 911'...YES!!!
They should have found plenty of oil considering how low they've gone.
Thanks. Wanted to keep it in that form on FR.
If only these censorious, inchoate miscreants would have impressed upon the puerile, illiterate retards they have hired as letter-writing flunkies, the importance of proper usage of the English language...
It's Disney's "principal obligation" you arrogant degenerate thugs!
Clintonista's are in full attack mode over this:
FOXNEWS.COM HOME > POLITICS
9/11 TV Film Sparks Clinton Administration Outrage
Thursday, September 07, 2006
ABC's upcoming miniseries "The Path to 9/11" is generating a firestorm among members of the Clinton administration, who claim the two-part, made-for-TV film is filled with factual errors and lies.
Three members of the administration — former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, former National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger and Clinton aide Bruce Lindsey, who now heads the Clinton Foundation — have sent letters to Walt Disney Company, parent of ABC, demanding that it re-edit or pull the five-hour film, scheduled for air Sunday and Monday nights without commercial interruption.
-snip-
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212743,00.html
It's bedtime for this ole biddy. Will the dawn come up 'like thunder' tomorrow in the MSM? I'll be up to see. Good night!
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