TV Docudrama Blames Clinton for 9/11

NewsMax.com ^ | 9/06/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

An upcoming TV docudrama chronicling President Bush's actions in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks blames President Clinton's "weakness" for leaving America vulnerable to the disaster.

Titled "DC/9/11: A Time of Crisis" and set for broadcast Sunday night on Showtime, the film "rarely misses a chance to suggest that the Clinton administration's weakness was to blame for the disaster," reported the New York Times on Friday.

In one poignant exchange, Bush is shown telling Prime Minister Tony Blair, "I want to inflict pain . . bring enough damage so they understand there is a new team here, a fundamental change in our policy."

Besides blaming Clinton for 9/11, the film's positive portrayal of President Bush as a decisive commander-in-chief during America's darkest hour has rankled liberal critics, who complain that "DC 9/11" will likely give Bush a political boost heading into an election year.

"Simultaneously dull and disgraceful," fumed the Washington Post's Tom Shales on Saturday, "'DC 9/11' . . . uses the tragic attack on America in 2001 as the basis for a reelection campaign movie on behalf of George W. Bush."

"The two-hour film often plays like a propaganda piece for the president," complained the Boston Herald's Amy Amatangelo.

In a particularly irksome development for Bush-haters, Timothy Bottoms was chosen for the film's lead role. Bottoms' positive portrayal of Bush in "DC 9/11" is a far cry from his previous role playing the president before the 9/11 attacks, when he portrayed Bush as a stumbling ignoramus in the 2001 Comedy Central send-up, "That's My Bush."

Beyond Bottoms' uncanny physical resemblance to Bush, "DC 9/11" offers dead-on physical impersonations of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, played by Penny Johnson, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, played by John Cunningham.

The film was written and produced by Lionel Chetwynd, who purportedly had access to many White House insiders.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration
War on Terrorism

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the ping to this. See the Libs. See the Libs Howling !! ...

In one poignant exchange, Bush is shown telling Prime Minister Tony Blair, "I want to inflict pain . . bring enough damage so they understand there is a new team here, a fundamental change in our policy."

Besides blaming Clinton for 9/11, the film's positive portrayal of President Bush as a decisive commander-in-chief during America's darkest hour has rankled liberal critics, who complain that "DC 9/11" will likely give Bush a political boost heading into an election year.

"Simultaneously dull and disgraceful," fumed the Washington Post's Tom Shales on Saturday, "'DC 9/11' . . . uses the tragic attack on America in 2001 as the basis for a reelection campaign movie on behalf of George W. Bush."

"The two-hour film often plays like a propaganda piece for the president," complained the Boston Herald's Amy Amatangelo.

---

"A presidential executive order issued during the Clinton
administration hamstrung the FBI so badly that bureau
lawyers decided it would be illegal to infiltrate Osama bin
Laden's terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, a senior
FBI official during the Clinton administration said Saturday."
(June 1, 2002)

____________________

"I don't believe 9-11 happened because of an intelligence breach," Quayle told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes."

"I think it was really a policy breach. It was the inaction of the previous administration, by and large, that al Qaeda -- and bin Laden in particular -- thought that they could hit the United States, and there would be a retaliation maybe of a cruise missile but nothing more than that," he explained.

The comments make the former vice president, who served under President Bush's father from 1989 to 1993, the highest ranking former U.S. official to suggest that the Clinton administration should get the lion's share of the blame for not preventing the 9-11 attacks.

[maica]

Whether visiting the injured, ordering an ultimatum to the Taliban, perusing Psalm 23, or affirming American values in a misty-eyed conversation with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Bush (Timothy Bottoms) is unbowed, unflappable, and unwavering. He is, to put it in Hollywood terms, part John Wayne and part Gary Cooper, with a little Jimmy Stewart tossed in for good measure.

And this is what gets under the dims skins more as much as anything else that is happening today.

Remember how apoplectic Terri McAuliffe went at the release of a photo of President Bush on Air Force One!

[blackie]

Thanks for the link ~ great stuff!

[Helms]

“But I do know that the lunatic fringe of the Arab world has been wanting to destroy the United States for decades”

The only point I take exception with. Actually a significant portion of Islam/the Arab world wishes the same for us as Israel. Muslim infiltration in Germany and France as well as the writing of real intellectuals has lead me to this conclusion.

[blackie]

Hi Lady, here's a ping, just in case you missed this.

[DrDeb]

"DOSE?"

Shorthand for the "A Day in the Life of President Bush" thread -- the best thread at FR!!!!

[Quilla]

President Bush's speech will be given tonight at 7:30 central time. The 9/11 film on Showtime will air at 7:00 central. Showtime West's identical schedule is three hours behind Showtime. If you get Showtime West you can see the docudrama in full at 10:00 central tonight.

[Cinnamon Girl]

"Simultaneously dull and disgraceful," fumed the Washington Post's Tom Shales on Saturday, "'DC 9/11' . . . uses the tragic attack on America in 2001 as the basis for a reelection campaign movie on behalf of George W. Bush."

That is so WRONG! Shame on everyone involved! The liberals, after all, would NEVER used t.v. to promote their agenda!!! Ever!

[bray]

These braindead liberals are just upset that they didn't change the hijackers into White Christian Fundamentalists.

Pray for GW and the Truth

[dansangel]

Thank you for the ping....this rocks!

Meekie, if you haven't already, you may want to ping your list to this thread. The actor-lookalikes are also outstanding!

.45MAN - pingaroo!

[skinkinthegrass]

Is this on PPV?..real must-see-TV. :)

[skinkinthegrass]

I get Showtime. I will be watching it tomorrow night. They just showed previews for it, including some scenes of the President in bed with Laura talking about the attacks. The movie will be shown two more times this week. I am happy to tape it for the first two people who freepmail me.

can copies be bought from showtime?

[skinkinthegrass]

[Note: Times listed are CDT; station number is my local so it may differ from your cable/satellite provider.]

thanks, I'll might be able to watch on my dads' showtime channel.

[FlyVet]

Why Bill Clinton refused to meet with his first director of Central Intelligence

IIRC, during the Monica fiasco, Clinton went something like nine months without even holding a cabinet meeting. Quality stuff, eh?

[MeekOneGOP]

Good idea. I will ping it ...

[MeekOneGOP]

For those who wanted to see how Penny Johnson Jerald looks as Condi in the new Showtime DC 9/11 movie.

[See post #32] ...

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[ErnBatavia]

You got that right...looks like one of those "victims of McDonald's"

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[rintense]

I'd assume that Showtime will eventually offer the movie, but not sure when.