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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: Mo1
The best thing about news/threads like this is it brings out all the lurking trolls, DUcks, and KOS kool-aid kids.

They are going (farther) insane over this...lol.

Thanks for posting this, it made my day, and ruined theirs.
1,221 posted on 09/08/2006 6:16:59 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Ronald Reagan didn't turn me into a Republican....Jimmy Carter did that!!)
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To: Howlin; All

Have you are anyone seen the snake Carville? Has he crawled out of his hole to the camera lights yet?


1,222 posted on 09/08/2006 6:19:15 AM PDT by deport (The Governor, The Foghorn, The Dingaling, The Joker, The other guy..... The Governor wins)
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To: deport

Comment was made that the democratic operative on Fox was a young unknown girl. My thoughts: that the experienced ones won't go near it.


1,223 posted on 09/08/2006 6:22:54 AM PDT by hoosiermama
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To: EDINVA

"I am not sure this is legit. Have we seen anything to confirm that this letter has been sent by these Senators ?"

LOL....you mean the Dims have a managed to float a forged memo hurting themselves? You know, that's almost possible. That way they can say - We didn't write that! Yeah we feel that way, we wish we wrote it, but we didn't. Spin my behind, this will become a cyclone ...the mother of all spins...all we need is Baghdad Bob to become the spokesman...


1,224 posted on 09/08/2006 6:26:44 AM PDT by GLH3IL (What's good for America is bad for liberals.)
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To: PA-RIVER
He was in full-throated Clintonista roar this morning.

'ABC did this to my dad, and it's not fair, it's not fair to have a character and claim that it's supposed to be Madeleine Albright and then put words into her mouth, it's slanderous and libelous.'

Can you believe the utter hubris? Well Mike, have you ever watched a historical movie? It's a little hard to make a movie about events, and not "put words into people's mouths".

And nary a word about the fascist letter that the Democrat senators sent to ABC, threatening to revoke their license if they don't edit the docudrama to their liking. For someone who makes his living by the first amendment, Wallace is a walking hypocrite.

1,225 posted on 09/08/2006 6:29:51 AM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: GLH3IL

just FYI, further on the thread, I acknowledged the jackasses did, in fact, write this letter and went so far as to post it on the Democrats' Senate own webpage, phony titles and all.


1,226 posted on 09/08/2006 6:30:30 AM PDT by EDINVA
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To: EDINVA

Ahhh...So Dingy Harry, Turbin Durbin (Yeah I'm from Illinois and embarassed as hell that our state elected this POS), Little Chuckie Schumer, and two other Senators I know nothing about are taking credit for this it would seem. How quaint.

Well, the silver lining - what great campaign fodder for Republicans to use in the midterms. Do you want to elect these guys and those that think like them? If so, you will have real, tangible government censorship. Want proof? Read this.....


1,227 posted on 09/08/2006 6:43:16 AM PDT by GLH3IL (What's good for America is bad for liberals.)
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To: Mo1

Ahhhhhhhhh............................................























































The sweet sound of dims about to get spanked in yet another election.


1,228 posted on 09/08/2006 6:47:36 AM PDT by Fighting Irish (Béagán agus a rá go maith)
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To: Mo1

No, of course they shouldn't.

I was just (flippantly) illustrating the fact that if Republicans had done this, the MSM would be screaming from the rooftops.


1,229 posted on 09/08/2006 6:59:16 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: Mo1
>>Tim Roemer just said on CNN that "Bin Ladin was NEVER in someones sights"....
>>We've got Bubba on tape saying otherwise

Just so the media doesn't have to do anything hard, link please...

Schradenfreude!
1,230 posted on 09/08/2006 7:07:15 AM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: A Citizen Reporter
Chris is calling this slanderous and inflamatory.

Towards who ... Clinton??

Or was he talking about both Clinton and Bush?

1,231 posted on 09/08/2006 7:13:42 AM PDT by Mo1 (Think about it .. A Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be 2 seats away from being President)
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To: cvq3842
I was just (flippantly) illustrating

Sorry for not picking that up :0)

1,232 posted on 09/08/2006 7:15:41 AM PDT by Mo1 (Think about it .. A Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be 2 seats away from being President)
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To: Mo1
Towards Clinton. He specifically mentioned Maddie Albright.

He tried to conjure up sympathy for his father, who has made a living out of lying about people on television, and calling it "news".

1,233 posted on 09/08/2006 7:19:53 AM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: A Citizen Reporter
Towards Clinton. He specifically mentioned Maddie Albright.

Well .. can't say I'm surprised

But he would have had more creditable if he had not taken sides

1,234 posted on 09/08/2006 7:22:05 AM PDT by Mo1 (Think about it .. A Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be 2 seats away from being President)
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To: Mo1

No worries! :)


1,235 posted on 09/08/2006 8:00:54 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: Mo1

"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"

*cough* CBS *cough* Dan Rather *cough*


1,236 posted on 09/08/2006 8:11:56 AM PDT by brothers4thID (Being lectured by Ted Kennedy on ethics is not unlike being lectured on dating protocol by Ted Bundy)
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To: All

From Hot Air:

Miserable failure: More Clinton counterterror catastrophes

So many inconvenient truths to keep track of. So many great scenes that could have been dramatized, and weren’t.
Maybe they should pull “Path to 9/11.” Reshoot it, make everything nice and sourced this time. Not only would it would enhance the movie’s credibility, it would give super-secret right-wing Rovian gestapo infiltrator operative/screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh all the license he needs to really destroy Billy Jeff.

SeeDubya’s angling to consult on the new script, and has helpfully retrieved this anecdote, as related by Michael Scheuer last year on Hardball, from the memory hole:

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/08/miserable-failure-more-clinton-counterterror-catastrophes/


1,237 posted on 09/08/2006 8:12:12 AM PDT by bnelson44 (Proud parent of a tanker! (Charlie Mike, son))
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To: Mo1; All

Ooooooooh Yeah! 9/11 is Clinton's BABY!


1,238 posted on 09/08/2006 8:12:24 AM PDT by avacado
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To: Howlin

because they know the truth about whats going to happen with the Nov elections.
They aren't going to regain the house and senate.


1,239 posted on 09/08/2006 8:19:59 AM PDT by Proud_USA_Republican (We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. - Hillary Clinton)
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To: A Citizen Reporter
He tried to conjure up sympathy for his father, who has made a living out of lying about people on television, and calling it "news".

That is a great description of that old goat's work career, and totally accurate.

1,240 posted on 09/08/2006 8:22:31 AM PDT by JustaCowgirl (The new axis of evil: The UN, the terrorists, and the American Democratic party.)
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