About "The Path to 9/11"

You've probably heard in the news right now that there's some kind of controversy bubbling up about ABC's upcoming miniseries "The Path to 9/11." The "docudrama" is framed as a recounting of the various events in the decade prior to the WTC/Pentagon attacks that eventually were seen as precursors to the attacks themselves.

Short version: The early screeners of the film engendered very positive word of mouth, but various "conservative"-leaning pundits (including the ubiquitous Rush Limbaugh) were positively ecstatic over it because of certains scenes which they believe "show" the various bunglings of the Clinton administration vis-a-vi Osama bin Laden (I'm told by others that the film has it's share of scorn for Bush administration officials, notably Seccy of State Condoleeza Rice.)

::Sigh::

So... remember when CBS was going to run that less-than-hagiographic Reagan miniseries a few years back, and the "conservative" blogosphere threw a childish hissy-fit over it? Well, This story got picked up and run with by the "liberal" blogosphere, who took time off from sticking pins into their Joe Lieberman dolls to work themselves into a childish hissy-fit of their own: Stir in some "remember me?" soundbites from angry folks like Madeline Albright, who doesn't like the way she's said to come off in the movie, raise to a boil and in no time at all "miniseries critical of prior handlings of terrorism" has somehow morphed into "ABC IS RUNNING A MOVIE THAT SAYS CLINTON CAUSED 9/11!!!!!!!!"

And still people ask me why I won't register for either party...

Now, as you may know, the general math on these blowups is that if either side of the political blogosphere bitches about something for longer than a week, the real-world politicians of that "side" are obliged to either start caring or start pretending to care. So now the DNC, in the form of an official letter to Disney/ABC boss Robert Iger, are calling for the miniseries itself (which is already undergoing edit-room "tweaking" in response to claims of innacuraccy) to be either "corrected" or canceled.

Here's the letter:
http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=262624&

Here's Daily Kos, the consigliere of the "liberal" blogosphere, patting themselves on the back for another mole-hill successfully mountainized:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/7/18512/83596

And, by way of balance, here's the folks at the "conservative" movie blog Libertas- on which I am a frequent agitator because, let's face it, the only way you become a great debator is to mix it up with those whom you generally disagree -giving their take on the events (neatly summarized as: "THE SKY IS FALLING!"):
http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/?p=2356

And here's ME:

Dems... I feel your pain. However... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? Really? With re-claiming the Senate looking more and more likely every day.. REALLY?? You're going there? Bad form.

You're Senators. You've seen that idiot Brent Bozell come and speak enough times to know already what I'm about to point out to you: Even IF you have a point (I haven't seen the movie) when you start browbeating filmmakers because they're work stands in opposition to your political beliefs you will always look like the BAD GUYS.

Frankly, I'd be even MORE annoyed with you if I didn't see how transparent a bit of pre-election posturing this is. Lemme spell it out for the boys and girls at home: The Democrats, however better and bolder they're getting in their quest to grow a pair and actually WIN SOMETHING in November, are currently living in fear of their own "fans" in the blogosphere. Especially the "established" guys, who are all scared to death that they'll be the next one's kneecaped a'la Joe Leiberman. This is a sop to Kos, etc., a recognitionary wave of "we're listening!" to the blogosphere designed with the same cynical purpose as the Republican's once-every-election-year push for a gay marriage ban: to gin up the base and get them excited.

And it'll work because either way they win: If ABC/Disney "blinks" in any way: "Hey kids, we won!" If not: "Kids, you were right! Better work EXTRA hard at electing us so we can fight even harder next time!"

::Sigh::

Senate Democrats... guys... speaking as someone who's usually grudgingly pulling for y'all to win ("lesser of two douchebags" and all that)... this is seriously lame. It's not quite Bush/"Terri's Law" lame, but it's within sight of the ballpark. You look thin-skinned, grumpy and paranoid on this one, bottom-line.

Footnote:
Lest anyone have the idea to accuse me of "siding" with the right-wing hyperbole over this thing, I want to be very clear about something: If you are a "conservative" who is mad about these developments but you didn't have the SAME level of rage over the right-wing blogosphere harassing CBS over the "The Reagans" movie... SHUT UP. You have not one iota of moral standing in your supposed disgust with ABC in this case. None.