Censorship? Nah, not the Democrats

Don't know if anyone is following the recent rantings of Dems who practically camped out to get tickets to see the DC premiere of Farenheit 911, but they're a tad upset that anyone would have the gaul to point out in a television series that Clinton and company were far too busy selling the Lincoln bedroom to power-loving celebrities and having intern-delivered pizzas to do anything about terrorism. Clinton wrote a letter to ABC urging them to pull its upcoming miniseries; Albright claims its defamatory to her; and Sandy Berger had problems with it too, but as he was speaking to reporters, he kept getting distracted by classified documents falling out of his socks. This is from NRO, about a couple of free-speech loving Democrats who no doubt glad-handed Michael Moore at the 2004 Convention suddenly finding issue with the factual content of a docudrama that places some blame on their party. Tom Kean, on the chairmen of the 9-11 Commission, was an advisor to the movie and supports its factual content.

Sens. Reid, Durbin, Stabenow, Schumer, and Dorgan sent a letter to Disney today containing the following passages:

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. [...]

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.

If I were Disney, I would make a huge public issue out of this letter - I would dare these windbag Senators, stuck in the minority party and likely stuck there for awhile longer, to even try to revoke ABC's broadcast license, as is implicitly threatened. Oh God would the Republicans have a field day with that one heading into the election - the Dems want to kill Mickey Mouse!