A Docu-fraud

So this Sunday, ABC plans to air what they have billed as a “TV Event,” a “docudrama” called “The Path to 9/11.” They even said it was based on the 9/11 Commission’s report.

Convenient. Except in the past week, we have learned many things about the so-called “event”:

  1. The miniseries was written by right-wing writers, and blatantly uses the old GOP playbook of scare tactics — conveniently right before a major election.
  2. Less than two weeks ago, 9/11 Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste confronted a lead writer of “The Path to 9/11″ after watching the first half of the miniseries at a screening, but most of what we know amounts to bits and pieces because…
  3. ABC chose to screen the miniseries to conservative bloggers and right-wing media outlets exclusively. Almost none of the Democrats portrayed in the film have even been asked for their thoughts.
  4. Richard Clarke — the counterterrorism czar for the Clinton administration, now himself a consultant to ABC News — describes a key scene in “The Path to 9/11″ as “180 degrees from what happened.” In the scene, a CIA field agent places a phone call to get the go ahead to kill Osama Bin Laden, then in his sights, only to have a senior Clinton administration official refuse and hang up the phone. Sandy Berger, President Clinton’s National Security Advisor, called the same scene “a total fabrication. It did not happen.” And Roger Cressey, a top Bush and Clinton counterterrorism official, said it was “something straight out of Disney and fantasyland. It’s factually wrong. And that’s shameful.”
  5. They take shots at legitimate journalistic institutions, accusing the Washington Post of blowing the secret that American intelligence tracked his satellite phone calls. Actually, responsibility for that blunder — contrary to “The Path to 9/11″ — rests with none other than the conservative Washington Times.
  6. ABC asked only the Republican co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean, Sr., to advise the makers of “The Path to 9/11″. The producers optioned two books, one written by a Bush administration political appointee, as the basis of the screenplay — yet bill the miniseries as “based on the 9/11 Commission Report.”

The list goes on and on. To tell the Disney company about its network’s blatant misrepresentation of the facts, click here.

Don’t let this attempt to re-write history — and blame Democrats just in time for fall elections — make it into America’s living rooms. Write ABC today.

They are our airwaves. The only way to make sure they aren’t violated is to take action.

–ASM
(facts distributed by DNC)

____________________________
UPDATE I: See an interview with Ben-Veniste here. He calmly but completely takes apart the false storylines in the movie. (via Crooks and Liars)
____________________________
UPDATE II: Commenter Brian S. brings up a good point: the best way to make our voices heard is to call our local affiliate and express that we think they should choose to air something else instead (which is well within their power and rights as an affiliate). The number at 6ABC — our affiliate in Philadelphia — is 215-878-9700.

65 Comments

  1. Mike M.

    The director of the miniseries has already come out and said this film shouldn’t be held as truth. The writer of the series, though, is a right-wing dude and he claims everything about it is true. I’m skeptical to believe either. I think it’s just safe to say both Clinton and Bush screwed up, big time.

  2. Anonymous

    Send a letter through the link Alex provided, but also call the local ABC affiliate and push for them to run something else that night!

    Particularly if you’re in the target ratings demographic (under 18-35), let them know that you will work tirelessly to get your friends to turn off ALL ABC programming this sweeps month if this nonsense is allowed to stand!

    I don’t have their number, but the link to mail them is:
    http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=stationinfo&id=3293957

    - Brian S.

  3. Anonymous

    We cannot continue to let the Republicans define the terms of the debate. This is just another shameless and disgusting attempt to scare people into voting Republican. I just pray that people won’t fall for it again this year. As a country, we can do better than this.

  4. Mike M.

    Ugh…you guys cheapen the meaning of boycotts. I’ve called out the right-wingers on tactics like this and I’ll do the same with you. Give it up…stop threatening boycotts…Martin Luther King Jr. had a reason to boycott. These dumb political fracas matters are petty in comparison.

  5. Anonymous

    Who are you kidding, it is common knowledge, everyone knows Spivak was endorsed privately and publicly before the event at Wesley College and that Hartley-Nagle was ignored.

  6. Anonymous

    i thought it was a fantastic film

  7. Anonymous
  8. Anonymous
  9. Anonymous

    Hi all!
    http://tramadol-online-rt.blogspot.com
    http://viagrao1o.blogspot.com
    Quite good site, really, I am also webmaster and I like this one!
    http://xanax-xanax-7.blogspot.com
    http://cialis3ter243.blogspot.com
    http://phentermine0wwww.blogspot.com
    I believe you will have a lot of exciting times ahead in your future with the web.
    http://adipex-xepida.blogspot.com
    http://payday-loans-ddt.blogspot.com
    Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it!
    http://phentermine9679.blogspot.com
    http://cheap-phentermine-trb.blogspot.com
    http://phentermine9873.blogspot.com
    Good stuff, very nicely done!
    http://phentermine9673.blogspot.com
    I wish you health!

  10. Anonymous

    Hello !
    http://tramadol-online-rt.blogspot.com
    http://viagrao1o.blogspot.com
    Perfect. got nothin to say more. PERFECT SITE!
    http://xanax-xanax-7.blogspot.com
    http://cialis3ter243.blogspot.com
    http://phentermine0wwww.blogspot.com
    I believe you will have a lot of exciting times ahead in your future with the web.
    http://adipex-xepida.blogspot.com
    http://payday-loans-ddt.blogspot.com
    Very good web site, great work and thank you for your service.
    http://phentermine9679.blogspot.com
    http://phentermine9873.blogspot.com
    Excellent forum, added to favorites!
    http://phentermine9673.blogspot.com
    Many thanks!
    http://cheap-phentermine-trb.blogspot.com

  11. Anonymous
  12. Anonymous

    Hello !
    http://tramadol-online-rt.blogspot.com/
    http://viagrao1o.blogspot.com/
    Useful information. Go on!
    http://xanax-xanax-7.blogspot.com/
    http://cialis3ter243.blogspot.com/
    http://phentermine0wwww.blogspot.com/
    I consider that beside Your site there is future!
    http://cheap-phentermine-trb.blogspot.com/
    http://adipex-xepida.blogspot.com/
    http://payday-loans-ddt.blogspot.com/
    Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it!
    http://phentermine9679.blogspot.com/
    http://phentermine9873.blogspot.com/
    Hi, good morning to all of you… Nice forum ;-) !!!
    http://phentermine9673.blogspot.com/
    I just wanted to pass on a note to let you know what a great job you have done with this forum.Thanks!

  13. Anonymous
  14. Anonymous
  15. Anonymous
  16. Anonymous
  17. Anonymous

    Hi all!
    tramm
    http://tramadol-online-rt.blogspot.com
    viavia
    http://viagrao1o.blogspot.com
    At you the excellent site, a lot of useful info and good design, thank.
    cial
    http://cialis3ter243.blogspot.com
    xannax
    http://xanax-xanax-7.blogspot.com
    phent
    http://phentermine0wwww.blogspot.com
    I believe you will have a lot of exciting times ahead in your future with the web.
    cheapphent
    http://cheap-phentermine-trb.blogspot.com
    adipp
    http://adipex-xepida.blogspot.com
    paylo
    http://payday-loans-ddt.blogspot.com
    Very good web site, great work and thank you for your service.
    phenmin
    http://phentermine9679.blogspot.com
    phenn
    http://phentermine9873.blogspot.com
    I believe you will have a lot of exciting times ahead in your future with the web!
    oncas
    http://onlinecasinos-ooppa.blogspot.com
    phmin
    http://phentermine9673.blogspot.com
    I Will be back!

  18. Anonymous
  19. Anonymous
  20. Anonymous

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>