"I'm Karlrove!"
Posted on 07/22/2008 7:33:36 AM PDT by abb
The Media Mob has learned that a team of Hollywood insiders is currently working on a screen adaptation of Truth And Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power—the 2005 book by former CBS News producer Mary Mapes, in which she defends the 60 Minutes II story by Dan Rather about President George W. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, which ran on CBS in September 2004 and eventually led to her ouster from the network.
Who would want to turn "Rathergate" into a feature-length film?
According to sources familiar with the situation, Producer Mikkel Bondesen, (his credits include serving as executive producer on the USA Network series "Burn Notice") is actively working on the adaptation with screenwriter James Vanderbilt.
Mr. Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay for the 2007 serial killer movie Zodiac—based on the nonfiction book by Robert Graysmith—and is currently writing the screenplay for Spider-Man 4.
In the book, Ms. Mapes was highly critical of how her bosses at CBS and Viacom handled the aftermath of the wildly controversial story about President Bush's military service. Along the way, she lays much of the groundwork for what could be a juicy White House conspiracy thriller.
"Money is the master," wrote Ms. Mapes. "That is the bottom line to what happened at CBS that fateful fall when we aired a story that, like all stories, was imperfect, but was absolutely grounded in fact. It was well researched and well documented. But when Viacom saw that the story was not well received and that a conservative firestorm was threatening the corporation's financial well-being, their collective wallets started itching. As a result, I believe CBS News, 60 Minutes, Dan Rather, and journalism itself got badly scratched."
(Mr. Rather is currently making similar charges in Manhattan court in a $70 million civil suit against his former employers, in part, for their handling of the aftermath of the story.)
"This was a corporate, political, and public relations operation, designed to take the heat off and allow Viacom to walk away unscathed, unencumbered by lingering anger from the White House or the various Republican-dominated committees that the corporation lobbied constantly," added Ms. Mapes.
It remains to be seen how much of the screenplay will be dedicated to the alleged bungling of the story and its aftermath at CBS versus the broader story of the President's military service.
When reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Ms. Mapes declined to comment. The Media Mob has a phone call in to Mr. Bondesen. We'll update if we hear back.
No word yet on who might play Mr. Rather if the script ever makes it to production. This wouldn't be the first film made about internal drama at CBS News: In 1999, Michael Mann directed The Insider, an account of 60 Minutes and its struggle with tobacco company Brown & Williamson. That movie was nominated for seven Oscars, including for Best Actor and Best Director.
If Mapes is willing to admit that the documents are forgeries (saying that they are fake but accurate in details discussed), WHO FORGED THEM? WHO CONNECTED THE FORGER TO THE DNC AND THE MEDIA?
There is a conspiracy afoot and it isn’t the one she rails about “shutting down” CBS’s phony story.
Casting Mr. Marsden as me would exceed the bounds of creative license.
Well, I was amused.
Perhaps the man could not get it because he is too high brow for Austin Powers....
>>Casting Mr. Marsden as me would exceed the bounds of creative license.<<
Oh come on. If he can pull off Cyclops, he can do you!
;-).
Got it in one. This is the start of the mainstream media to rewrite history, painting Rather and Mapes as the victims of the "huge right-wing conspiracy".
You are too funny GD. roflmao
LOL, that was funny. I am surprised the LA Times did not run with that. It probably fit their profile. The LA Times actually quoted one of my posts in a story, ironically it concerned you. I jokingly stated that I never saw Buckhead and Rove in the same room, and they took it as if I really believed Buckhead = Rove.
These undead zombies just won’t go away!!!
They need to be crushed, once and for all. The MSM has protected them to an extraordinary degree, so that even though much of the blogosphere knows what a total crock their ‘factual’ story was, much of the public and media do not really know much about it all.
Rather and Mapes have still gotten away with the crime of the century, even though they are no longer at CBS — they did not receive the comprehensive destruction they deserved and they are still being taken seriously by moonbats and Hollyweird freaks.
OMG! You mean it really isn't true?!?!
"I'm Karlrove!"
-PJ
Pravda was a more transparent business operation.
I used to think the Drive-By Media was the PR department for the DNC. I’m not so sure anymore.
It might be the other way around. The Democrat party seems to be the political arm of the Drive-By Media and the Liberal Intelligentsia.
RFLOL! Excellent!
THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE DAN AWAY
Tune: "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-haaa!"
Remember when I broke the news
How Bush got in the Guard
And didn't have to leave
To go to Vietnam?
Well . . .
I pushed that story hard
Just weeks before Election Day
And so of course you know
The thoughts I had in my mind
Like . . .
They're going to give me a prize, Ha-ha!
They're going to give me a prize, Ho-ho, Hee-hee, Ha-ha!
For a journalist
Who helps the Democrats all the time
And I'll be happy to put
That nice award
In my trophy case
And they're going to give me a prize, Ha-haaa!
You thought it was a fake
And so you cringed
You cringed when people said
That superscript was not done at that time
Right . . .
The people laughed, I heard them laugh
They laughed, they laughed and laughed
You made me leave
But now you know I'm Rather upset!
So . . .
I'm going to take you to court, Ha-ha!
I'm going to take you to court, Ho-ho, Hee-hee, Ha-ha!
For a tidy sum
Like six--no, seventy million bucks
And put me back on the Evening News
And make all the viewers watch
And I'm going to take you to court, Ha-haaa!
I read your news
I gave my views
And this is how you pay me back
For all my years of bold unbiased news?!
Hah . . .
Well, you just wait
I'll find the proof
And when I do
They'll know that Dan is not some sort of old unbalanced nut!
'Cause . . .
They're coming to take me away, Ha-ha!
They're coming to take me away, Ho-ho, Hee-hee, Ha-ha!
To the Kinko's store
Where fake but accurate faxes fly
And I'll be happy to see
Those daring scoops
Come across my desk
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!
To the anchor desk
With lights and cameras and breaking news
And four producers who sit and smile
And tell me that I'm the best
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!
To the Kinko's store
Where fake but accurate faxes fly
And I'll be happy to see
Those daring scoops
Come across my desk
And they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!
But Americans love stories where the righteous underdog comes out on top. Too bad this movie will almost certainly rewrite history to reverse the roles.
“Leftists are at perpetual war with reality, which is why they gravitate toward newsrooms, universities, and entertainment media.”
It might be the other way around. The Democrat party seems to be the political arm of the Drive-By Media and the Liberal Intelligentsia.”
Hollywood just loves to rewrite history.
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