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TV Docudrama Blames Clinton for 9/11
NewsMax.com ^ | 9/06/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 09/06/2003 6:35:40 PM PDT by kattracks

An upcoming TV docudrama chronicling President Bush's actions in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks blames President Clinton's "weakness" for leaving America vulnerable to the disaster.

Titled "DC/9/11: A Time of Crisis" and set for broadcast Sunday night on Showtime, the film "rarely misses a chance to suggest that the Clinton administration's weakness was to blame for the disaster," reported the New York Times on Friday.

In one poignant exchange, Bush is shown telling Prime Minister Tony Blair, "I want to inflict pain . . bring enough damage so they understand there is a new team here, a fundamental change in our policy."

Besides blaming Clinton for 9/11, the film's positive portrayal of President Bush as a decisive commander-in-chief during America's darkest hour has rankled liberal critics, who complain that "DC 9/11" will likely give Bush a political boost heading into an election year.

"Simultaneously dull and disgraceful," fumed the Washington Post's Tom Shales on Saturday, "'DC 9/11' . . . uses the tragic attack on America in 2001 as the basis for a reelection campaign movie on behalf of George W. Bush."

"The two-hour film often plays like a propaganda piece for the president," complained the Boston Herald's Amy Amatangelo.

In a particularly irksome development for Bush-haters, Timothy Bottoms was chosen for the film's lead role. Bottoms' positive portrayal of Bush in "DC 9/11" is a far cry from his previous role playing the president before the 9/11 attacks, when he portrayed Bush as a stumbling ignoramus in the 2001 Comedy Central send-up, "That's My Bush."

Beyond Bottoms' uncanny physical resemblance to Bush, "DC 9/11" offers dead-on physical impersonations of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, played by Penny Johnson, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, played by John Cunningham.

The film was written and produced by Lionel Chetwynd, who purportedly had access to many White House insiders.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration
War on Terrorism



TOPICS: Announcements; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2ndanniversary; dc911; docudrama; drcondoleezzarice; inyourfacerats
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To: kattracks
Oh, so this is the real reason why the lamestream press has attacked this movie. It looks too closely at Clinton, their ideal president.
21 posted on 09/06/2003 6:59:05 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons have pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: kattracks
"Clinton administration's weakness was to blame for the disaster"

No wonder the dems are livid about this film ..!! Poor things!
22 posted on 09/06/2003 7:01:39 PM PDT by CyberAnt ( America - "The Greatest Nation on the Face of the Earth")
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To: kattracks; All
Richard Miniter’s stunning exposé
http://www.regnery.com/regnery/030820_losing.html
 
Losing bin Laden: How Bill Clinton’s Failures Unleashed Global Terror
by Richard Miniter

Regnery Publishing, Inc.; ISBN: 0895260743
Hardcover - 256 pages (September 2003)
Price: $19.57Click here to order:
 

Years before the public knew about bin Laden, Bill Clinton did. Bin Laden first attacked Americans during Clinton’s presidential transition in December 1992. He struck again at the World Trade Center in February 1993. Over the next eight years the archterrorist’s attacks would escalate killing hundreds and wounding thousands—while Clinton did his best to stymie the FBI and CIA and refused to wage a real war on terror.

Why?

The answer is here in investigative reporter Richard Miniter’s stunning exposé that includes exclusive interviews with both of Clinton’s National Security Advisors, Clinton’s counter-terrorism czar, his first CIA director, his Secretary of State, his Secretary of Defense, top CIA and FBI agents, lawmakers from both parties and foreign intelligence officials from France, Sudan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as on the-scene coverage from Sudan, Egypt, and elsewhere.

In Losing bin Laden you’ll learn:

Losing bin Laden is a dramatic, page-turning read, a riveting account of a terror war that bin Laden openly declared, but that Clinton left largely unfought. With a pounding narrative, up-close characters and detailed scenes, it takes you inside the Oval Office, the White House Situation Room and within some of the deadliest terrorist cells that America has ever faced. If Clinton had fought back, the attacks on September 11, 2001 might never have happened.

Losing bin Laden is a story—and one hell of a lesson—that the reader will never forget.


23 posted on 09/06/2003 7:02:43 PM PDT by Wolverine (A Concerned Citizen)
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To: Wolverine
Buy the book for Christmas and birthday gifts. Discuss the books with friends. Especially liberals!
24 posted on 09/06/2003 7:05:15 PM PDT by Peach (The Clintons have pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: rintense
Tape it!!!!!! Please!!!!! I will gladly pay for your time, and tape!!!!!!!!!!
25 posted on 09/06/2003 7:05:32 PM PDT by Jewels1091
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To: prairiebreeze
"liberals frothing at the mouth about it is great publicity"

Yes it is .. and probably will get more people to watch.

The President is on at 8:30 p.m. in the east - and most "feature" movies start at 9 - but then doesn't Showtime run the movie several times over the next few days. I don't get Showtime - but hopefully the movie will be shown again on some basic cable station.
26 posted on 09/06/2003 7:07:01 PM PDT by CyberAnt ( America - "The Greatest Nation on the Face of the Earth")
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To: rintense
"We have our winners for the taping of the movie!!! If Showtime airs it again, I'll be sure to let everyone know."


Showtime plans to air the movie several times next week -- the dates/times are listed on last night's DOSE!!!
[FYI: I will also attempt to videotape the movie for those unable to watch it!]
27 posted on 09/06/2003 7:07:28 PM PDT by DrDeb
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To: Jewels1091
***Or to who ever won the email for the taping, send me a copy and i'll pay for postage and tape.*****
28 posted on 09/06/2003 7:08:30 PM PDT by Jewels1091
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To: kattracks
. . . the film "rarely misses a chance to suggest that the Clinton administration's weakness was to blame for the disaster," reported the New York Times on Friday.

YESSS!

29 posted on 09/06/2003 7:08:38 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: notorious vrc
Geez Freepers, no pics?


Try here: http://www.sho.com/movies/movies_product.cfm?titleid=119354&content=01photos&contentname=Photos
30 posted on 09/06/2003 7:12:45 PM PDT by Norman Conquest
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To: kattracks
I wonder . . .

I still don't always know what to make of Kim Clement and his prophecies. Sometimes he seems humble and fairly on target and sometimes arrogant and not so accurate. Time will tell. But this is a fascinating set of predictions. I sure hope the one about Bush's VINDICATION is accurate.

VIA:

http://www.trumpetwindlist.prophetic.net

POSTED FROM RIVERMAIL

Prophecy by Kim Clement on Praise the Lord September 3, 2003

Many this in this nation this week will hear. Many will hear the sounds of this week. Many will be free. Many will be delivered. Not because of man's singing in superiority. But many shall be delivered says the Lord. Because My power will be released. Because of the sound of praise. This nation has been under a severe attack. The Spirit of Lord says, DO NOT FEAR! I am exposing once, twice, three times. In the next month I will expose those which are hidden. And I will bring them, I will bring them to the front. Say's the Lord.

I demand that there be peace in the month of October. Because in the month of October I will bring your president into a place of vindication. Because of what I do and how I am going to reveal it, say's the Lord. I want My people to agree with a prophetic voice this day. {Sept 3,2003}

God says, in October, I will expose, I will expose, I will expose! And this nation shall rejoice greatly. For the glory of the Lord shall move in the month of October. Say's the Lord.

I don't care what kind of miracle you need. I am sitting here tonight with one sound that is reverberating in my Spirit right now. A month of unusual miracles is coming upon America and upon many nations. Let the prophet prophecy to the dead bones. Bones that have dried up in your life. The Spirit of the Lord say's that October shall be set aside for unusual miracles. Miracles that have not yet been thought about. Creative miracles. And if you will believe My Word, say's the Lord, I will release it into your bodies. Into your businesses, into your families into your children, into the prisons. This night a miracle has been set aside for the month of October for divine "VINDICATION" says the Lord. Even the economy shall be raised up and a breakthrough in your fiances. TAKE THIS, says the Lord and rejoice FOR IT SHALL BE SO!

As a veil is taken off, as a veil is removed from human beings, a veil is being removed in houses, in bedrooms, right now in prisons, right now! The moment you see or hear this the veil will be removed so you will see yourself the way God wants you to be. For the Kingdom of God is exploding in America right now.

Churches that are falling to pieces shall suddenly be raised up. The spirit of Absalom that has ruled and reined, that has held on shall loose his head, say's the Lord. There will be no mind or attacking any longer. The spirit of Absalom that has been sent to churches, business and homes, is being declared and destroyed, null and void tonight!

There are so many people that are having a desperate struggle. But I want you to know something...Jesus is the answer. God gives His special angels to watch over you. He told me to tell you, I've sent My Angel to watch over you in your fight. I've sent an Angel to watch over you in the night. He's watching over you.

America, God has not stopped, He's moving great for you. If God be for you, who can be against you? There has been a delay of God's blessing in the church {God's people} But Lord, I believe we are aligned perfectly right now for that blessing. And a harvest as never before. So Lord we take that word of the Lord and receive it with great joy. Jesus in Your Holy name.

Make a shout of praise!

"Not by might, nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT, " says the Lord Almighty.

-------


Randy & Renee Clark on Praise the Lord September 3, 2003

This is what Randy Clark prophesied:

We are seeing an end, to a 2 year onslought of the enemy. 1. Financially there has been a struggle. 2. struggles in relationships 3. struggling in health 4. Church destruction, treachery and strife. {The church is God's people}

Ground Zero, Sept 11, 2001, didn't just happen in NY, but it happened in the Spirit realm. I am encouraged because I hear the Spirit say, "We are entering into a new season, we've turned a corner. The tide of the battle has turned. And the end is in sight. The next season is going to be VICTORY & POWER! Be encouraged, and feel the season changing. Let the joy rise up inside of you. Because this is the day we move into the greatest season the church has ever seen.

And everything the devil has stolen from you in the last 2 years, which is billions of dollars, lots of relationships, and good health, and lots of other things. God is going to give it back to us in a great way.

We are coming into a great season, and we need to be encouraged by that. And embrace that season. Those that have been faithful, God has marked your faithfulness. And He is storing up a blessing for you. Is 61 says " For your shame, I am going to give you a double honor!"

Renee Clark- The spirit of the Lord is upon me! There is a season coming upon us, it's to the unusual things. Things we have never done before. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us! So whatever happens don't be angry or upset, don't be resentful. Don't let bitterness get in, just hang on. Because the Spirit of the Lord is upon us!

Randy-

I just pray that you will have a super natural touch from God. This is a new season in your life. The season is changing and VICTORY is on it's way to you wherever you are!

"Not by might, nor by power, but by MY SPIRIT, " says the Lord Almighty.
31 posted on 09/06/2003 7:12:58 PM PDT by Quix (DEFEAT her unroyal lowness, her hideous heinous Bwitch Shrillery Antoinette de Fosterizer de MarxNOW)
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To: kattracks

32 posted on 09/06/2003 7:16:01 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: kattracks
from TV Guide Close Up

[Note: Times listed are CDT; station number is my local so it may differ from your cable/satellite provider.]

7:00 PM Channel 580 SHOe Sunday, 7
DC 9/11: Time of Crisis
125 min.

Having played a buffoonish President George W. Bush on Comedy Central's That's My Bush!, Timothy Bottoms does dramatic justice to the Commander in Chief in this involving 2003 docudrama, which chronicles events following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. The film is “not necessarily about the personalities,” according to screenwriter Lionel Chetwynd, “[but] about the complexity of what it was like to try and be a leader.” Effortlessly blending actual footage with dramatic reenactments, the movie is at times emotional and suspenseful. But it occasionally stumbles when saddling Bush with some overly melodramatic, John Wayne-ish bravado.


Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Scott Alan Smith, Lawrence Pressman, Penny Johnson Jerald, John Cunningham, David Fonteno, Gregory Itzin, Penny Johnson Jerald, Stephen Macht, Mary Gordon Murray, Lawrence Pressman, George Takei, David McIlwraith, Myron Natwick, Allan Royal, Chuck Shamata, James McGowan, Debra McGrath, Gerry Mendocino, Brian Paul, Carolyn Scott
Rating: TV-PG
Content: Strong, Coarse Language
Category: Movie, Drama
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Release Year: 2003
 

Additional Airings
Date Time   Channel      
Monday, 8 8:30 PM   581 SHOTe N/A
Wednesday, 10 4:30 PM   582 SHOCe N/A
Thursday, 11 8:00 PM   580 SHOe N/A
Friday, 12 3:30 PM   581 SHOTe N/A
Saturday, 13 7:30 AM   582 SHOCe N/A
Saturday, 13 8:00 PM   582 SHOCe N/A
Tuesday, 16 9:00 AM   582 SHOCe N/A
Tuesday, 16 4:30 PM   582 SHOCe N/A
Wednesday, 17 10:00 PM   580 SHOe N/A
Friday, 19 7:00 PM   582 SHOCe N/A
Saturday, 20 4:30 PM   580 SHOe N/A

33 posted on 09/06/2003 7:16:42 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: kattracks

34 posted on 09/06/2003 7:17:53 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: kattracks
From the Showtime website:

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

The docudrama DC 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS gives an insider's look at the Bush White House on September 11, 2001 and the days that followed, culminating with President George W. Bush's speech to Congress and the nation nine days later.

Writer/Producer Lionel Chetwynd began the project in 2002 shortly after the appearance of several extended press articles and news feature broadcasts, which detailed some of the events that had taken place inside the White House in the days after September 11.

It was becoming apparent that someone was going to do a film on this subject and it was good friend and well-known producer Edgar J. Scherick who approached Chetwynd about throwing their hat into the ring. A deciding factor for Chetwynd was being able to add something new to the debate.

Chetwynd "wanted to do it properly - get a true insider's vision of what went on. Having been a supporter of this campaign and being a supporter of the administration, I hoped to obtain access to people within the administration," he explained. "This could be the great docudrama of our time."

Scherick and Chetwynd sought to create an original and intriguing screenplay that captured a president and his advisers during a critical turning point in history. When Scherick passed away late in 2002, Chetwynd was left as the sole producing partner.

As far as Chetwynd and Scherick knew, no one had ever tried to do a project about a sitting administration before - and been given access. "The problems of writing about a sitting administration were enormously complex, even though I had access to the principal players," Chetwynd said.

He further explained that "the White House had agreed to interviews, but they wanted no role in the film. They were not interested in pushing propaganda and Showtime was not interested in being an instrument of the White House."

In the course of gathering information for the script, Chetwynd spent countless hours interviewing Karl Rove, Ari Fleischer, Karen Hughes, Mary Matalin, James Wilkinson, Chris Hennick, David Frum, Anna Perez, Tori Clark and Phil Strubb, among others. On other occasions, Chetwynd had the opportunity to speak with Condoleezza Rice, Andrew Card, Josh Bolton and Ann Heilengenstein.

In addition to the interviews, Chetwynd also conducted extensive research on the event. Even with all of this information, he says he "still found it enormously difficult to write." Falling behind and feeling the tremendous burden of responsibility of writing about an event that happened to EVERYONE, he approached Karl Rove about arranging a meeting with President George W. Bush. Chetwynd went to Washington and met with the president in the Oval Office. "The 10-minute meeting became almost an hour."

Chetwynd explained to Bush that his problem was in "sorting out three people: there's the President, there's the Commander-in-Chief and there's a man called George W. Bush. He's in his 50s. He has a wife he loves, has children and has feelings and a full set of life experiences...I can't sort those out. And for a film to be effective, it must have a clear understanding of those three people, and how they work together."

When Chetwynd left the Oval Office, he felt he had an excellent grasp on what occurred. Chetwynd commented that the president took him through those nine days and clarified what it was like to be president the moment it happened or "'When the wall came down,' as the president put it."

For director Brian Trenchard-Smith, "DC 9/11" was a dream project. "True stories and historical drama fascinate me…nine days that changed America and the world meticulously researched, lavishly mounted and seen through the eyes of a sitting administration. It was a huge challenge and a great responsibility, and I loved every minute of it," he comments.

It is obviously not possible to recreate every important moment that transpired during those 10 days in a two-hour film. The challenge for the filmmakers was to find a way to dramatize a story that explores the heart, soul and scope of the crisis. The film is a mixture of private and public events.

Chetwynd said, "The difficulty in writing a docudrama is in choosing which public events to animate. The inferences are made from oblique questioning and reading." Based on real-life accounts, the film will interweave actual footage from these haunting events.

The production consulted three political columnists to review the script. The notes of Morton Kondracke of Roll Call, Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post and Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard were incorporated into the script to ensure it portrayed a balanced and accurate account of the events. All three had access to people in the White House and were aware of what went on at that time.

During the post-production process, the columnists also viewed a rough cut of the film to further ensure that it was a fair representation what occurred.

After watching the film, Kondrake commented, "D.C. 9/11:TIME OF CRISIS is as close to a minute-by-minute, decision-by-decision recounting of the Bush administration's response to terrorism as we are likely to get for years. It's an important and riveting story."

Barnes noted, "This is a terrific movie that accurately reflects the events of 9/11 and after. It neither sugarcoats President Bush's awkward and uncertain response initially nor overstates his more forceful leadership in the days that culminated with his powerful speech to Congress and the nation on September 20."

The filmmakers were committed to maintaining an approach to the story that was both accurate and engaging to audiences while remaining faithful to the historical research. All of the departments relied heavily on journalism's vast visual and print record of the events. Footage, for research purposes as well as for use in the film, was obtained from Fox News, CNN, ABC News, CBS News and Streamline Film Archive.

Trenchard-Smith prepared in part by obtaining photographs of each scene depicted in the film. He explains that when possible, he attempted to "shoot from those angles, so that a memory might resonate with the audience and they'll lock into the verisimilitude of the scene."

Production designer Bill Fleming set out to create authentic sets. He relied on books about the White House itself as well as the official White House web site, which offers virtual tours. Press photography, in and around the time the incident took place, was also helpful, as were newsmagazines and stock footage.

"It was a challenge because of the sheer scale of what we were trying to do," Fleming said. "Logistically, this is a story that took place in 70 distinct settings. We had to create them all and do it in a way that suited the shooting schedule. This meant building many sets in the studio, which allowed us to replicate them, thus bringing to the project a greater degree of accuracy," he continued.

Much of the cast does in fact look like their real-life counterparts in some way, but the skill of the actor is ultimately more important. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith said his choices were based upon "some aspect of physical similarity, plus an essence of the personality." Cast devoured books and other written matter about their characters and the administration in order to prepare. Authentic settings helped inspire the actors to feel as if they inhabited these significant spaces.

Timothy Bottoms, who bears a remarkable resemblance to President George W. Bush, tackled piles of written material and watched hour after hour of filmed appearances and speeches. He studied Bush's body language, walk and personality. Bottoms offers that he "had earlier had the opportunity to work at Comedy Central where we used the president as a situation comedy character. I'm not trying to impersonate the president but I am trying to effectively portray a spirit of the individual."

Bottoms explains that what the film hopes to accomplish is to "put a face on the man in situations that the public hasn't seen." For him, it was an opportunity to relay that to the general public. Bottoms also found it "surreal to be playing this character and to actually read the newspapers on a daily basis to see what's going on in the world."

Penny Johnson Jerald, who portrays Condoleezza Rice, began with cosmetic changes - freckles, a gap in her front teeth, wardrobe, and a wig. The wig also made it easier for her to continue her work on "24." She too relied on speeches and articles for her research. Her challenge was to "successfully portray Rice's strength, her passion and what she truly believes in," said Johnson Jerald.

Johnson Jerald notes that these were people "who were in a position to make a decision that was going to affect a lot of people's lives, including my own and my family's, the world. I felt great compassion and understanding for these people as human beings and I just wanted to be a part of it - from the very beginning."

Lawrence Pressman plays Dick Cheney and found him "a very difficult guy to research. There's no biography of him. There were facts but not mindsets." What was fascinating to Pressman about Cheney was his body language. "He's very linear and so I've relied a lot on body language," Pressman explained.

Mary Gordon Murray, who plays Laura Bush, found the project "a fascinating backdrop to where we are now [in 2003]. For people who still mourn, for all of us who nationally mourn, it has a very interesting political insight, but it's also about the humanity that came about at that time and the fact that none of that could have been anticipated."

35 posted on 09/06/2003 7:21:33 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: TomGuy
"But it occasionally stumbles when saddling Bush with some overly melodramatic, John Wayne-ish bravado."

Hehe. We'll see. Tough cowboys don't sit well with milquetoaste pukes.

36 posted on 09/06/2003 7:22:28 PM PDT by Fester Chugabrew
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To: kattracks
Here's the trailer.

DC/9/11: A Time of Crisis

37 posted on 09/06/2003 7:22:57 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: Norman Conquest

38 posted on 09/06/2003 7:23:40 PM PDT by The Mayor (God uses ordinary people to carry out his extraordinary plan. I am willing Lord, use me!)
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To: kattracks
Geraldo on FoxNews: Miniter on now.
39 posted on 09/06/2003 7:33:18 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: DrDeb
SHOWTIMES:
 
Click above...at the bottom>>>>
 
All times are ET/PT
Showtime East 09/07/03 8:00 PM
Showtime Too East 09/08/03 9:30 PM
Showtime Showcase East 09/10/03 5:30 PM
Showtime East 09/11/03 9:00 PM
Showtime Too East 09/12/03 4:30 PM

40 posted on 09/06/2003 7:34:27 PM PDT by Wolverine (A Concerned Citizen)
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