It's Clinton's Fault: The Movie

ABC is poised to air a documentary called The Path to 9/11 now that we're approaching the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, and it's already stirred up plenty of controversy. Not because it's too graphic, sensationalistic or daring, but because it's filled with disinformation. (For example, the argument that Saddam Hussein was developing WMDs for use against the US prior to the invasion. Not only incorrect, but completely irrelevant in a documentary about 9/11. As Fearless Leader himself said last month, Iraq and Saddam Hussein had "nothing" to do with the 9/11 attack.)

Early reports have them laying Osama bin Laden's actions at the doorstep of Bill Clinton, and those worries aren't easing as the network steadfastly refuses to provide Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, or any of the other major Clinton-era figures an advance copy to review for accuracy. The stonewalling prompted a concerned Albright to write this letter:

While I have requested a copy of the broadcast, I have yet to receive one. I have been informed by some who had been given the right to view the broadcast that the drama depicts scenes that never happened, events that never took place, decisions that were never made and conversations that never occurred; it asserts as fact things that are not fact.

For example, one scene apparently portrays me as refusing to support a missile strike against bin Laden without first alerting the Pakistanis; it further asserts that I notified the Pakistanis of the strike over the objections of our military. Neither of these assertions is true.

Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh and a slew of rightwing bloggers do have early viewing honors.

No preview for a Secretary of State, but free copies for rabid righties with media access? If that sounds a little fishy, you might want to check out Media Matters for some of their stories on the upcoming film (here and here, for instance).

Plenty of right-wingers have come to the defense of the movie, including Fox News. Their argument is that The Path to 9/11 is based entirely on the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report. It goes without saying that isn't the case. Think Progress reports that the movie actually contradicts the commission's findings on several occasions.