Well?
Ah, I’m not paying 30$ for a hardcover Woodward book just so I can go blabbing about the contents for free!
Suffice to say, it was exactly the uncontroversial (to both sides) things suggested: that the nation was under attack.
Not “the nation is under attack, but according to the constitution, you absolutely MUST complete your full scheduled appearance at this photo-op before you are allowed to do anything else as President.”
Two more thoughts about Fahrenheit 9/11:
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In retrospect, anti-Moore critics like BowlingForTruth.com are the best thing that’s happened to Michael Moore – they showed him that there’s a pack of folks out there, willing to jump on every exaggeration (real or imagined) and take him to carpet to it. I suspect this was part of the reason Moore went the extra mile with this movie to have his references cited and his lawyers nearby; the fact that Moore’s points in F911 continue to withstand criticism after such a high-profile opening only works to his advantage.
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It seems to me that Moore has just effectively counterprogrammed the main thrust of the Bush-Cheney campaign. I mean, it’s no surprise that Bush/Cheney/Rove had made plans months in advance for George to campaign as a staunch defender of the nation against terrorism; even last week, polls continued to show Bush rated higher than Kerry when folks are asked “Which candidate is better at protecting the nation against terrorism?”
Moore, however, has completely undercut that effort by showing the seven-minute “My Pet Goat” video. The wheels have just fallen off Bush’s war-leader wagon, because no one who’s seen Fahrenheit 9/11 is going to buy that argument any more. “Bush? Effective against terrorism? The guy sat in a classroom like a clueless idiot for seven minutes even after the second plane hit the WTC!”
First of all, only a tiny fraction of the American people have seen Farenheit 9-11, and not all of them buy Moore’s propaganda. Let’s not exaggerate here - seeing an obviously tendentious film from a guy with a stated agenda and a reputation of being unscrupulous with the facts will not derail “Bush’s war-leader wagon”.
Second, (heh, hit reply too soon) the charge that he sat for seven minutes afterwards (the obvious but ridiculous implication is that he sat there saying "eh, the WTC just got hit, who cares?) is rather silly.
I don’t think there is any such implication, rather he sat there reading to the children because he didn’t know what else to do.
Actually we do know. The words were “A second plane has hit the World Trade Center. The nation is under attack”, or something to that effect. That was widely reported shortly after 9/11 and never challenged as far as I know.
I like dreamin’ cause dreamin’ can make you mine.
I like dreamin’, closing my eyes and feeling fine.
When the lights go down, I’m holding you so tight.
Got you in my arms and it’s paradise 'til the morning light.
- Kenny Nolan
Bolding mine. It’s that danged liberal media conspiracy again.
“You were a good ol’ war-wagon
Daddy, but you done broke down…”
(with apologies to Bessie Smith…)
Praise the Leader!
I’m not versed in Senatorial procedure, nor do I think that scene was very clear, but the impression I got was that the petition needed to be signed by a Senator from the state in question - Florida. Perhaps someone with more knowledge could clarify?
It was clear to me from the film that it needed the signature of any Senator, from any state.
Are you sure about that? Because I find it hard to believe that Lieberman didn’t sign it.
The impression I got from that segment of the film was that there were several petitions, not one of which was signed by a Senator - any Senator.
I also got the idea that if a Senator had signed one of them, that petition would have been addressed by the Senate.
I believe it was mentioned elsewhere on the SDMB (In this thread? In the BBQ Pit?) that Gore specifically told his Democratic colleagues not to challenge the Florida results and to just “get over it.”
Not that I agree with the decision, but it was his campaign…
Was gonna lose anyway. The Republicans of the Florida Leg had already publicly announced that regardless of any recount after recount after recount, they were going to pass a Bush set of electors. This is their unassailable privilege, legally, they were on rock solid ground, no one but no one could successfully challenge thier authority, as the State Leg, to do so.
After that, all Big Al could accomplish was to expose and demonstrate the ruthless moral bankruptcy of his opponents, already in abundant evidence.
James Baker: I’ve bad news, Mr. Damn-Sure-Gonna-Be-President: we have determined that the only way to ensure your inauguration is to sell you mother into prostitution in a Shanghai bordello, to be repeatedly ravished by swarthy men from all over the globe…
GeeDubya: Darn! I’m sure gonna miss her!
Are you sure?
I’m puzzled by detractors’ view that Moore’s bias and alleged errors negate his entire message. The anti-F9/11 effort seems fixated on ferretting out a verifiable factual error so they can claim the entire film should be dismissed. I wish these people would lead me to their perfect source for news and commentary that has no bias and never errs.
To tell the truth, I haven’t read this entire thread, but I just saw the film this morning and I felt like commenting.
Disclaimer: I’m as liberal as they come.
My heart bleeds daily.
I believe whole (bleeding) heartedly that it doestakes a village.
I do nothing but think of the children.
If Michael Moore were right here in front of me, I’d plant a big juicy tongue kiss right on his fat unshaven face.
Just so we’re square.
I thought the movie was very effective for the undoubtedly factual images shown. The pictures of dead babies and children with massive head wounds, and village woman cursing the USA in the name of Allah, the woman crying (constantly for the last 30 minutes of the film) over her lost son … all that is what drove my (admittedly) anti-war, anti-Bush buttons.
However …
I disagree. This was the one part of the film that had me cringing in a “Michael, Michael, Michael … what the fuck are you thinking kind of way.”
My take on that whole seven (or whatever) minutes is of a man completely freaked out. Sitting there contemplating the fate of the nation he just took over leading. Thinking about the loss of life and the direction on which he was about to embark.
I mean, Christ, … if someone comes into a room and tells you your mom just died in a car accident, your first thought is not of the funeral arrangements, you know?
The fact that Moore supposed what Bush was thinking while he sat there, while pertinent to the points he was to make in the rest of the movie, seemed entirely petty to me. He could have completely left that editorializing out, and still made his points well.
I don’t know. He was informed at least once, probably in the motorcade, of the first attack. He hears from Card in the classroom about the second attack. Granted there are maybe 150 people in the room besides the teacher and the schoolkids, a gaggle of reporters documenting your every move, etc.
I think Michael does have a point about Bush’s paralysis at that point being a damning statement on this administration’s complete unpreparedness in dealing with an actual terrorist attack. He was sitting there to begin with; he heard the news and still sat there. Then he still hung around the school in the room next door for several MORE minutes before finally getting back to the motorcade to board Air Force One.
Granted, it was stunning, terrible news. But unlike you or I, the president had been briefed for weeks to expect something like this. To not even ask questions about the attack seems to clarify the news he’s just receieved… seems wrong.
BuuuUUUut we can all rest assured the REAL president (Cheney) was probably all over this, even as he was being whisked away from the White House by the Scret Service. Heh heh heh.