I dont think this is a surprise.
ISnt ABC the network that has been pushing the bogus Kerry medals flap.

is there anything positive left to say about this drowning nation? censorship in america. this should disgust everyone, but it doesn't. too busy eating, i suppose.

John Ellis Bush is the governor of Florida.

Disney Inc. receives massive tax avoidence assistance from JEB and the Republican Lege in Florida.

Florida needs to revamp taxes and eliminate loopholes given to some industries.

JEB is around until 2006.

Disney gags Michael Moore?

Please don't be fooled by press reports and press releases with Michael Moore and Harvey Weinstein crying that they're god given rights are being taken away by Jeb Bush and Florida tax cuts.

Mr. Weinstein and his brother just don’t want to have to go to another distributor, and that's the part they don’t tell you in the major media. They're a bunch of whiny and greedy hypocrites that don't want to have to make a new deal with a willing distributor of Moore’s “Documentary”. Using that word in itself is a joke being played on you by Michael Moore, but is also another discussion for another time.

Before everyone gets their panties in a wad that Disney is somehow trying to "silence" Michael Moore, please know that Weinstein, Miramax and Michael Moore are perfectly free to find ANOTHER distributor other than Disney to release their propaganda.

Don't be so stupid as to think that this movie is anything more than that. Even if you're a George W. and Republican and conservative hater, please don't be that naive. I didn't vote for the guy either, but I'm not in the Michael Moore anger and hater club. He’s an incredible and funny guy, but he’s also a hater. Too bad.

His vitriol and rage and hate is just as bad as the extreme wing nuts on the right who HATED Bill Clinton. Can’t you see that?

No one's saying they CAN'T put out the movie, Disney is just saying THEY don't want to and that's perfectly within THEIR rights of free speech. Miramax, Weinstein, Moore are all HUGE and VOCAL and ACTIVE supporters of the DNC and they HATE George W. Bush.

Please try to identify hate no matter what side it’s on.

Even if it’s people you agree with, it’s bad. Really bad.

Rodney Lee

I wonder if this movie will turn up on Showtime.

Its remarkable that a media company would turn their back on the Bill or Rights based on the political climate.

Scary.

If Emeril's is anywhere near as good as NOLA (another Lagasse restaurant, located in New Orleans), then you should definitely go there. It is on my list of the ten best restaurants I've eaten at, and I have eaten at a LOT of great restaurants.

As for the controversy over Moore and his film, let's start with something very basic and simple: some people SHOULD be hated. George Bush is one of them. Calling someone a "hater" is a meaningless argument employing an undefined term and unless you can provide some substance to it, it's a waste of time to discuss. The next point I want to make is that the new Moore film deserves to be viewed and examined in the marketplace of ideas and to be evaluated on its own merits and, dare I say it, even without regard to Moore's previous efforts. Also note that the subject matter of the film is not new material. Note that the film has not been attacked in any way based on its merits, but is merely being blocked from distribution for political reasons. Furthermore, there may be contractual issues that prevent Moore and Miramax from going to another distributor. I want to know more about the film, the background on why it is being blocked in this fashion, and whether it is possible to distribute it without Disney.

As for a media company buckling under to political pressure, this is far from surprising. Just because there is a First Amendment doesn't mean the media companies or the politician's who swear to uphold the Constitution respect it.

Jo,

Though I agree in general with the idea that this represents a form of censorship, your statement

So, not only has the Rat eaten Orlando, it's having the First Amendment for Desert?

has to be factually true before it can begin to be bitingly funny. As I imagine you should know, this is not a First Amendment issue, since the government is NOT a party to the dispute. As Rodney says, Moore can take his show and shop it elsewhere.

Once again, dean, the First Amendment is one of the few things the government has not privatized or outsourced. That Disney pulled any support and wants no connection with Moore reflects poorly on them, but in no way is this a First Amendment question.

Please folks, go back and read the Bill of Rights.

"Once again, dean, the First Amendment is one of the few things the government has not privatized or outsourced. "

No, Nash, you're wrong. This big media conglomeration, with its hopelessly rightwing slant, is precisely the kind of privatizing and outsourcing which you so disingenuously argue is not happening.

Why were the MoveOn.org ads rejected, while blatantly partisan pro-Bush ads accepted? Why are the blantantly anti-Kerry ads, beginning with GW Bush Itself endorsing the ads, being run to the exclusion of opposing viewpoints?

Sorry, Nash, but you're very wrong about this.

You are right, and I am usually very careful about making that same distinction. (I'll ignore the patronizing nonsense about going back and reading the Bill of Rights--I'm sure you know better than to say things like that and just had a bad day.) However, there is a fine point of distinction that I think might, if Moore decided to go to court with this, come into play here. Disney receives tax breaks at its theme park in Orlando. I don't know if there are additional federal tax breaks, or whether the argument could be carried to the state level on this account, but organizations that receive tax breaks are often legally perceived to be bound by things like the Bill of Rights and can lose their tax breaks if they violate civil rights by doing things like censoring films. I do not think the argument would work here. Refusing to distribute the film is not really censorship. Disney is not actively preventing distribution, just refusing to participate. Still, the loss of those tax breaks, which is what Disney fears will happen if they distribute the film, could occur if they violate civil rights as a policy. It's one of those cute little fuzzy legal arguments that I sometimes find more entertaining than Magic Mountain.

And Nash, seriously, if I get really snotty with you or patronizing, by all means come back at me in the same vein. However, barring that, please try to keep the level of discourse more reasonable and less personal than that. I make a special effort with the blogs to prevent the discourse from deteriorating the way that the controversial newsgroups deteriorated on Usenet. I expect, on a blog like this, to see right wingnuts with no respect for reason posting pointless comments, but it doesn't mean everyone has to fall in line with that. Yes, there are left wingnuts too, but this is more of a home to them so they get some slack. You can tear the curtains and spray paint the walls in your own home, but don't do that in your neighbor's home.

dean,

You are correct. I apologize for the snarky tone I took.

Thank you. If you ever participated in Usenet, you'd understand my concern. It's very easy for the things we discuss in political blogs to turn personal, and that is unnecessary. I do make very snarky comments about the incompetent nitwits of the current administration, but those comments are based upon an extensive track record of incompetence and nitwittery. I try to remain civil and objective when it comes to other posters. I try. I don't pretend that I always succeed, but I do try. It isn't always easy. When necessary, I can always scream expletives when I get on the highway.

Now, Michael Moore. Yes. Didn't care for Bowling for Columbine. That wasn't as good as some of his other work. Roger and Me was brilliant. I'm looking forward to seeing Fahrenheit 911. I'm sure it will become available somehow. And I am also sure I will be telling my more right-wing friends, of which I have many, to watch it and see if they still feel as warmly about Shrub and company. I have a very good friend (recently acquired) who is a died-in-the-wool dittohead. I may send him his own copy when it hits DVD.

Moore has already released it abroad. As usual America is the last to get the jokes, and we are the punchline.

The rest of the world will be demanding our leadership change as well (they already have across the board diplomatically, like it should be Kerry's fault Bush flat out sucks).

Maybe George Soros would just buy the rights out and local access it all over the country... ohhh one can only wish. It's not like his year of expertise in currency exchange , commodities and resources doesn't thrive off this dilapidated exchange model Bushco has enacted...

If only Ralph Nader would be endorsed in the film credits...

As for Disney they are wholly subsidised and without those profit margins assisted would go in the red for quarters enough to cancel expenditures for future releases or avoid stock or other business transactions.

Mickey Rat has outgrown his market.

Besides nobody wants Jeb to stop Disney funding, the next Shaq movie will start up with the laker's early playoff exit...

Maybe Kobe can sign up and be part of Disney's 'Ghirab Rape Room' movie. His first victim- Dennis Rodman, who he calls "long, tall Sully" before it's all done, to Clapton tunes no less.

Moore has already released it abroad. As usual America is the last to get the jokes, and we are the punchline.

The rest of the world will be demanding our leadership change as well (they already have across the board diplomatically, like it should be Kerry's fault Bush flat out sucks).

Maybe George Soros would just buy the rights out and local access it all over the country... ohhh one can only wish. It's not like his year of expertise in currency exchange , commodities and resources doesn't thrive off this dilapidated exchange model Bushco has enacted...

If only Ralph Nader would be endorsed in the film credits...

As for Disney they are wholly subsidised and without those profit margins assisted would go in the red for quarters enough to cancel expenditures for future releases or avoid stock or other business transactions.

Mickey Rat has outgrown his market.

Besides nobody wants Jeb to stop Disney funding, the next Shaq movie will start up with the laker's early playoff exit...

Maybe Kobe can sign up and be part of Disney's 'Ghirab Rape Room' movie. His first victim- Dennis Rodman, who he calls "long, tall Sully" before it's all done, to Clapton tunes no less.

yikes double post , doubly ironic...

1. Timely
   
2. Strategery
   
3. Webb wins
   
4. Huh?
   
5. Bunnypants in Bagdad
   
6. Outage
   
7. Filthy Lucre Watch
   
8. Playing the numbers
   
9. My letter to Countdown
   
10. Jefferson's Nigerian Scams