Remembering an awful, watershed morning

I've been thinking about 9/11 quite a bit this morning - it's hard not to, considering the media coverage of the one of the worst anniversaries in American history (and for once, the media circus is deserved).

It almost seems like decades ago when America was in a post-Cold War cocoon of prosperity and growth. There 1990s brought out the best of America and the worst of America, but more bad than good. We can honestly look back with a little more hindsight with each passing 9-11 anniversary and truly realize how asleep we really were.

Unfortunately, it's pretty difficult to have a discussion about 9-11 these days without it becoming intensely political. And that trend is not helped by politicians who try to make hay out of homeland security issues, and the whole "we can protect you and they can't" ridiculousness. I'm referring to Repubes like Rudy 9iu1ian1, who never misses an opportunity to pimp 9-11 like he's participating in some sort of celebrity endorsement. John McCain is a little more subtler, but not by much; he often insinuates that American will be much less safe if Obama is elected president. It's shameful, disgusting and despicable, but that's never stopped any of them.

Some day, I really would like the whole truth about 9-11 to come out, including its causes, and who was responsible for the tragedies seven years ago. Unfortunately, there seems to be little political will to truly get to the bottom of 9-11 with a bipartisan, independently appointed commission (unlike the 9/11 Commission that was hand-picked by President Bush and his cronies in the GOP-controlled Congress).

I can't help but sit here and wonder if we ever will find Osama bin Laden. Maybe this October the Bush-controlled Pentagon will get around to finding him. No one could possibly be surprised if that happens.

Keith Olbermann had plenty to say about the 9/11 anniversary last night. More on that in a minute.

Ben-Veniste on "The Path to 9-11"

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I don't mean to be hitting you on the head with YouTube clips, but I'm catching up with a backlog of things I've been meaning to get to.

This one is a clip of Richard Ben-Veniste, a member of the 9-11 Commission (a commission that the Bush administration fought tooth and nail to not even have formed in the first place, but that's another blog entry) who appeared on Countdown with Keith Olberman.

Ben-Veniste rightly points out that it's a free country and that people have the right to creative freedom. Bravo and right on. But, he also correctly points out that if a movie is being made on 9-11 and it claims that it's based on that commissoin, then it should be accurate.

Truer words were never spoken.

A few quick points about the movie:

1. Awfully interesting that Olberman points out the movie was distributed to right wing pundits pre-release for examination, critiques and analysis, but not to liberals or members of the Clinton administration, many of the latter portrayed in the film. There's a surprise.

2. Has anyone considered that this movie and its portrayal of the Clinton administration is more than accidental? ABC is owned by the Disney Corporation, and its no mystery figuring out where its loyalties fall on the political spectrum - just take a look at its campaign contributions over the last 10-15 years. I'll save you the legwork - it's to the GOP, of course. Don't believe me? Look it up yourself.

3. Shame on Tom Kean. He's a model American, and a Republican I've always respected and listened to. Now - not so much. As a paid consultant and the 9-11 Commission Chairman, he owns America more than this. He owes it to all Americans that a project of this scope, seen by millions of people, be as accurate as possible. That hasn't happened. And that's a shame, because far too many people get their news (and their history) from movies and pop culture these days.

This movie is a borderline criminal rewriting of history.