I’m still watching “Recount” on HBO, and so far the portrayal of the Florida recount jives with what I remember. How’s about you? Spot anything that contradicts history?
Update: Howard Kurtz rattles on for about 15 paragraphs on how Recount was not historically accurate, but these are the only concrete examples he gives of inaccuracy:
I suppose whether that last item is true or not is a matter of opinion. On the other hand, James Baker is so pleased with the film he is hosting a screening next week at his public policy institute in Houston.
I don’t have cable, so you’ll have to tell me if they show the Brooks Brothers riot… saw posters for this special during the last week and wish I could see it – or maybe not – those times were very painful…
Watching Recount tonight on HBO was painful in ways that are hard to describe.
You see, my family used to own a rental vacation home in Massachusetts. In June of 2000, it was rented out to a guy that runs a health care consulting firm and his college roommate, a health care/FDA issues lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Tallahassee. They invited me over to dinner with their families and another Floridian, who I believe was also a GT lawyer.
This guy was smug and smarmy, and seeing how he’d had far too much to drink, was bragging about his meeting with “Jeb, Karl, and W” the day before, and really all but doing victory laps around the table. I stated that it was going to be close and would probably come down to Florida (since Al was going to lose Tenn), and this arrogant little putz came up to me and smacked me on the shoulder and said,
“Florida is in the bag, trust me, Florida is in the bag.”
I can still remember his laugh. Watching tonight was to relive some of the experience of knowing just how stolen it was and how much effort went into making it happen.
This whole administration has been a dog and pony show of misdirection, lies, falsehoods and propaganda by those with only their self interests at heart. They are soulless creatures and many of them owe an incarceration debt to society.
But since the administration is almost over, it was great to watch this allstar cast and a great script. Dern as Harris was excellent. I understand Gore objected to certain aspects of the production, but I don’t know which ones.
There can be no doubt that a majority of Floridians went to the polls that day with the clear intent of voting for Al Gore.
If the results of the Superbowl, nay, a little league play off were handled like the election of 2000, there would have been riots and tar’.n feathers.
“Electile dysfunction”
That episode marked the begining of the grand deception, it made no sense, and little since that time has.
FUBAR accomplished………….
I don’t get HBO, but I would have liked to see their portrayal of this great American tragedy. Al Gore won not only the popular vote nation-wide, but in Florida too. If only they would have counted all the votes, as Florida law requires. Never in American history has the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in and overruled not only a state Supreme Court ruling on it’s voting laws, but the U.S. Court of Appeals. Unbelievable and unconscionable. Bill Clinton should have forced a Constitutional crisis by having his Department of Justice take over the vote counting from that hideous, make-up slatherered whore, Katherine Harris. The Democrats should have threatened civil war instead of rolling over like a refugee boat. 9-11 would likely have never happened under President Gore, as he might have actually paid attention when he was warned repeatedly of an impending al-Qaeda attack instead of going jogging and clearing brush at the ranch. We might also have a renewable energy plan and not be dependent on the Saudis, who Bush grovels in front of regularly.
The film got the big stuff right, including the Brooks Brothers Riot and the way Lieberman betrayed the Dems by repeating right-wing talking points on military ballots.
It made me angry all over again. I only watched parts of it because I would get angry and turn to the basketball game. Then, I would go back and get angry all over again. I shouted at the TV, “Look what you did to this country, you Supreme Idiots!” It was just too frustrating of situation to live through again. I also decided that the entire Supreme Court should have been impeached for that decision.
Don’t you mean James Baker, not Howard Baker? James is in Houston; Howard in Tennessee. James was the lead attorney for Bush in the recount.
I don’t know why this isn’t getting more attention. Mark Crispin Miller is not some looney–he knows whereof he speaks (Read his books incl. Fooled Again about election theft)
http://markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/ . Check his 2 most recent VLogs : Endgame: Bush & Cheney’s desperate measures PT. 1 & 2. He is addressing the coming theft of the election this fall. There is also an interesting interview with Gore Vidal posted there.
The film only showed one Supreme Court hearing, but it didn’t say there was only one. HArdly an ‘inaccuracy’.
This whole administration has been a dog and pony show of misdirection, lies, falsehoods and propaganda by those with only their self interests at heart. They are soulless creatures and many of them owe an incarceration debt to society.
I’ll second that emotion! This past 8 years has been an absolute circus, with a line-up of scoundrels and self serving cretins unmatched in American history.