Amid controversy, film on bin Laden death airs
Updated 11:30pm ET
A docudrama about the raid of Osama bin Laden's compound aired tonight despite outcry from Republican critics who say the timing of the debut is meant to influence the presidential election.
President Obama's voice is part of "SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden", which aired on the National Geographic Channel, and the debate among high ranking administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on whether to move forward with the attack is featured. The president is portrayed to unilaterally make the decision despite great political and human risk.
Refuting the timing as political for airing the film so close to Election Day, National Geographic CEO David Lyle said recently, "I think the end titles run longer than Obama's time on screen."
In polls, Mr. Obama receives favorable approval ratings on his handling of foreign policy, and the death of bin Laden is something his surrogates often tout on the campaign trail.
Actors are used and the docudrama uses original footage and reenactments to tell the story of the SEAL Team Six members' preparation and implementation of the raid on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden was found and killed. As it's not a straight documentary, artistic license is used to tell a compelling story.
A trailer of the film has the president's voice saying "There are a lot of things that could wrong. There are a lot of moving parts here. If I'm sending those guys in and Murphy's Law applies and something happens, could we still get our guys out?" He acknowledges the soldiers are taking "huge risks." The last half of the trailer shows a gun fight in a dark room, but it is unclear a reenactment from inside the compound or just a training session.
Killing bin Laden
CBS News' "60 Minutes" spoke to one of the SEALs in September. Mark Owen, a pseudonym, was the first to divulge insight to a national audience. He walked through the mission that began with training in the United States to the assignation of bin Laden on a top floor of the Pakistan compound.
The film "SEAL Team Six" is not the only public accounting of what happened in the hunt for bin Laden. Owen has written a book and "Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow's film, "Zero Dark Thirty" is set to be released later this fall. Republicans accused the White House of working with Bigelow and possibly providing classified information to the Hollywood director.
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BLAHBLAH replies: "the prezzy had a super majority in the senate and the house"
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Nice disrespect there "blahblah," since it's President to even YOU and the rest of the party of "birthers, baggers and buffoons".
BTW, which of the 2-weeks that our President had a 60-vote majority in the Senate are you referring to?
I know that's a great faux nooz talking point for the ignorant parrots, but the reality of the situation is that MN held up Sen. Al Franken's seat for over 6-months, and then it was Sen. Ted Kennedy's illness and eventual death in 2009 that led to a special election that was won by the GOP's Scott Brown.
Only the ignorant faux nooz junkies (I even heard that senile, grumpy, old, white guy johnny mccain say it) keep parroting the same, old, tired line of "Democrat super-majority in the Senate for 2 years," despite it being a LIE!
Please run back to the faux nooz or rush limbaugh LIES and DECEPTIONS so you can get your daily fill, and parrot more ridiculous republiCON talking points that only make you look highly-partisan and super-ignorant!
Unfortunately, that's the truth and the reality of the situation!
This is why struggling Americans cannot reward them with our votes for standing with ccorporations, big oil, big pharma, the super rich and against struggling Americans. Republicans must be defeated for our great nation to progress.
Moreover, no republican supporter can cite any republican policy, stance, bill/legislation that favors struggling Americans over corporations, big oil, big pharma or the super rich.
the prezzy had a super majority in the senate and the house, remember nancy pelosi was Speaker?
Anything he wanted they passed.
You are witnessing the result of the socialist progressive agenda THAT WAS PASSED AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE PREZZY.
It isn't pretty is it?
Keep blaming the Republicans, I guess you get that from your demi-god. He's real good at blaming others while he magnanimously takes both responsibility and credit.
Is this film director going to be thrown into prison? I imagine it will be 'offensive' to radical islamist types just itching for a demonstration so they can demand someone somewhere to be beheaded.
Spiking the football, that's all he's got.
How's the Benghazi thing working out for you? Now THAT was some real decisive leadership in action.
From your post it is obvious that;
1) You have no idea what the Republicans propose or stand for
2) If you did you wouldn't be able to understand it because you don't know the first thing about econ 101 or how the real world works
3) I and the vast majority of the maligned tea party folks (I've actually spoken to some of them, SCARY) could tell you the answer to your bogus question regarding policy however from the syntax of your question it is obvious that you don't even know what information you are requesting let alone be able to understand it so,
It would be a waste of time
I hear that cuba and venezuela are nice this time of year.
LIE: "Syria is Iran's only ally in the Arab world. It's their route to the sea," ROMNEY in the Debate. A geography dimwit. Iran has 1500 miles of coastline and can reach Mediterranean via Suez Canal and shares no border with Syria. Too dumb for "commander in chief." We don't deserve this.
"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap," Romney stumbled into Napoleon Bonaparte's quote somewhere and decided to take a foreign trip. And each time he opened his trap, he tripped. Savages China while he outsources companies and thousand of jobs to China. Good reason to hide tax reports and offshore accounts.
Dangerous ignoramus and flip-flopper on foreign policy.
1500 miles heh? Of course that includes the Caspian Sea. I will wait for you to tell me what coastline has to do with access.
The last oil shipment port, Bandar e Abbas is located at the Strait of Hormuz.(does that ring any bells?) From there to Pakistan, about 400 miles but surprise? The iranians haven't seen fit to establish any ports there, you might want to ask them why, but I'm 'guessing' it has to do with demographic distribution.
So you expend all this effort setting up a straw man argument to prove how ignorant Romney is and what do you have to show for your efforts?
"Best to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." Ben Franklin
Your hypocrisy is astounding and it is not even worth the time to argue, as it is obvious facts mean little to you unless they support your obviously warped view.
I actually envy you a little because if Mitt does win I might actually wish I could have the same rosey view of an obivious corporatist that is more concerned about allowing the rich to get richer, solidify power with those with money and suppress the working class ... hmmm ... that sounds vaguely like a form of government I learned about in school ... oh yeah fascism.
George Orwell nailed it he was just off on the date.
Ben Gazzara was a pretty good actor.
Do I think Obama did a great job ... No. But I do know he is far better than someone who will take us back to W Bush policies that helped put us where we are today. Besides what exactly will Mitt do since he has changed his position so much there is no telling where he really stands. Plus the government is not a business and although Mitt made money 22% of the companies Bain invested in failed compared to the 8% of the Green Energy Companies the right likes to claim He wastes money on.
Simple Fact, Obama saved the country from a depression a road we were put on my Bush policies that Mitt will copy. Killed the Mastermind behind 9/11 that Bush promised we would get. Much of the dept you speak of was simply Obama putting the costs of two wars and a drug benefit (hand out to Big Pharma) that Bush conveniently kept off the books.
Nope I will take Obama over a money grubbing lieing wanna be politician that will say and do anything to get elected and will be nothing more than a puppet for corporate America.