Fahrenheit 9/11 Blacked-out in PA GOP Stronghold

Fahrenheit 9-11 censored in PA Republican voter stronghold?
by Tom Flocco

PHILADELPHIA -- June 26, 2004 8:30 pm -- Tom Flocco.com -- Michael Moore’s controversial new movie Fahrenheit 9-11 was completely blacked out in densely Republican vote-heavy Delaware county and faced near total censorship in the fifth largest U.S. market--Philadelphia and its Delaware Valley suburbs--as the film opened yesterday on just 12 screens out of 377 total ( 3 % ) in 43 Philadelphia area theaters. Moore wrote, produced and directed the movie documentary critical of President Bush’s war policy and actions during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The film is appearing on only 4 screens out of 197 ( 2 % ) in the heavily Republican voter strongholds of suburban Delaware ( 0 screens ), Bucks ( 3 ) and Chester ( 1 ) counties. This, as political cognoscenti in the Keystone State are fully aware that sell-outs and public awareness of the explosive picture could ultimately affect the size of the suburban GOP voter turnout this Fall in southeastern Pennsylvania--and ultimately the electoral college.

The Regal Entertainment Group maintains a strong movie theater presence in the suburban marketplace surrounding Philadelphia; but it also keeps close financial ties to President Bush. This, as Regal is showing Moore’s Fahrenheit on just 4 of its 108 movie screens in Philadelphia and its suburbs.

Given Regal's opening the film on only 4 % of its available screens in the top-5 Philly market, questions may be raised as to whether Regal’s money links to the president might have something to do with the controlled exposure of a movie potentially capable of drawing a busy Pennsylvania citizenry back into the thick of war issues and 9/11 negligence.

Moreover, similar statistics have not been released at present to ascertain whether there is a similar limitation of Republican exposure to the Moore film in other major markets in the U.S.

Local Philadelphia talk radio hosts have developed "talking point" lists on their websites for usage by pro-Bush voters to engage others who want to discuss the film, indicating the amount of political polarization engendered by the divisive motion picture.

Alternative news website WhatReallyHappened.com (WRH) researched the background of a group launching a campaign to deter theater owners from showing Fahrenheit 9/11. It was reported that some theater owners have received death threats.

The group, Move America Forward, is backed by a public relations firm out of San Francisco named Russo, Marsh & Rogers, which has strong ties to the GOP, as Sal Russo served as an advisor for the "Recall Grey Davis" campaign, indicating that the PR firm may be allegedly involved in the letter-writing campaign, threats, and harassment of theater owners who show Michael Moore’s film.

WRH recently reported that the WHOIS internet identification database for Move America Forward’s website was changed to conceal their links to the Russo, Marsh & Rogers PR firm.

Regal Cinemas theater chain owned by major Bush fundraisers

An internet search revealed that Texas corporate buyout firms Hicks-Muse-Tate & Furst and Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts joined together to take control over Regal Entertainment Group.

According to Charles Lewis’ The Buying of the President 2000, Thomas Hicks made George W. Bush a millionaire fifteen times over by buying the Texas Rangers from Bush and his Texas partners, while Hicks and his brother Steven also contributed $146,000 to Bush’s gubernatorial campaigns. Steven Hicks is a Bush fundraising "Pioneer," who has raised at least $100,000 for Bush’s presidential race.

According to Lewis, Tom Hicks urged the University of Texas (UT) to move part of its $13 Billion endowment into riskier investments. And in 1995, the Texas Senate confirmed Tom Hicks as a UT regent when George W. was elected Texas governor. Hicks hired lobbyists to push a bill which Bush signed into law, creating the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO).

As UTIMCO’s first chairman, Hicks began to dole out lucrative contracts to private investment firms to manage portions of the endowment; and many of these firms had ties to both Hicks and George W. Bush.

For example, Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts joined the Hicks-Muse buyout firm in a $1.5 billion dollar takeover of Regal Cinemas, thus establishing the close presidential fundraiser and movie chain ties which may be affecting the controlled exposure of Moore’s devastating film critique of George W. to his Republican constituency in battleground swing states like Pennsylvania.

Hicks and UTIMCO public endowment money has also been doled out to Maverick Capital Fund, run by Bush presidential "pioneer" Charles Wyly and his brother Sam, who also gave $210,000 to the Bush gubernatorial campaign; but also the Carlyle Group, where George H. W. Bush and leading members of his former presidential administration hold major equity stakes.

Hicks and UTIMCO public money also funded the Bass Brothers Enterprises where Robert and Lee Bass family interests funneled $215,000 to Bush while also helping to finance a drilling contract in Bahrain won by Harken Energy just prior to the first Gulf War.

The Bass brothers sought influence through Harken; and George W. was involved in a controversial million-dollar insider trading deal as a member of Harken's board of directors, also according to The Buying of the President 2000.

Keeping it away from the Republicans

The weekend Philadelphia Inquirer movie guide reveals why this writer had to drive some 13 miles north of the city of Brotherly Love into Montgomery county past a number of multiplex theaters to view an opening afternoon Fahrenheit 9/11 screening yesterday, as later screenings were sold out--and not one theater in heavily-populated Delaware county is showing the film.

The lack of screenings regarding a much anticipated movie in a huge market raises questions as to whether the GOP has successfully suppressed the extent of the film’s exposure and influence upon Republican voters that the party is depending upon for a heavy turn-out this Fall.

Delaware county is at or near the top in Republican voter registration in the Keystone state, as Democrats sometimes have poorly-funded opposition candidates or no opponent running at all in some local county election races--such is the strength of the GOP here.

An assistant manager at the Regal Edgemont Square-10 in Delaware county told TomFlocco.com yesterday, "We’re not showing it; but I plan to drive up the Blue Route [I-495] tonight to see it myself in Montgomery county," adding, "I’ve heard a lot about it; and who knows--President Bush was in town last week. Maybe he doesn’t want people in Delaware county to see it."

Ruth Cole of Delaware county contacted this writer via email last night after a local theater manager had suggested she take a look at TomFlocco.com:

"Mr. Flocco, I am hoping you can help me research a troubling issue. Like so many, I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Michael Moore's new film, "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"I was disappointed to see that no movie theaters in my area [Delaware County] are showing the movie; however, I couldn't help but notice that many theaters outside the region and smaller theaters such as the Clear-view Bala Theater in Bala Cynwyd, the Ambler Theater [both in Montgomery County] and the Ritz East in Philadelphia are showing the film," said Cole.

"In fact, every local theater showing "Fahrenheit 9/11" happens to be outside of Delaware County," she said, adding, "has the Republican party successfully kept Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 out of Delaware county theaters?"

Orlando, Florida Homeland Security federal 9-11 immigration fraud whistleblower Mary Schneider, whose story this writer has chronicled recently, called from Orlando, Florida with the following:

"Apparently Loew's theater complex at Universal Studios is the only one in the central Florida area showing Moore’s film," adding, "there were people driving a three-hour round trip from Merritt Island and Lake Mary, Florida," indicating a probable lack of screenings in the Sunshine State where Jeb Bush is governor.

Schneider also told us she "talked to a person whose stepdaughter saw Fahrenheit 9/11 yesterday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the conservative town of Mesa, Arizona," adding that the woman "was amazed at the crowds and long lines of people who actually took time off from work to see the film," possibly indicative of another paucity of screens in the far West.

While Moore’s film is subject to a some exaggerations and an omission or two, it is essentially a devastating political documentary.

Moreover, the film is quite likely to affect the outcome of the November presidential election if viewed by enough Americans--even those citizens totally uninformed about the events precipitating the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq war.

That's how powerful Fahrenheit 9/11 comes across on the big screen. People were chattering and giggling at the sometimes hilarious scenes; however, emotions changed during the second half of the film as its tenor became quite serious and at times upsetting and unsettling.

At the end of Moore's film, patrons rose to their feet in full applause at the afternoon screening this writer attended--something very seldom seen.

We heard people muttering they "wanted to throw the president out now--or worse," without waiting for a vote. Heads were shaking.

Regardless of the election outcome, new ground has been broken as to the issue of holding corrupt politicians accountable in front of the voters--in bold and living color--both now and in the future, as Republican film producers will undoubtedly attempt to hold Democratic feet to the fire in the future.

But that's good for the country, as political corruption is costing lives, savings, investments, cultural changes, freedoms, and a full-scale invasion through unsealed borders by terrorists--but also illegals intent upon draining the public treasury. Enough is enough.

But the real question is this: Can a documentary film actually influence the outcome of an election?

Will Americans also remove corrupt senators and congressmen who have failed miserably in their oversight responsibility to impeach and punish a corrupt administration? Time will tell.

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SCREENING OF "FAHRENHEIT 9/11" IN THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET
(Based upon approximate density of registered Republican voters by county):
1. Delaware County--68 screens--6 theaters--
Fahrenheit 9/11 on 0 screens

2. Bucks County--100 screens--8 theaters--
Fahrenheit 9/11 on 3 screens

3. Chester County--29 screens--3 theaters--
Fahrenheit 9/11 on 1 screen

4. Montgomery County--88 screens--13 theaters--
Fahrenheit 9/11 on 6 screens

5. Philadelphia County--92 screens--13 theaters--
Fahrenheit 9/11 on 2 screens

5th Largest U.S. Market / 377 screens in 43 theaters / Fahrenheit 9/11 on 12 screens ( 3 % )

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