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Supreme Court Will Rule on Hillary Documentary

Anti-Clinton flick deemed campaign ad

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 21, 2009 7:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – Supreme Court judges will go the movies next week when they hear arguments about a feature-length film on Hillary Clinton, the AP reports. Screened in eight theaters during the presidential campaign, Hillary: the Movie fizzled after federal courts said the scathing documentary and its commercials amounted to campaign ads. Citizens United, the conservative group that released the film, has appealed.

Citizens United has been to court before, when it sought to stop ads for Michael Moore's Fahrenheit: 9/11 from running in 2004. The Federal Election Commission dropped the complaint when Moore decided to run ads after the election, but David Bossie, who produced Hillary, was inspired. "Michael Moore forced me to recognize the power of documentary film," he said.

[Images (7)]

[Videos (1)]

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo)

Hillary Rodham Clinton on the campaign trail. (AP Photo)

The Supreme Court. (AP Photo)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds a joint press conference on March 3, 2009 in Jerusalem. (Getty Images)

Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a joint news conference with Ireland's Foreign Minister Michael Martin, Monday, March 16, 2009 in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, March 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton drinks Turkish coffee during the taping of a talk show for the Turkish news channel NTV in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, March 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Osman Orsal, Pool)

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The trailer for "Hillary: the Movie." (YouTube)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 9 comments

Forderon

Mar 24, 2009 1:21 AM CDT

I wrote that while I was watching. Then I saw Ann Coulter and Dick Morris too. LOL, wow. Very credible. And Mad above is right about the last soundbite. What is bad about that in any way? Just because its a loud woman talking its supposed to scare people?

Forderon

Mar 24, 2009 1:17 AM CDT

There's a difference between a documentary Moore did delivering his opinions about a sitting President and a short ad like this with interviews and clips edited together in a campaign ad format. Also, Mark Levin??? Newt?? Were they even trying to be credible?

riffran

Mar 22, 2009 12:41 PM CDT

now thats funny...it's OK to make scathing flicks about George W........but do the other side...oh nooo we can't have that

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Politics • Crime & Courts • Entertainment

Hillary Clinton • film • campaign finance • political advertising • US Supreme Court • Election 2008 • documentary film • Citizens United

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Supreme Court Will Rule on Hillary Documentary