Obama backer George Clooney plans a movie on Osama bin Laden's driver

George Clooney, one of Hollywood's most prominent backers of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, has bought the movie rights to tell the story of Osama bin Laden's driver.

It may be a controversial project.

Clooney's movie production company, Smokehouse, bought the book rights from journalist Jonathan Mahler, who in "The Challenge" tells the story of Salim Hamdan, a Yemeni resident of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in recent years after his capture for being the driver of Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.

Hamdan's lawyer maintained he was only a driver and took the high-paying job to feed his family. The presence of rockets in his car was never explained.

Last week Hamdan was convicted by a U.S. military tribunal of aiding the terrorist leader and sentenced to 5 1/2 years prison, much less time than what was sought by the prosecution. Hamdan has already been at Guantanamo seven years, and there's speculation he may be returned to his family in Yemen.

According to the report in the Guardian, the book sympathetically portrays Hamdan and his Navy lawyer, Charles Swift, as the little guys up against the powerful forces of the United States government. Clooney, who is reportedly offering policy and speaking advice plus also helping Obama raise money from within the wealthy, liberal Hollywood community, is said to covet the role of Swift for himself.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[tlhwraith]

Wow, talk about a hit job! What on earth does Barack Obama have to do with George Clooney wanting to do a movie about Bin Ladens driver?

At least in the old days people did whisper campaigns with a little bit of finesse, this is just weird. So now is Barack Obamas name going to be mentioned every time anyone who says they like him is doing something?

Is this really what the discourse in this country has degenerated to?

[Chad Burr]

I find it interesting that the LA TIMES choose to place obama and osama bin laden in the same article. Is the times trying to say that Obama and Osama are the same? The headline should read Clooney makes a movie about Osama's Taxi Driver. Just another example of the media trying to get redneck america to belive Obama is a muslim and therefore he must be a terrorist. Obama had nothing to do with this story other than Clooney is a backer.

[Penny k]

Was it really needed to label Clooney an Obama supporter in reference to a film in reference to Bin Laden? Disgusting ratings grab. Typical example of how the media will do anything, say anything to get web hits, increase ratings. Too bad the substanative truth couldnt do the same.

[David Marc Fischer]

L.A. Times Forces "Obama" and "Osama" Into Verbose, Absurd Headline

[John Biggs]

Senator Obama has absolutely NOTHING to do with George Clooney making this movie. Andrew Malcolm why did you mention Senator Obama? Explain yourself!

[Scott]

Hrm. Nice way to smear Obama while claiming innocence.

Journalistic Ethics - another oxymoron

[Mike]

This is the most biased article I have ever read. Fox News would have been proud to write this. . .

and I am voting for John McCain

[emmie]

Oh..come on...get over it Nobama supporters....Clooney will use this to try and tell a "story" about how bad the gov't is to hold, and prosecute a terrorist with ROCKETS in his car, only hollywood can be so dumb! goes to show wealth doesn't make a person (Clooney) smart. I fear for the US with the looney left trying to run anything. are you noticing Obama's flip-flopping on his opinions? go and look...can't trust him if he doesn't have the same opinions every day.
this nation is in BIG trouble if we ever get attacked with a Dem is office..they might not want to put them in JAIL, much less prosecute them. might hurt their feelings. wimps.

[concerned reader]

how is this even remotely related to politics???

[BtP]

HEADLINE: Hate backer and biggot Andrew Malcolm writes another horrible hit job article!

retire already the world needs less of your generation!

[John]

Very cool. And Obama could star as Osama!

[Your Mother]

Wow is that all we can identify George Clooney with? Why not say "Former Rosanne star George Clooney" or "One-Time Batman George Clooney".

[Edwin Herdman]

If George Clooney is out giving "policy and speaking advice" to the Obama campaign, it seems appropriate to report this as a direct reflection of the worldview of at least part of the Obama campaign.

I also don't see the need to view this as a negative - it is what it is, and if the Obama camp has supporters who see things from different angles than the current Administration, so be it.

[Josh Geller]

How many years did Hitler's chauffeur get?

.

[Will]

Wow. Yellow journalism, much?

[M.J. Bee]

Mr. Burr -

Obviously, you're extemely confused about the political ideology of the mainstream media (including the L.A. Times). The only connection or "tie" here is... George Clooney supports Barack Hussein Obama. This headline is free campaign promotion and propaganda for Obama. It provides hyperbole for politically ignorant sheep who might be inclinded to vote for anyone (even a socialist) because they're supported by a wealthy leftist "movie star" like Mr. Clooney. How sad!

As far as appeasing "rednecks"... Are you out of your mind? The last thing the L.A. Times would be guilty of is leaning in the direction of minorities (Whites) in Los Angeles.

So, don't despair, the Los Angeles Times will continue to support leftists and their causes until they go out of business. Which, it appears, may be soon.

[E. Nash]

wow. This is completely irrelevant, downright lousy journalism. Shows just how far the MSM is willing to stretch to get "Obama" and "Osama" in the same headline.

[J Reece]

Just goes to show you, Joe McCarthy was right about Hollywood, there are lots of disloyal, unpatriotic Americans. Which brings up a question: are the Hollywood 10 considered martyrs because they were falsely accused of being Stalin stooges, or because they were Stalin stooges and were outed????

[Scootmandubious]

Mr. Malcolm, your insinuation regarding your tie-in of Osama with Obama is shameful.

Are you capable of actually writing about issues in this campaign that matter?

Because I am beginning to think that your contribution to political blogs is equivalent to what George Stephanopolous and Charles Gibson brought to debates.

This type of transparent smearing diminshes you far more than it does Barack Obama.

[J Reece]

I wonder what Osama Bin Laden's driver/personal assistant is going to do with the check George Clooney is writing him. More importantly, has George Clooney given a thought to what Obama Bin Laden's driver/personal assistant is going do with the money? Probably not. George reminds of one of those pathetic women who fall in love with prison inmates. Now that gay marriage is legal maybe they'll get married.

[Drew M]

Sorry folks.

Clooney is a lot more than just a guy who likes Obama. He is playing an important role in the campaign and, I think it is fair to surmise, seeks to influence an Obama administration. It is fair game to link his reported sympathy for Hamdan (who, no one disputes, was caught with missile launchers in his trunk) to his role in the Obama campaign. They are both part of the same influential person's political world view. The content of the article is fair.

OTOH, the fact that the headline uses two first names (George and Osama) but not Barak looks stupid. Headline writers are not usually the brightest folks in the newsroom.

[Ash]

By the way, how is this political? It's a movie that hasn't been made yet.

[John D]

Hamdan took the high-paying job to feed his family. Clooney bought the high profile book to feed his ego.

[dh]

Great title. Thanks LA Times, you made my day. Though I must say--you could have added a mention of the Edwards affair in there for good measure. Go ahead, indulge--it's your journalistic duty.

[Greg Tracy]

What do Osama and Obama have in common anyway?

They both have friends who tried to blow up the Pentagon.