I CANNOT STAND THE EXCITEMENT – AT 9:58 P.M. ET:  Are we not lucky people?  Are we not blessed by the titans of entertainment?  First, we reported – can you stand to wait – announcement of a series of spy novels by Valerie Plame, that well-known author and complainer. 

And now, as if the entertainment world wasn't generous enough, we get word of its latest gift to us.  Please write letters of thanks:

EXCLUSIVE: HBO has optioned the book Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Barton Gellman for a miniseries to be executive produced by Paula Weinstein.

The mini, which will be based on the bestselling book and the FRONTLINE documentary, The Dark Side, tells the story of Richard Bruce Cheney from his early days as Donald Rumsfeld’s protégé in the Nixon administration, to the nation's youngest chief of staff under President Ford, to serving as secretary of defense under George H.W. Bush, through two controversial terms as vice president under President George W. Bush. According to the producers, the project will center on Cheney's "single-minded pursuit of enhanced power for the presidency (that) was unprecedented in the nation's history."

Oh really?  Tell that to Lincoln's opponents.  Or FDR's.  Or Truman's, for that matter. 

Weinstein has executive produced 2 Emmy-winning HBO minis about major political events/figures: the 2008 "Recount," about the 2000 Florida recount, and the 1995 "Truman." She is also exec producing HBO's upcoming "Too Big To Fail," about the 2008 financial meltdown.

COMMENT:  The sad fact is that they're serious about this, and they'll probably win awards.

March 21, 2011