Propagandist Michael Moore has been hit with a lawsuit for copyright infringement by an Illinois newspaper used in his mockumentary film Fahrenheit 9/11. While Moore and his apologists will undoubtedly cry censorship, the lawsuit appears to have merit. [sarcasm]Surprisingly[/sarcasm], Moore's film was misleading and deceitful about the newspaper's story on the Florida election.

"While we are highly flattered to be included in the movie," said the newspaper's President and Publisher Henry Bird, "we are a bit disturbed that our pages were misrepresented."

Early in the movie, according to the paper, a large headline appears in the film, purporting to be from a Dec. 19, 2001 edition of the paper, and reading "Latest Florida recount shows Gore won election." The paper contends that the headline actually appeared on Dec. 5, 2001, in much smaller type, and above a letter to the editor, hardly a factual news story or editorial.

The date shift seems like an honest mistake. There is little significance, other than it puts it after the December 9th Supreme Court decision to stay the recounts and the December 18th electoral vote. But portraying a letter to the editor as a major news story is deliberately dishonest. Not that Moore doesn't already have a track record for dishonesty.

UPDATE: Access Atlanta has it too.