Months after its debut, “Hillary: The Movie” faces nine of the nation's toughest critics: the Supreme Court. The justices' review of the slashing documentary financed by longtime critics of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton could bring more than just a thumbs up or thumbs down. It may settle the question of whether the government can regulate a politically charged film as a campaign ad. “The outcome of this case will dictate how we're able to make films and educate people about them,” said David Bossie, a former Republican congressional aide who produced the Clinton movie and another describing then-Sen. At issue in the case being argued before justices Tuesday is the 90-minute anti-Clinton movie and television ads Bossie wanted to air during the 2008 primaries advertising the film. Bossie's group, the conservative Citizens United, released the movie as Clinton, then a New York senator, was competing with Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. The movie is unquestionably anti-Clinton, featuring commentary from conservative pundits, some of whom specifically say Clinton was not fit to be commander in chief. Citizens United appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that “Hillary: The Movie” should not be considered a political ad. The group says there is nothing in the movie urging people to vote against Clinton. The group says the film is more of a documentary comparable to critical television news programs. A panel of federal judges disagreed, calling “Hillary” nothing but an extended-length political attack ad. The Justice Department agreed, saying “'Hillary' is an advocacy piece whose unmistakable meaning is that Hillary Clinton should not be elected president.
