Zurawik: Palin hitting back at HBO -- and not very effectively

After a failed attempt last week by her Alaska posse to discredit the HBO docudrama "Game Change," Sarah Palin took another shot at the film Thursday. But again, it was not very effective, and it looks like she is mainly helping create more buzz for the Baltimore-made film that debuts March 10.

This film seems to have really gotten under Palin's skin. And with good reason, the portrait it paints of her behavior during the 2008 presidential campaign will probably help guarantee that she will never hold high office outside of Alaska.

So far, neither Palin nor any members of her Alaska posse who have denounced the film have seen it. HBO offered the Palins a screening, but they declined.

(You can read my recent writing after seeing the film by clicking on the links along the left side of this post.)

In an email sent to supporters, Palin's PAC insisted that HBO label the docudrama fiction:

The screenwriter of Game Change, Danny Strong, lapsed into a tired routine of manipulating facts and omitting key parts of Governor Palins story in order to push a biased agenda and drive ratings. We have warned viewers of Game Changes distortions based upon the description and reports from people who have viewed the film, HBO must add a disclaimer that this movie is fiction.

The docudrama is based on the best-selling account of the 2008 presidential race written by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Director Jay Roach and screenwriter Danny Strong did added interviews and research for material not covered in the book, Roach said in a Sun interview that will be posted online Friday and appear in print Sunday.

Here's a video posted Thursday by Palin's PAC that tries to establish a counter-narrative of her performance during the 2008 campaign. It approriates HBO's imagery to try and mock "Game Change."

But the failure of this video is that it relies of the kind of PR, public, lying quotes politicians and campaign operatives give on the record, while the ! film rev eals what they were really saying behind the scenes about the erratic behavior of Palin.

One of the most interesting things so far to me is how little help Fox News is giving Palin in her desperate attempt to rewrite history.

I am also fascinated by her attempt to discredit John McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt who pushed for her to be the running mate and then after the election, essentially apologized for it in a "60 Minutes" interview. Schmidt is played winningly by Woody Harrelson in the HBO film. In fact, he is the real star of the movie, not Palin.

Here's the Palin video. I think it is a lame attempt at propaganda. What do you think of it?