Ex-Bush Aide: "Swing Vote" Stolen From Me

NEW YORK — A former presidential aide claims in a lawsuit that plot and marketing elements of the Kevin Costner and Kelsey Grammer movie "Swing Vote" were stolen from him.

Political commentator Bradley Blakeman, a former deputy assistant to President Bush for appointments and scheduling, said in the lawsuit filed Thursday that he gave a copyrighted screenplay entitled "Go November" to Grammer in 2006.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Long Island, claims Grammer agreed to develop the project and star as an incumbent Republican president but ended up portraying a similar role in "Swing Vote," which was released Aug. 1.

A spokesman for Grammer and his production company, both named in the lawsuit, dismissed the claims as frivolous.

"I am not sure why Kelsey was even named in this suit," spokesman Stan Rosenfield wrote in an e-mail. "He was an actor who signed on to the project AFTER the script was written."

Blakeman's lawsuit, however, claims the former "Cheers" and "Frasier" actor told him to consult a producer who later told him repeatedly that they were interviewing potential screenwriters and planned to go ahead with the project.

The lawsuit claims Blakeman's screenplay shared a basic premise with "Swing Vote," although it focused on an election hinging on multiple swing voters instead of one swing voter.

Blakeman claims "Swing Vote" incorporated other elements that he proposed, including: the timing of the film's release, the use of real-life newscasters as actors playing themselves, the use of dirty tricks by both major political parties, marketing strategies and other plot points.

"Essentially, except for the character names and the relationship developed between the main characters played by defendant Kevin Costner and his daughter, the entire concept of 'Swing Vote' ... was taken from the copyrighted work," Blakeman's lawsuit claims.

The Walt Disney Co. is named as a defendant in the suit, as is Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group Inc. and Disney division Touchstone Pictures, which distributed "Swing Vote." Costner and the writers of "Swing Vote" also are among those named.

Spokeswomen for Disney and for distributor Treehouse Films said they hadn't seen the lawsuit and wouldn't comment. A spokesman for Costner, who helped finance the movie, said the "Dances with Wolves" and "Field of Dreams" actor was on vacation and couldn't be reached.

Blakeman's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Grammer was hospitalized in New York in late July after feeling faint, which Rosenfield said was possibly due to his heart medication. Grammer suffered a mild heart attack in late May.

Comments

[RENREVARD]

Blakemen would never write anything that made a Republican look bad in way shape or form. The man is a Republican hack.

[openhand]

They stole the election and he complains about the script. War Crimes vs Royalties.­....

[imusintheevening]

perfect summary

[babyboomerorig]

I can't believe that he actually believes all the bull he hands out...kind of sounds like Rove.

I keep watching, but only to argue with him while he's on....too bad he can't hear me. He's dumber than a box of rocks.

[BookDesigner]

Not questioning your evaluation of Blakeman as "dumber than a box of rocks," just wondering if you see the ironic self description of someone who would argue with a box of rocks (or a person dumber than a box of rocks) that can't hear you.

[Laserbeam]

Sorry, but I'm with babyboomerorig - I feel better after venting in private. I yell at the television, too - especially with this "wishes-he­-were-as-s­mart-as-a-­box-of-roc­ks"! LOL.

[thenicerguy]

I am a Hollywood screenwriter and I have to say that everything Blakeman listed is pretty well exactly what ANY professional screenwriter would include in their script on this subject. So that really only leaves the original idea and, sorry guy, it's been shopped all over town for years by all sorts of writers. We call these ideas - film concepts that numerous people stumble upon at the same time - to be "in the air" or "part of the zeitgeist.­"

The film's concept just isn't very original AND I'll bet it's been the subject of all sorts of episodes of various sitcoms. I'm sure some vote came down to just Barney Ffyfe or Lucy Ricardo or Fonzie and I know that a famous episode of "All in the Family" involved a jury deliberation that devolved down to, as Archie Bunker put it, "The Lone Dingbat."

Sorry pal, but like most Republicans, your ideas are old, tired and just plain no longer funny.

[Heavy]

Damned frivolous law suits. I thought republicans wanted tort reform.

[dadw5boys]

If true it makes a good case for recording phone calls with time and date stamps.

[circusfifthfloor]

MSNBC knew what they were getting. They know what a goon he is and his Coulter-like mindless spewing was something needed to off-set the other reasonable guests. Alter shakes his head each time IT speaks, but it's IT does have some entertainment value, because of IT'S totally vapid personna. Rather comical. Just don't tell IT....CFF

[DrJimmy]

I'm with this guy i came up with the "LORD OF THE RINGS" first

[hillaryj]

This guy is a real creep.....­..........­......he makes my skin crawl.

[DrJimmy]

I'm with this guy I cam up with the story of "STAR WARS" first

[pizzmoe]

No, you didn't! I did!

[springsm]

Oh come you you guys, you KNOW that I did.

[DrJimmy]

I'm with this guy!!! I came up with the story of "ROCKY" first

[BobHanssen]

Roger Stone is the real swing voter.

[in4success]

based upon his outlandish, ignorant and delusional rhetoric dayd after day my guess is he's full of sh*t (or) paranoid and quite insane. and although i believe he's a scathing ideologue with a natural GOP sociopath gene in his DNA making him a natural enemy of the constitution, democracy, and thus, america (IF) this is true then shame on grammer -- costner, more than likely, would not be liable.

[mistlesuede]

This probably added to the recent serious heart problems Kelsey has had.

[jgalvan]

He has got to be the biggest lair ever born to a women. What jury would believe his fantasies of his, he is the most bold face lair known to man. I cannot believe MSNBC gives this lair one second of air time. Most of the time on air he can hardly hold back the smiles when he speaks, he would make on hella of good car salesman (sorry guys).

[punkingale]

And women. It's not a male dominated profession any more.