Political satire can be so original sometimes.
Levinson and screenwriters David Mamet and Hillary Henkin fancy themselves as political avatars, fully cognizant of Capitol Hill's machinations and its relationship to Hollywood. Both places really aren't that different, the filmmakers seem to be saying, except that Hollywood acts unethically in the name of entertainment, while Washington bothers to cover it with a thin veneer of respectability. While there may be some validity to this idea, it is not a wholly original nor earth-shattering concept. It's a shame so many talented people had to waste their efforts on a storyline that could have been lifted from a television sitcom. With only 10 days left in the presidential race, the acting gipper is accused of fondling a young girl in the Oval Office.