It’s funny, Lois — I’ve never seen the President and Superman in the same room

Trapped on the other side of the country aboard Air Force One, the President has lost his cool: “If some tinhorn terrorist wants me, tell him to come and get me! I’ll be at home! Waiting for the bastard!”

His Secret Service chief seems taken aback. “But Mr. President . . .”

The President brusquely interrupts him. “Try Commander-in-Chief. Whose present command is: Take the President home!”

Was this George W. Bush’s moment of resolve on Sept. 11, 2001? Well, not exactly. Actually, the scene took place this month, on a Toronto sound stage.

The histrionics, filmed for a two-hour television movie to be broadcast this September, are as close as you can get to an official White House account of its activities at the outset of the war on terrorism.

Written and produced by a White House insider with the close co-operation of Mr. Bush and his top officials, the movie The Big Dance represents an unusually close merger of Washington’s ambitions with the Hollywood entertainment machinery.

More.

Afterthought: this story of American heroism is, of course, being filmed in Canada.

Second afterthought: via Atrios, I see that the actor playing our Hero-in-Chief is the same actor who played him in That’s My Bush. I wasn’t a big fan of that show, but this does offer great possibilities for some creative editor-type who might be inspired to put together a bootleg version of the movie.