In 2001, Christopher Hitchens released The Trial of Henry Kissinger; the next year it was made into a documentary. Last week the cast and writers of NBC’s venerable Law & Order had their wet-dream fantasy of prosecuting Bush officials for “torture.” As Kathy Shaidle notes in a recent article, Media Matters wants to blow the lid off of the fate of Glenn Beck’s mom(!) in 1979.

But faced with an admitted rapist and pedophile? Back off!, says a surprisingly united Hollywood, John Nolte writes:

Pleading guilty to unlawful sex with an underage girl — the drugging, raping and sodomizing of a 13 year-old — isn’t stopping Hollywood from ginning up an indignation campaign over the possibility of fugitive director Roman Polanski being held accountable for his crimes. Yes, these are the values of those who control the most powerful propaganda device ever created.  Which begs a question: If his unspeakable deed doesn’t meet the standard, what exactly would Roman Polanski have to do in order to become a pariah in this town … I mean, besides vote for Sarah Palin?

My favorite part of the below story is Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times questioning the ethics of the LA district attorney for extraditing Polanski “at a time of severe statewide budget cuts.”

Now the Left worries about government spending!  This reckless, out of control, bringing-child-rapists-to-justice spending must stop!

All of this is a sort reverse Kafka. The Trial metaphorically depicted the maze that an everyman can sometimes face when accused of a crime. But much like the pass Woody Allen has received in Hollywood, it’s amazing the giant Get Out Of Jail Free Card that having the right politics and the moniker of artisté provides.

Update: “Once again”, Orrin Judd adds, “we see how prescient Mary Eberstadt was.”