The New York Times says Disney (via subsidiary Miramax) is blocking the release Michael Moore's forthcoming documentary Fahrenheit 911.

Is it a coincidence that this story surfaces mere days after Nightline, on Disney's ABC network, infuriated the Right by devoting an entire program to a reading of the names of Iraqi war dead?

My first thought when I saw this story prominently displayed on the Times home page was that it was good for Michael Moore that the dispute had gone public -- nasty Disney would have to back down, or at least return the movie rights to Moore so he can find another distributor. But I think both sides are going to benefit from this publicity.