When the end of slavery just isn't dramatic enough ... what do you do?

Writer Tony Kushner accepts the Best Adapted Screenplay Award for 'Lincoln' onstage at the 18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 10 in Santa Monica.(Photo: Kevin Winter, Getty Images)

Even if it's Steven Spielberg, and even if it's Daniel Day-Lewis amazingly occupying the title role, Lincoln is still a movie. And that means liberties were taken with the story, something screenwriter Tony Kushner is now explaining in the wake of accusations that the film is not historically accurate.

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., wrote a letter to Spielberg earlier this week noting that a key part of Lincoln is wrong. The film shows two of three lawmakers from his state voting against the 13th Amendment, prohibiting slavery in the U.S. "I could not believe my eyes and ears!" he wrote, because, he says, according to the Congressional Record, all four representatives from Connecticut voted in favor of the amendment.

Kushner acknowledges, "We changed two of the delegation's votes, and we made up new names for the men casting those votes, so as not to ascribe any actions to actual persons who didn't perform them. In the movie, the voting is also organized by state, which is not the practice in the House. "

He goes on to say the alterations were made "to clarify to the audience the historical reality that the Thirteenth Amendment passed by a very narrow margin that wasn't determined until the end of the vote.

But wait, turns out it's not really "history," it's actually "historical drama" ... so, whew.

"Here's my rule: Ask yourself, "Did this thing happen?" If the answer is yes, then it's historical. Then ask, "Did this thing happen precisely this way?" If the answer is yes, then it's history; if the answer is no, not precisely this way, then it's historical drama." 

Yes, historical drama ... aka, lib bullshit.  I guess the actual end of slavery just wasn't exciting or dramatic enough for this guy.  I mean ... wtf is WRONG with libs?