Michael Moore on Larry King

Wearing one of his signature ball caps, (this one with a Java Joe’s Cafe logo) Michael Moore gave a somewhat revealing interview on CNN’s Larry King, though most people familiar with the movie director and his views would have been able to anticipate what was to be said and what topics would be discussed. Nonetheless, whether you love him or hate him you’d be hardpressed not to find something to talk about after watching.

The first topic that Larry King asked about involved Mr. Moore’s recent endorsement of Barack Obama and why it is that he chose to endorse the candidate who’s taken some significant contributions from the health care industry, as opposed to endorsing a candidate with whom he expressed a forbidden desire for in one of his book’s chapter titles (but who has also taken some substantial contributions from the health care industry). He basically expressed a high level of disappointment with her since she voted for the war from the get go. He, as well as millions of other people, are choosing not to cast their vote the way of the Clintons (yes, Clintons plural) in part because of her voting record and in part to her antics of late. Mr. Moore held fast in the face of a question from a viewer who asked if he still insists on Senator Clinton apologizing for her vote authorizing the war despite the shaky evidence that was provided to senators in the early stages of the pre-emptive invasion. The viewer, and Mr. Moore, failed to include the fact that Senator Clinton opted not to read the evidence herself, but his reasoning was sound. A little over 30%, or 100 million people, in the build up to war were opposed (including Obama) to going. She did not exercise the judgment to vote against something so damaging, and as a result is paying for it politically and will continue to pay for it politically.

With Mr. Moore’s release of Sicko, which arguably breathed new life into the health care debate in American politics, a discussion of the industry and the candidates was inevitable. He expressed disappointment with both candidates in the Democratic party as neither, in his mind, would do much to address the real issue of giving the insurance companies too much decision making power in the process. But comparatively, Senator McCain’s plan which was recently announced was enought to bring Michael Moore to laughter. McCain’s plan is market based and would indirectly make health insurance less affordable for millions of people (as if there aren’t enough). Under his plan, Moore says, people would have the option of dropping their employer’s insurance plan and pick up the tab themselves. As an enticement the government would throw a tax deduction of $5,000 their way. But Mr. Moore brought up a good point. The average person paying for health insurance outside of the assistance of an employer is paying around $12,000. With the tax deduction under McCain’s plan, the average person would be paying aroudn $7,000; a little bit more than what alot of people already pay a year with their employers assistance. Laughable, indeed.

He didn’t stop there in his critique of John McCain. His most recent attempt to pander to the American people with a “gas tax holiday” is seen through Michael Moore’s eyes as a gimmick (one that Hillary Clinton is proud to call her own). Instead of speaking about how little an impact it would have on the people and the economy, Mr. Moore used the opportunity to address some more pressing matters, like the most recent voluntary rice regulations some large retailers are imposing on their customers in the US. This, he states, is an event which will be remembered as a turning point in our lives in terms where some of the biggest changes in the effects of fuel expenses, oil dependence and an unwilling American industry reluctant to convert to alternative fuels or high efficiency automobiles. Detroit and the auto industry no doubt have the ability to manufacture cars that can get rediculously high milage. But the important thing to remember, in Mr. Moore’s eyes as well as many other people’s, is that more than just gasoline and deisel is extracted from a barrell of oil. Fertilizers and plastics, two things that our country is dependent on, are already experiencing significant price increases and with the earths supplies dwindling to “less than eight years worth,” a figure Michael Moore used perhaps not loosely enough, prices are sure to maintain their current upward trends.

Larry King also asked about Michael Moore’s next documentary film release. The movie called We Were This Close, tells the story of the 2004 presidential election. Larry King didn’t allow for many plugs like he did with Janet Jackson, but we did learn that Michael Moore hopes to release the film in time to coincide with the Democratic National Convention when the Democratic presidential candidate is announced. This, he hopes, will serve to remind people of what is needed in order to change the face of politics at a time when Democrats may still be feeling the sting of a tough Democratic Primary race. But nothing, he says, will compare to the sting that 4 more years of Bush policies in the guise of a McCain administration would deliver.

Some other things we learned in the interview;

• Michael Moore owns a gun (the one he got for free for opening a bank account in Bowling for Columbine) and he feels guilty for owning it. He expressed a desire to auction it off and donate the proceeds to a charitable organization, so keep your eye out for a Michael Moore charity auction all you NRA folks!
• The first things he would do as president- 1) End the war. 2) Get government back in the hands of the people and out of the hands of corporations, and 3) Give every American free HBO. The quality of their programming is of such high quality that he feels it should be provided to all citizens free of charge. Apparently PBS is less entertaining than HBO (who knew?).