Mr. (Michael) Moore goes to Washington (Variety)

[marmar]

via MichaelMoore.com:


June 20th, 2007 5:53 pm
Mr. Moore goes to Washington

Filmmaker holds a press conference

By William Triplett / Variety

Mr. Moore came to Washington and, in a textbook illustration of how politics and showbiz can be perfect bedfellows, held a standing-room-only press conference on Wednesday touting both his latest doc and a House bill that could cure the very ill the film diagnoses.

Joined by more than a dozen lawmakers - including Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and Rep. John Conyers, the Dem chairman of the influential House Judiciary Committee as well as a fellow Michiganite - Michael Moore alternately lectured, advised and pleaded in reference to the issues raised in his film "Sicko," which focuses on the shortcomings of the U.S. health care system.

He also warned health insurance companies, which he singled out as most responsible for a health care system that is "the biggest sicko in the country." Those companies, Moore said, have a "fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits for share holders." The way they do that is by not paying claims or approving procedures, he said.

"After seeing the movie, millions of Americans will be coming after you," Moore predicted. "We have got to remove the profit motive from health care." Moore said health care companies "need to be regulated like public utilities."

Legislators echoed his urgings for people to go see the film, which opens Friday, and then in turn press their elected representatives to support H.R. 676, a bill that would provide national health insurance for every citizen. Conyers introduced the bill in January.

The press conference was part of an all-day publicity offensive in D.C., beginning in the morning with a speech challenging all presidential candidates to propose specific means to fix the health care system and provide health care insurance to the 47 million Americans who lack it. Following the press conference was a special screening for health care industry lobbyists only. Later in the evening a screening for Congress, complete with red carpet arrival, was skedded at a vintage theater in a posh part of town.

Lawmaker after lawmaker who spoke at the media-saturated press conference offered personal stories of people they know who have either suffered or, in some cases, died because of no health coverage. Rep. Darrell Issa of California was the lone Republican to appear amid the sea of Democrats.

At times sounding like a cross between a religious revival and a political rally, the event was frequently interrupted by cheers and applause from the packed room.

Conyers likened the effort to reform health care to the civil rights struggle. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) hailed Moore as "a hero" who has persevered in the face of sometimes excoriating, right-wing criticism. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=9917

[Schema Thing]

1. Talk about your strange bedfellows!

[orleans]

2. so i'm kicking this. n/t