Sunday, January 27, 2008



Michael Moore Today

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

'SiCKO' is Going to the Oscars!

...But Not Across a Picket Line

"My first problem is, I'm going to have to return my dress." -- Michael Moore

Congrats to the Other Nominees


Friday, January 25th, 2008
"Sicko" Gets the Oscar High-Five ...a note from Michael Moore
Friends,
I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know (if you didn't already) the good news that "Sicko" has been nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary. It was a pleasant surprise when we got the news on Tuesday.
Of course, every reporter who's called me in the past few days wanted to know if I plan on giving an "anti-war" or "anti-Bush" speech, should "Sicko" win, as I did when we won the Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine" in 2003. (As you may recall, it was the 5th day of the war when those Oscars were held, and I said from the stage that, while I enjoy making nonfiction films, we live in fictitious times with a man of fiction in the White House. A ruckus ensued with a loud roar of cheers and boos, then someone cued the band to get me off the stage. As host Steve Martin said a few moments later, Teamsters were out back loading me into the trunk of a car.)
Well it's five years later and we are still at war. But there's no booing these days. 65% of the public is now opposed to the war and to Mr. Bush. The Academy, instead of cutting off the microphone, now nominates anti-war films for Best Documentary. That's right, three of the five nominees this year are Iraq War films!

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=223



H.R.676
Title: To provide for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] (introduced 1/24/2007) Cosponsors (88)
Latest Major Action: 2/2/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00676:@@@N



"Which congressional district am I in?"

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print



Thank Rep. James P. Moran

Information on
Representative James P. Moran
of Congressional District number 8 of Virginia

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VA08&site=ctc&address=&city=&state=VA&zipcode=&plusfour=



January 22nd, 2008 9:47 am
`No Country,' `Blood' tie for Oscar lead
By David Germain /
Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" led with eight Academy Awards nominations each Tuesday, among them best picture and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem — but it remained in doubt whether any stars would cross striking writers' picket lines to attend the ceremony.
"No Country for Old Men," a crime saga about a drug deal gone bad, and "There Will Be Blood," a historical epic set in California's oil boom years, will compete for best picture against the melancholy romance "Atonement," the pregnancy comedy "Juno" and the legal drama "Michael Clayton."
"Atonement" and "Michael Clayton" trailed with seven nominations each, including best actor for George Clooney in the title role of "Clayton." The lead players in "Atonement," Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, were shut out on nominations, however, with teenager Saoirse Ronin the only performer nominated for that film, for supporting actress.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10790



January 22nd, 2008 5:13 pm
Oscar nom exuberance tempered by strike
By David Germain /
Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Uncertainty rules the Academy Awards as "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" led Tuesday with eight nominations each, two other best-picture contenders trailed with seven, and a writers strike left the fate of the show itself up in the air.
Yet a sampling of reaction from nominees made one thing sound definite: Stars and filmmakers will skip the Oscars if the ceremony does not have the blessing of striking writers.
Hollywood's most glamorous night could go the way of the Golden Globes, whose telecast was scrapped because stars remained steadfast in support of writers and refused to come. If stars boycott and Oscar organizers push ahead with a broadcast ceremony, it could end up as a glorified clips show with no one on hand to collect their trophies and gush their thanks.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10794



Best documentary feature

“No End in Sight” (Magnolia Pictures)
A Representational Pictures Production
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience” (The Documentary Group)
A Documentary Group Production
Richard E. Robbins

“Sicko” (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company)
A Dog Eat Dog Films Production
Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara

“Taxi to the Dark Side” (THINKFilm)
An X-Ray Production
Alex Gibney and Eva Orner

“War/Dance” (THINKFilm)
A Shine Global and Fine Films Production
Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/nominees/index.html


Paul Wolfowitz Goes to Fashion Extremes in 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bnpTK5mgZQ



January 24th, 2008 4:12 pm
Clinton will 'say anything and do nothing': Obama
By Alain Jean-Robert /
AFP
ROCK HILL, South Carolina - Barack Obama fought back against rival Hillary Clinton with stinging attacks on her record Thursday as the Democratic rivals battled for votes in South Carolina and beyond.
The two White House hopefuls have taken their war of words to the airwaves in this conservative southern state where polls show Obama with a double digit lead over Clinton ahead of a Democratic primary here Saturday.
The state is critical for the young Illinois senator, following Clinton victories in New Hampshire and Nevada, and amid polls that show her as the frontrunner nationally.
Faced with a Clinton radio spot -- or advertisement -- claiming he endorses Republican ideas, Obama shot back with a denial and a drubbing of her record.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10803



January 24th, 2008 6:49 pm
Cheney says standing ovation tempts him to run again, ‘almost’
By Thomas Ferraro /
Reuters
Vice President Dick Cheney received a sustained standing ovation from fellow conservatives on Wednesday, prompting the often-criticized vice president to joke about himself.
“A welcome like that, it’s almost enough to make me want to run for office again,” Cheney said, drawing laughter. “Almost, almost.”
Polls show most Americans disapprove of Cheney just as they do of his boss, President George W. Bush.
But Cheney was embraced at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank, where he urged Congress to pass a White House-backed surveillance bill. But first he subjected himself to some self-deprecating humor.
“I hold an office that has only one constitutional duty — presiding over the Senate and casting tie-breaking votes,” Cheney said.
“Before the Constitution was written, some, including Benjamin Franklin, believed that the vice presidency was entirely unnecessary. He said that if the office were to be created, anyone who served as vice president should be addressed as ‘Your Superfluous Excellency.’”
“That’s better than some of the things I’ve been called,” Cheney said, drawing more laughter.
Yes, because outside a group of demonstrators chanted, “Fire the liar, impeach Cheney.”

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10807



January 23rd, 2008 5:58 pm
Conflict king in docu race
War themes dominate nominations if not boxoffice
By Gregg Goldstein /
Hollywood Reporter
PARK CITY -- War-oriented documentaries might have been dead on arrival at the 2007 boxoffice, but they dominated the documentary feature Oscar noms.
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs' Iraq War investigation "No End in Sight," Richard E. Robbins' Iraq and Afghanistan soldier study "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," Alex Gibney and Eva Orner's Afghani torture victim story "Taxi to the Dark Side" and Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine's Ugandan conflict study "War/Dance" all made the cut on Tuesday. Michael Moore's health-care expose "Sicko" rounded out the field.
Moore's breakthrough "Fahrenheit 9/11," which grossed $119 million in 2004, proved there could be an audience for war documentaries and helped unleash the flood of conflict-themed docus and narrative films that flooded (and often bombed) last year at the boxoffice.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10801



January 22nd, 2008 8:21 pm
'No Country for Old Men,' 'There Will Be Blood' Lead Oscar Nominations With Eight Nods Each
Daniel Day-Lewis, Ellen Page among Best Actor, Actress nominees.

By Gil Kaufman /
MTV News
Nobody knows what this year's Oscar telecast will look like due to the ongoing writers' strike, but one thing is for sure: "There Will Be Blood." The acclaimed Golden Globe-winning story of a California oilman starring Daniel Day-Lewis was one of the leading nominees for the 80th annual Academy Awards, along with multiple nominees "No Country for Old Men," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton."
Among the surprise multiple nominees was teenage pregnancy comedy "Juno," which snagged nods for Ellen Page for Best Actress, first-time scripter Diablo Cody for Best Original Screenplay, Jason Reitman for Best Director, as well as a bid for Best Picture.
The Best Picture race is a strong one, pitting the George Clooney legal drama "Michael Clayton" against the Coen brothers-directed drug thriller "No Country for Old Men," against "Blood," the decade-spanning British romance "Atonement" and "Juno." "No Country" and "There Will Be Blood" earned eight nominations each, while "Michael Clayton" and "Atonement" scored seven.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=10797



Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

http://www.oscars.org/80academyawards/nominees/index.html




January 26th, 2008 9:00 pm
Obama regains momentum in S.C.
By Nedra Pickler /
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama won the biggest triumph yet in the Democratic presidential race, a lopsided victory that restored his momentum leading into Super Tuesday.
It also was a
stunning rejection of Hillary Rodham Clinton and perhaps even more so her husband, famously regarded as the "first black president." The black voters of South Carolina overwhelmingly said they wanted Obama in the White House instead of another Clinton.
Bill Clinton was the one who worked the state all week long as Obama's chief critic, even as his wife turned her attention to the states voting on Feb. 5 in anticipation of the loss. Voters listened — more than half said the former president's campaigning was an important factor in their decision, according to exit polls collected by The Associated Press and television networks.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10812



January 26th, 2008 10:14 pm
SC Dems see record turnout
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Democratic Party broke its own turnout record in Saturday's presidential primary and eclipsed the number of ballots cast by residents in the Republican primary the week before.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, more than 520,000 votes had been tabulated in Barack Obama's commanding victory. The returns easily eclipsed the 280,000 people who voted in the Democratic primary in 2004.
Democratic officials characterized the record-breaking vote as a sign that the party is resurgent in South Carolina.
"Even in this reddest of all states, Democrats can win," state party Chairwoman Carol Fowler said. "I hope it indicates Democrats are getting a new lease on life."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10813



Op-Ed Contributor
A President Like My Father
By CAROLINE KENNEDY
Published: January 27, 2008
OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
Times Topics: John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Times Topics: Barack Obama
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.
Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html?_r=1&oref=slogin



January 25th, 2008 4:08 am
Clinton, McCain win New York Times endorsements
By JoAnne Allen /
Reuters
WASHINGTON - The New York Times on Thursday endorsed Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain for their party's nominations to contest the U.S. presidential election in November.
In selecting Clinton, a New York senator, the influential newspaper's editorial board said her experience gave her an advantage over her chief rival in the Democratic race, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, though on the major issues they were not that different.
"Hearing her talk about the presidency, her policies and answers for America's big problems, we are hugely impressed by the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience," the newspaper said.
During her years in the Senate, Clinton has immersed herself in national security issues and has won the respect of world leaders and many in the American military, the newspaper said, adding that she would be a strong commander in chief.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10810


Joking !!!!

January 24th, 2008 5:02 pm
President Bush Says Usama Bin Laden May Not Be Captured During His Time in Office

Capturing Usama bin Laden has been one of President Bush's top priorities during his time in office, but the president now seems to doubt the Al Qaeda mastermind will be found before his term ends next January.
Speaking about his goals for his last year in the White House, Bush tells FOX News in an exclusive interview to air this weekend that if U.S. military and intelligence knew where bin Laden was, they would have apprehended him already.
"If we could find the cave he is in, I promise you — he would be brought to justice or wherever he's hiding," he tells FOX News in "George W. Bush: Fighting to the Finish," a documentary scheduled to air Sunday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. ET.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10805



January 27th, 2008 12:12 pm
Choate Students Protest Selection Of Rove To Speak At Graduation
Some Trying To Line Up Comic Colbert As An Alternate Choice
Wallingford (
AP) — Students at Choate Rosemary Hall, the prestigious prep school attended by John F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson, are protesting the choice of former presidential adviser Karl Rove as this year's commencement speaker.
Some plan to walk out, while others are trying to bring comedian Stephen Colbert to campus for an alternate speech. The campus paper has urged the school to reject Rove.
“It's really just a minefield,” said Benjamin Firke, a senior who opposes Rove's visit.
Others said they're interested in what Rove has to say but are not sure the school's June commencement is the best venue because they are afraid he will overshadow the graduates.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10814



January 25th, 2008 7:09 pm
Judge wants explanation in CIA tape case
WASHINGTON (
AP) -- A federal judge said Thursday that CIA interrogation videotapes may have been relevant to his court case, and he gave the Bush administration three weeks to explain why they were destroyed in 2005 and say whether other evidence was destroyed.
Several judges are considering wading into the dispute over the videos.
But U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts was the first to order the administration to provide a written report on the matter.
The decision is a legal setback for the Bush administration, which has urged courts not to get involved.
The tapes showed harsh interrogation tactics used by CIA officers questioning al Qaeda suspects Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in 2002.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10811



A flagrant Neocon chairing a panel on Arms Control? Who's kidding who? The Arms Control will be how to control everyone else's arms while the USA seeks expansion of nuclear research. Give me a break. "Wolfowitz for Peace?" Not in my lifetime.

January 25th, 2008 1:31 am
Paul Wolfowitz named to chair advisory panel
WASHINGTON (
Reuters) - Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of the Iraq war who was forced to resign from the World Bank because of an ethics scandal, will chair a U.S. advisory panel on arms control, the State Department said on Thursday.
The former deputy secretary of defense and advocate of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq will head the State Department's International Security Advisory Board, which gives the department independent advice on arms control, disarmament, international security and other matters.
Wolfowitz was forced to resign as president of the World Bank last year after a bank panel found he broke several of its rules by involving himself in the promotion of his companion Shaha Riza, a Middle East expert at the bank.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10809



January 24th, 2008 6:45 pm
Kucinich calls for Bush impeachment
NATIONAL (
NBC) - Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich may get excluded from Democratic presidential debates, but he's voicing his opinion on the House floor.
On Wednesday, Kucinich announced he'll be filing articles of impeachment against President Bush on Monday.
That's the same day of the president's State of the Union address.
The announcement comes as Kucinich railed the President and Vice President for how they have handled the war in Iraq.
In his lengthy statement, the Ohio congressman said, "The President and Vice President lied and 4,000 of our soldiers died. The President and Vice President lied and a million innocent Iraqis died in a war that'll cost us $2 trillion while people here in the states are losing their jobs, their health care, their homes, their dignity. Lies are weapons of mass destruction. Lies are also an impeachable offense. Monday, January 28th is the State of the Union. We already know the State of the Union, it's a lie."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=10806



LOBBY DAY PARTICIPANTS: Lobby Day 2008 actually spans two days this year: first, a spectacular Training Day at UC Davis School of Medicine on Sunday, January 27; then, on Monday, a noon Rally (on the North steps of the Capitol), afternoon Lobby visits, then a closing Candlelight Vigil to reflect on the human toll of our current profit-driven private health insurance system at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (across the street from the Capitol) from 4:30 - 5 pm.
Although we will gladly accept you if you can only make it for Monday, we have designed the Training Day to prepare you for Lobby Day; do whatever it takes to be present for both days. Because of space limitations at UCD SOM on Sunday, only if you can attend Monday will you be able to register for Training Day.
Please use the menu to the left to jump to the section of your interest.

http://www.calauhc.org/lobbyday2008/



Meet With the Walking Man
American patriot John Nirenberg began his
500 mile march to Washington D.C. in Boston at the birthplace of liberty--historic Faneuil Hall. From this place, the fight for independence began which resulted with the signing of our Constitution in 1787.
John Nirenberg believes that the Democratic Congress should act to uphold the Constitution and so his journey began on December 1. He marched through inclement weather and endured personal injury in order to meet with and deliver a petition for impeachment to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. His march ended in Washington D.C. on January 12, but the march is far from over--Pelosi will not meet with him.
We need to remind Pelosi that impeachment is enshrined in the fabric of the Constitution, and that to declare any part of the Constitution inoperative is as wrongheaded and treasonous as any of the Bush administration's illegal acts. Please write Speaker Pelosi and let her know it's time to put impeachment back on the table--and to invite John Nirenberg in.
We encourage you to change the title and add your own comments to the text below.

http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=10810406&PROCESS=Take+Action

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