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<DIV>old news, but still interesting;</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Another WikiLeaks Cable from the Bush Administration About My Movies
...a note from Michael Moore </DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px">
<P>Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 </P>
<P>Friends, </P>
<P>Twice within four days, my name has popped up in the Bush-era secret cables
uncovered by WikiLeaks. Lucky me. Though nowhere near as earth-shattering as
the uncovering of American misdeeds in Iraq and Afghanistan, these classified
cables provide a stunning and bizarre peek into the paranoid minds of the Bush
White House when it came to the subject of one Michael Francis Moore. </P>
<P>And considering how WikiLeaks has released only 1,826 cables of its planned
drop of 251,287 -- and I've already played a starring role twice -- I can only
say I await with bemused anticipation how the moi-storyline will play itself
out. </P>
<P>The most recent secret cable revelation is in today's Guardian newspaper of
London. It's <A title=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/wikileaks-cables-michael-moore-nz href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/wikileaks-cables-michael-moore-nz">entitled</A>,
"US Intervened in Michael Moore NZ Screening." Oh yeah, baby! New Zealand!
That's where we'll stop Moore and his band of evildoers! </P>
<P>The date was July 30, 2004. 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was already a huge hit in the
United States. Just to give you an idea how huge, it had hit #1 at the box
office, the only documentary to have ever accomplished this feat, and had made
more on its opening weekend than 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.' </P>
<P>But it was no easy path to get there. Disney (which owned Miramax) was
apoplectic when they saw the final cut. So they pulled the film from its
theatrical schedule. Then they put a permanent block on its release, insuring
no one would see it. But then the <EM>New York Times</EM>, in a front page
story, reported that the real reason Disney hated 'Fahrenheit' was they were
worried about the tax breaks it got in Jeb Bush's Florida for Disney World.
This caused some embarrassment, so Disney then sold 'Fahrenheit' to the
Weinstein Bros., who said they'd spend their own money to distribute it. </P>
<P>The release of the film caused concern at the White House, as this was the
re-election year. They hired a pollster who told them the film might tip the
election. That was enough for them to swing into action. Much of July was a
nonstop barrage of attacks on me and the movie. But that just resulted in more
tickets being sold. </P>
<P>Which brings us to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. There are few
nations on earth further away from us. A local chapter of the ruling Labor
Party apparently had decided to do a fundraising screening of 'Fahrenheit
9/11.' It was to be hosted by the Prime Minister's Cabinet Secretary for the
Environment. </P>
<P>Well, when the U.S. Embassy in Wellington got word of this, it was like all
heck broke loose. America was offended! Phone calls were made to the Prime
Minister! Then to the Cabinet Secretary! We ... are ... not ... happy! </P>
<P>Apparently, the Kiwis backed down and the Cabinet Secretary withdrew as the
host. A sigh of relief whiffed its way through the American embassy. Moore
stopped! The <A title=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/19257 href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/19257">cable
back to Washington</A> showed the embassy had no problem taking credit for
putting the kabosh on yours truly: </P>
<P>"... it is probable that this potential fiasco may only have been averted
because of our phone calls -- it is apparent to us that neither the Minister
nor anyone else in the Labour government seems to have thought there was
anything wrong with a senior Minister hosting such an event." </P>
<P>So here's my question: </P>
<P>Really? </P>
<P>I mean, seriously -- <EM>really?</EM> This is how the Bush State Department
was spending its time -- on a single screening of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in
freakin' New Zealand? Or maybe ... was this kind of interference happening
<EM>just</EM> to New Zealand? Call me crazy, but I gotta feelin' it doesn't
stop there. Just as a health insurance executive has now come forward as a
whistleblower to reveal the millions spent to smear 'Sicko,' I can't help wait
for that day when the whistleblower from the Bush White House comes forward to
tell the fascinating tale of how the Bush team believed they had to do
something -- anything -- to stop 'Fahrenheit.' Or worse (like the "Plan B" the
health insurance companies discussed -- to "push Michael Moore off a cliff.").
I didn't want to think about what the Bush Plan B would be. Just wasn't worth
the crazy-making. So I ignored the things I'd hear, kept my head down and
motored on. </P>
<P>But, it does make you wonder. And I ask you, is it fair to pose the
question: If they were this focused on some insignificant screening in New
Zealand, what else were they up to? And I don't mean in regards to me. I mean
anyone who was on their enemies list ... </P>
<P>I can't wait to read more classified cables. </P>
<P>Yours,<BR>Michael Moore<BR><A title=mailto:mmflint@aol.com href="mailto:mmflint@aol.com">MMFlint@aol.com</A><BR><A title=http://www.michaelmoore.com/ href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/">MichaelMoore.com</A> </P>
<P>P.S. Of course, given the <A title=http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/viva-wikileaks href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/viva-wikileaks">false
claims</A> the State Department made in the other "secret" cable about my
movie 'Sicko,' I guess anything was possible. </P>
<P>P.P.S. Don't miss the REAL revelations from just the first batch of
WikiLeaks cables. For instance, the Obama administration worked together with
Republicans to <A title=http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/wikileaks-cable-obama-quashed-torture-investigation href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/wikileaks-cable-obama-quashed-torture-investigation">kill
an investigation</A> by Spain into Bush's torture. Pfizer hired a private
investigator to <A title=http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-09/us/wikileaks.nigeria_1_trovan-pfizer-kano-state?_s=PM:US href="http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-09/us/wikileaks.nigeria_1_trovan-pfizer-kano-state?_s=PM:US">dig
up dirt</A> on the Attorney General of Nigeria. Bush's ambassador to France
planned to <A title=http://www.truth-out.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131 href="http://www.truth-out.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131">"retaliate"</A>
against the country for standing up to Monsanto. And we're less than 1% of the
way through ... <BR><BR><BR><A title=http://www.michaelmoore.com/mikesmailinglist/index.php href="http://www.michaelmoore.com/mikesmailinglist/index.php">Join Mike's
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