Ought Six
Membership Revoked
Michael Moore to Speak in Boston During Democrat Convention
By Robert B. Bluey
CNSNews.com
July 23, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Filmmaker Michael Moore will join fellow liberals Howard Dean and Jesse Jackson in Boston next week for three days of events designed to rally the Democratic Party's left, members of whom will be in town for the nomination of John Kerry as the party's standard bearer in this year's presidential race.
The Campaign for America's Future is organizing the "Take Back America" events. The group held a conference in Washington last month that brought together more than 2,500 attendees who vowed to defeat President Bush on Nov. 2.
Moore, director of the Bush-bashing film Fahrenheit 9/11, and Dean, the former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, will kick off the events next Tuesday. Starting at 2 p.m. each day, attendees will hear from an assortment of other prominent liberals.
"There is a broad movement for progressive change that is pretty independent of the Democratic Party, and it's going to continue no matter who wins this election," said Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. "We're interested in fostering and energizing that activist base. We know we have our work cut out for us, even if the White House changes hands."
The "Take Back America" events begin only a day after independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader leaves Boston. Nader has outlined his own slate of events appealing to liberal voters.
But it's the invitation of Moore that has created a buzz in Boston. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democratic Party told the Boston Herald that having Moore in town "adds a lot of excitement to everything else going on."
Moore's anti-war film has generated nearly $100 million at the box office, and has also served as a rallying cry for Democrats. He has become a favorite of liberals, even though he has been accused of distorting some facts in the documentary.
Hickey said he was unconcerned about Moore's appearance becoming a possible liability for Kerry, who has distanced himself from controversial liberals, including Moore and billionaire financier George Soros.
"Michael Moore has gotten the mass media to ask questions that they were never asking about Iraq before his film," Hickey said in defending Moore's invitation.
Besides, Hickey said, the Democratic National Committee welcomes satellite groups to hold events throughout convention week. He said about 1,500 people have already signed up to take part in the events, which exceeds the 800-person occupancy limit at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
On the second day of events, attendees will hear from U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and former ambassador Joe Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of exaggerating claims about Iraq. Wilson, however, has recently been discredited by both a U.S. Senate investigation and a report from a British commission.
Former vice president Al Gore is slated to speak on the third day, along with Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) and Steve Rosenthal, chief executive of America Coming Together, a group that has been criticized for using convicted felons for its door-to-door voter registration effort.
Missing from the "Take Back America" roster is Soros, who spoke at the Campaign for America's Future conference in Washington. It was at that event that Soros equated the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The Washington conference also featured NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who created a stir by singling out Republicans as enemies of black Americans and comparing conservatives to the terrorist-sponsoring Taliban government that once ruled Afghanistan.
Republicans have dismissed such attacks, including actress Whoopi Goldberg's vulgarity-laced remarks about Bush earlier this month, as hateful and full of anger.
"The progressive movement," Hickey responded, "is inspired by a vision of a better country and hope. The anger simply comes from the fact that we've got an administration that is stymieing that hope and is thwarting people's larger vision for this country."
By Robert B. Bluey
CNSNews.com
July 23, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Filmmaker Michael Moore will join fellow liberals Howard Dean and Jesse Jackson in Boston next week for three days of events designed to rally the Democratic Party's left, members of whom will be in town for the nomination of John Kerry as the party's standard bearer in this year's presidential race.
The Campaign for America's Future is organizing the "Take Back America" events. The group held a conference in Washington last month that brought together more than 2,500 attendees who vowed to defeat President Bush on Nov. 2.
Moore, director of the Bush-bashing film Fahrenheit 9/11, and Dean, the former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, will kick off the events next Tuesday. Starting at 2 p.m. each day, attendees will hear from an assortment of other prominent liberals.
"There is a broad movement for progressive change that is pretty independent of the Democratic Party, and it's going to continue no matter who wins this election," said Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. "We're interested in fostering and energizing that activist base. We know we have our work cut out for us, even if the White House changes hands."
The "Take Back America" events begin only a day after independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader leaves Boston. Nader has outlined his own slate of events appealing to liberal voters.
But it's the invitation of Moore that has created a buzz in Boston. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democratic Party told the Boston Herald that having Moore in town "adds a lot of excitement to everything else going on."
Moore's anti-war film has generated nearly $100 million at the box office, and has also served as a rallying cry for Democrats. He has become a favorite of liberals, even though he has been accused of distorting some facts in the documentary.
Hickey said he was unconcerned about Moore's appearance becoming a possible liability for Kerry, who has distanced himself from controversial liberals, including Moore and billionaire financier George Soros.
"Michael Moore has gotten the mass media to ask questions that they were never asking about Iraq before his film," Hickey said in defending Moore's invitation.
Besides, Hickey said, the Democratic National Committee welcomes satellite groups to hold events throughout convention week. He said about 1,500 people have already signed up to take part in the events, which exceeds the 800-person occupancy limit at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
On the second day of events, attendees will hear from U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and former ambassador Joe Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of exaggerating claims about Iraq. Wilson, however, has recently been discredited by both a U.S. Senate investigation and a report from a British commission.
Former vice president Al Gore is slated to speak on the third day, along with Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) and Steve Rosenthal, chief executive of America Coming Together, a group that has been criticized for using convicted felons for its door-to-door voter registration effort.
Missing from the "Take Back America" roster is Soros, who spoke at the Campaign for America's Future conference in Washington. It was at that event that Soros equated the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The Washington conference also featured NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who created a stir by singling out Republicans as enemies of black Americans and comparing conservatives to the terrorist-sponsoring Taliban government that once ruled Afghanistan.
Republicans have dismissed such attacks, including actress Whoopi Goldberg's vulgarity-laced remarks about Bush earlier this month, as hateful and full of anger.
"The progressive movement," Hickey responded, "is inspired by a vision of a better country and hope. The anger simply comes from the fact that we've got an administration that is stymieing that hope and is thwarting people's larger vision for this country."
