Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore claimed on CNN Tuesday night that he would never question a Republican's patriotism and love for country, although he has done all but actually say those very words in the last decade.
"I would never question a Republican of whether or not they loved America or whether they were patriotic or whatever," Moore claimed innocence on Tuesday's Piers Morgan Tonight. "I would assume that they love this country and I assume that what they're doing is what they believe is best for the country." [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
Yet Moore's past words belie his present claims. Just last year he linked the catastrophic death toll of the Haiti earthquake with what would be a "Republican paradise" of no building codes and regulations there.
In 2007, Moore expressed his desire to see a "perp walk" coming out of the White House for President Bush and Vice President Cheney. He slammed both as guilty of war crimes and added "I think we need a trial, in this country, where Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush would be brought up on charges for causing the deaths of so many people."
Morgan, the liberal CNN anchor, and Moore, the leftist filmmaker, seem a good match for each other on cable news as this is Moore's fourth interview in seven months on Morgan's show.
The two liberals shared their affinity for President Obama at the interview's outset. Morgan praised Obama as a "dynamic," "a great figurehead for America around the world," and someone with "lots of ticks in the box for him". And then he added, as Morgan is apt to do, that Obama is the victim of "an incredible amount of vitriol".
Moore later insisted that Obama extended an olive branch to Republicans but didn't succeed – a narrative that has also been pushed by Morgan.
[Video below.]
"I think that's the way he talked for the first three years. I think he was 'Mr. Olive Branch.' I think he was 'Mr. Warm and Fuzzy' and I want to work with all of you. And he had them all to the White House. And that didn't work. That didn't work. And he probably feels a little deceived by that. And so now he's saying, I'm sorry, this is the way it is," he said of Obama's new tougher tone.
Moore also made sure to peddle a conspiracy theory as to how Wall Street started class warfare. "The class war started by those on Wall Street, those in corporate America who decided you know how we can even make more money? Let's see how many people we can lay off, and then let's – the remaining people will work twice as hard, do the jobs – every person'll do the jobs of two people. We'll get rid of half the workforce. You know, we'll send whatever jobs we can overseas."
A transcript of relevant portions of the interview, which aired on December 6 at 9:03 p.m. EST on Piers Morgan Tonight, is as follows:
PIERS MORGAN: Because I saw President Obama yesterday, and he made a joke about being unpopular. And it's quite interesting because I was talking to David Axelrod last night, and I was saying to him, in many ways Obama is fairly decent guy. You know, he looks the part, he's young, he's dynamic, he's fit, he's a good speaker.
He's a great figurehead for America around the world, he's popular abroad.
MOORE: Sure.
MORGAN: Lots of ticks in the box for him, and yet he gets an incredible amount of vitriol, too. And I can't help but think it must get to him as well. It's the nature of the modern beast, isn't it? With the Internet and everything else that goes on.
MOORE: Well, I think he's had to be Barack Obama his whole life. So by now he's probably got a pretty thick skin, I would think. But it is – it is odd the way that our level of politics of where the demonization of your opponent – I never – I would never question a Republican of whether or not they loved America or whether they were patriotic or whatever. I would assume that they love this country and I assume that what they're doing is what they believe is best for the country.
But when they throw this back, it is – it is a little like, wow, don't you understand that I'm an American, too? We're all in the same boat? You know we're going to sink or swim together so –
(...)
MORGAN: Does it have to sound punitive? Isn't there a better way of doing it, where you get the good CEOs together. You say help me get America back on track. And by the way, I'd like you to pay more taxation. I'm going to do that, but I'm not going to demonize you.
MOORE: I think that's the way he talked for the first three years. I think he was "Mr. Olive Branch." I think he was "Mr. Warm and Fuzzy" and I want to work with all of you. And he had them all to the White House. And that didn't work. That didn't work. And he probably feels a little deceived by that. And so now he's saying, I'm sorry, this is the way it is. It's not so much that he sounds that way. It's not his tone. He's just describing what is.
He's not creating the class warfare. The class war started by those on Wall Street, those in corporate America who decided you know how we can even make more money? Let's see how many people we can lay off, and then let's – the remaining people will work twice as hard, do the jobs – every person'll do the jobs of two people. We'll get rid of half the workforce. You know, we'll send whatever jobs we can overseas.
I mean, this is the – war has started on the working people.
