CNN's Joe Johns hyped a recent Michael Moore speech on Monday's Newsroom as "incredible" and "riveting." Johns highlighted a clip from the left-wing film director, who spoke at a pro-union rally in Madison, Wisconsin, where he claimed that "America is not broke...The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands! It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers...to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich."
Anchor Brooke Baldwin brought on the correspondent for the regular "Political Pop" segment 40 minutes into the 4 pm Eastern hour, and asked about Moore's March 5, 2011 address in Madison. Johns immediately gushed over the director's words:
BALDWIN: What was he up to in Madison?
JOE JOHNS: Yeah. Well, it was a speech and it was really pretty incredible. Have you seen it by the way?
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BALDWIN: Yeah. I have not seen it. I just read about it.
JOHNS: Yeah. I mean, it was riveting, whether you're a supporter or a critic or somewhere in between, and it's really gotten enormous buzz on the Internet.
The CNN journalist then played a clip from Moore's speech, where he was unsurprisingly reading off left-wing talking points:
MOORE: That's right, neither is Wisconsin. (crowd cheers) America is not broke. Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe, so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great grandparents had, America is not broke (crowd cheers), not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands! (crowd cheers) It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich. (crowd cheers)
Johns then explained that "this was sort of a Michael Moore manifesto, you know, very big audience, well received by a supporting crowd.....he's just sort of added his voice to those on the left who say Wisconsin's the start of something really big and, you know, one of the lines that's been quoted a lot from him there is that Wisconsin has aroused a sleeping giant, so we'll see."
Speaking of left-leaning talking points, the CNN correspondent questioned the compromise between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans to extend the current tax rates during a December 5, 2010 "Political Pop" segment: "How is it that the Republicans and the White House agree that what we need most is billions of dollars more in government spending?"
