So you wake up this morning to belatedly find out that Michael Moore had it again at CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta last night, and feel a sense of remorse - because in this, our summer of discontent, the only things that pass for entertainment are Paris Hilton and Moore's rip of CNN on Monday?
Well, not to worry: Last night's "Larry King Live" face-off was a tea party, with the only things absent being teacups and extended pinkies. It was polite, gentle, and so knotted with facts and pointed discussions on France's health care system that I nearly fell asleep, and am fairly certain that Larry did too.
But last night has got me to thinking: Michael Moore is a lot more like Roger Ailes than anyone – including Roger Ailes and Michael Moore – realizes. Both are bomb-throwers. Both are from the Midwest. Both are shrewd manipulators of the media beast. Both were born in spring months. Both hate CNN. But here’s additional evidence: As media adviser to George H.W.Bush back in '88, Ailes coached the candidate to get off this indelible shot to Dan Rather during that live interview: "I want to talk about why I want to be president…And I don't think it's fair to judge my whole career by a rehash on Iran [Contra]. How would you like it if I judged your career by those seven minutes when you walked off the set…” Dan got mad, Bush got even, and from there, Bush’s polls soared and Rather's ratings sank. A little later, one guy's son becomes president. The other guy gets replaced by Katie Couric.
Now this from Mike to Wolf Blitzer on Monday’s “Situation Room:” “You're the ones who are fudging the facts. You've fudged the facts to the American people now for I don't know how long about this issue, about the war, and I'm just curious, when are you going to just stand there and apologize to the American people for not bringing the truth to them that isn't sponsored by some major corporation?"
LIKE IT WAS CNN"S FAULT WE GOT INTO THIS MESS. Brilliant diversionary tactic, and it actually took attention away from all the points - certainly some of them reasonable ones - that Gupta raised in set-up piece Monday which ignited Mad Mike in the first place (points, incidentally, also raised in other forums, like The New Yorker, which carries pharmaceutical ads, too, so what does it know?)
Anyway, this should definitely help “Sicko’s” box office.
Separated at birth?