Michael Moore Declares No More Mr. Nice Dems

This week's Meet the Bloggers was all about effecting political change, and no one knows how to do that better than Michael Moore, the activist filmmaker who created the documentaries SiCKO and Fahrenheit 9/11, among others. Moore claimed it's in the nature of liberals to be more accepting of Republicans like McCain, and not sink to the GOP's level of waging personal attacks.  That said, he believes the Dems, led by Barack Obama, must get fired up now to recapture the White House and maintain control over Congress.  As Moore pointed out, if the Dems can't stand up to the Republicans, how will they stand up to al Qaeda?

Moore was on the show to discuss what the Dems are doing right and wrong as the election nears, which is the subject of his new book, Mike's Election Guide 2008.  In a special one-on-one segment with Robert Greenwald, Moore talked about his sense of humor, which he uses as a way to cope with and draw attention to more serious political issues.  Moore also talked about candidates' flaws, cautioning those who put politicians like Obama on a pedestal.  And he chatted with Cheryl Contee (Jack & Jill Politics) and David Sirota about what Obama is doing well and not enough of on the campaign trail.

What's great about Moore is that he never holds back with his criticism, never pulls punches.  For example, he claimed that Obama and the Dems can't let McCain continue to use his POW story as an excuse, which he did this week when he forgot how many mansions he owns.  Moore also criticized Obama for moving to the center on a number of key issues since becoming the party's presumptive nominee. 

One of the true highlights of the show came when Moore answered a question from our audience—part of the show's ongoing Ask Mike a Question contest—about ways of achieving a single-payer universal health care system.  Moore's message is that in order to achieve this piece or any other part of the progressive agenda, we must pressure the Democrats to make these issues a legislative priority.  Moore is a firm believer that signing petitions, and writing and calling your representatives can be effective, and often these are the best tools we have to make our voices heard. 

Watch the full show: meetthebloggers.org.  And don't miss Meet the Bloggers next Friday at 1pm ET/10am PT, when Moore returns as our special guest.