Filmmaker Michael Moore ("Sicko," "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Bowling for Columbine") drew a few hundred people to a health care rally at the state Capitol today, a record-breaking day for Denver (100 degrees at the airport).
Before he spoke, ralliers heard from two insured Americans who have still struggled to receive proper care for themselves and their loved ones. One was Donna Smith of Aurora, who appears in "Sicko" with her husband, Larry. She introduced Moore, who emerged wearing a baseball cap, black T-shirt and shorts.
Moore spoke about health care:
The U.S. ranks right around Slovenia and Costa Rica on the World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems. America has that pioneer spirit, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, solve your own problems, Me, Me, Me. But thinking of it as "we," "we're all in the same boat," that's the Canadian way. And the El Salvadorean way, the Ghanian way, British, Irish, French, Polish, Czech way ...
A guy tried to rush Moore, perhaps to pummel him, but he was intercepted.
He talked about his own health and personal stuff:
One of the questions reporters always ask him is, "How are you still alive?"
"Those of you from my part of the country realize I'm one of the skinny ones."
Moore said he realized that doing little things like walking 30 minutes a day and "eating these things some of you call fruits and vegetables" can help. He said little steps like that have helped him lose 30 pounds.
He went off on the war in Iraq a little bit:
The media wasn't asking the questions, wasn't demanding answers. He doesn't blame George Bush. "He doesn't know any better!" He blames the media.
And then he tied it all together:
The war is costing $100 billion a year, and it's been going on five years. "Don't ever tell me that we can't find the money again to do things like universal health care. We have the money. Don't ever tell me that again!"
He says he's optimistic we can get universal health care in this lifetime
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