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CNN Larry King Live
Michael Moore Takes on the GOP
Aired September 05, 2008 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight Michael Moore is here, taking aim at one of his favorite targets -- the Republicans. Sarah Palin and John McCain are in his sights, too.
Who else will he rip into?
Find out, as the sometime controversial always, always, provocative human lightning rod, also known as Michael Moore, joins me right now on LARRY KING LIVE.
It's always a great pleasure, whether you agree or disagree, to listen to Michael Moore, because he is never dull.
He's the Academy Award winning documentary maker. His new film is "Slacker Uprising," a look at the youth vote in 2004 and what it may portend for the current campaign. His new book is "Mike's Election Guide 2008". It will -- there you see its cover. And it's going to debut at number three on the "New York Times" nonfiction best-seller list.
He's supporting Barack Obama.
He is in Traverse City, Michigan.
Why are you in Traverse City, Michigan?
MICHAEL MOORE: I live here, Larry.
KING: Oh. Good reason.
MOORE: That's...
KING: What are you at, a bowling alley?
MOORE: Yes. I live here and it's -- yes, it's bowling night here. And this is actually Bowlers for Obama night here at the lanes here in Michigan. And we're just -- we've been coming out here and getting a lot of people to come out for Obama. We've got another group Hunters for Obama. A lot of people here in Northern Michigan, you know, we like to bowl, hunt.
And the whole discussion about somehow he doesn't appeal to the demographic of the white guys with a high school education who might be Catholic or whatever -- just -- I just haven't seen that to be true.
And I think that that kind of analysis and that kind of punditry -- and these pundits have been wrong during this entire election year.
KING: All right...
MOORE: If we had listened to them a year ago, it would have been Rudy and Hillary out on the campaign trail right now.
KING: What's your read on the Republican Convention?
MOORE: Well, I don't know. I was bored. I was mostly bored by it. I've got to tell you, I was actually hoping last night, after Fred Thompson had said that the night before, I was hoping that perhaps they were going to field dress a moose out on the stage. That would have been really cool. But it didn't happen.
KING: What do you make of the pick of Sarah Palin?
MOORE: Well, she's an extremist. The things that she believes, in the things that she stands for are way out of touch with the mainstream of the people who are here in this bowling alley, people I know. They don't believe that abortion should be illegal in the case of incest or rape. That's such an extreme position to take.
The things that she did when she was mayor, in terms of trying to ban books from the library. That's really un-American. You know, her -- all the pork that she got both for her city and then for her state. I think it was just in "The Washington Post" here about how Alaska gets more per citizen than any other place in the country or city does.
It's just like -- you know, these Republicans, they talk a good line about they're for reform or want to end the pork. You know, they don't really. And she's just more of the same.
And I've got to hand it to McCain, though. You know, he doesn't try to go to the middle to try and convince any of the guys here bowling behind me to come with him. He goes to the right of himself. And I just think people are tired of that political position that's dominated us here for the last eight years.
KING: All right. Sarah Palin is playing up her small town roots, contrasting her attitudes with those of Senator Obama.
Here's a red meat sample from the convention speech. I want you to comment on it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they're listening and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
(APPLAUSE)
PALIN: Now, we tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now, putting your opinion aside, Michael, was that effective?
MOORE: No, I don't think so. Because I think Americans are smarter than that.
First of all, the whole thing about being bitter, a lot of these guys here, UAW members sitting behind me -- one of them was telling me about his home being foreclosed. You know, I just -- I mean I don't know.
Hey, Ray?
Are you bitter about your home being foreclosed?
Yes, I think he's bitter. I think the whole bunch of them are bitter about paying $4 for a gallon of gas. They're bitter about a lot of this stuff.
But you know what?
They're also optimists. And they're going to not be bitter come November 5th. So I think that, you know, it's something in our American nature, Larry. When Barack Obama said that, I just thought wow! I mean, George Washington would agree with that.
When they were there in the winter in Valley Forge, I got a feeling that our army was feeling pretty bitter and clinging to their religion, to God, to their guns. And that is what people do in hard times.
Read "The Grapes of Wrath." People do cling to the things that they believe in very strongly. That's what people do here in Northern Michigan. That's what people do all across the country. To me, it just showed how in touch he was with the American public.
KING: In your new book, you say that 2008 is the most winnable election in history for Democrats.
So why is the race so close?
MOORE: I don't believe the polls. I mean the polls were wrong about McCain a year ago.
How many times was McCain declared dead?
These polls haven't been right for a long time. I don't think it is that close. But, you know, I'm also not -- I'm not picking up my chips here and heading home. There's a lot of work to be done. And let me tell you, the Republicans, I'll give them this -- they are up at the crack of dawn working, fighting, you know, doing what they need to do. A lot of people on our side, the only time we see the crack of dawn is when we've stayed up all night. So there's quite a fight ahead.
KING: OK. We'll continue with Michael Moore, who never holds back.
And lots more ahead. And we'll include your phone calls, too.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Michael Moore.
Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman invoked your name when he spoke at the Republican Convention this week.
Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: If John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. And I'm not.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Maybe he is your favorite Democrat. He's liberal in many ways, Michael.
MOORE: I'd like to say that, except he's not a Democrat anymore. He really isn't.
I mean, first of all, he's an Independent, whatever that is, in his case. But that was a weird juxtaposition -- if John McCain is a partisan Republican -- and he is. Then he says then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. So I guess...
KING: Well, he's implying that McCain is not a partisan Republican, that he is many things.
MOORE: I know. But if you look at the shots of the people in the audience there at the convention, they were like what do you mean McCain isn't a partisan Republican?
Well, what are you saying?
And then just to say my name in that crowd, I mean, to do that to those people was unnecessary and a little cruel I thought. But, you know...
KING: Rubbing it in to them.
What do you think about Lieberman speaking at the convention at all?
MOORE: Well, you know, back in Benedict Arnold's day, I guess he didn't have a convention to speak to.
(LAUGHTER)
MOORE: I just feel sad for him. He was a good senator and a good guy. And you're right, he does still vote for a lot of good things...
KING: Yes.
MOORE: ...that people there at the Republican Convention would be very upset about. But, boy, to go there and do that, I just -- I hope he enjoys his seat on the minority side of the aisle come January.
KING: There was one name -- one name never mentioned at the convention -- did it surprise you -- the name of Dick Cheney?
MOORE: Yes, they brought me up, but not Dick Cheney.
What's that all about?
(LAUGHTER)
MOORE: Well, of course, they don't want to talk about Dick Cheney. He's now the -- like the crazy old uncle that they've hidden in the closet in the basement. So they hope nobody will talk about Dick Cheney.
But of course, I hope the Democrats do. And I think, you know, one of the great things about Senator Obama's speech at the convention is how he just came out fighting -- fighting in a good way, in a clean and decent way, but fighting nonetheless. And it's so rare to get that from Democrats in the last few years. You -- I've wondered for a long time, you know, when are they going to find their spine, have a backbone and stand up to these people. And that night at Mile High Stadium, the spine was discovered. And I was very hopeful after -- after that speech.
KING: Polls continue to show that Obama has trouble with working class, small town, ethnic voters -- the kind of people that you grew up with and know well.
What's his problem?
MOORE: See, I don't believe that. I just -- I don't believe that that's true. I think that maybe in some of the states, they might have voted for Hillary over Obama. But, you know, it's like that's -- they were choosing between, you know, chocolate ice cream versus Cookie dough ice cream, I guess. I don't know. What's the -- I mean they're both ice cream. They both taste good.
So I don't -- I just don't know -- I don't understand that. The guys I know, the guys I grew up with, the guys who are bowling here tonight are all Obama supporters. They want change. But I will say this, because I do run into the occasional person who doesn't want to vote for a Democrat. And I say to this guy -- and I just said it to a guy on the street today -- I said, you know, it's like this. OK,
I'm not asking you to become a Democrat. You don't have to like the Democrats. But if you're working on your car and the wrench you have in your hand isn't working, you need another wrench. And so you've got to reach for another wrench.
And that wrench may not be the right wrench, either. But you don't keep working with the same wrong wrench on your engine. You get rid of that wrench and you try the new wrench. And if that doesn't work, if you don't like Obama in four years, then throw him out of office.
But if you ask any working class, middle class person these days, are you enjoying paying $4 for a gallon of gas, are you enjoying seeming to have less money than you had eight years ago, do you like the fact that a gallon of milk now costs more than what it did at the beginning of this year?
I mean you go to the -- I mean, I don't know if you've been to the grocery store lately, Larry, but the price of everything right down to the dog food seems to have gone up in just the last few months.
KING: Yes.
MOORE: This is affecting people. And I think that a lot of people will vote for Obama, even though they don't necessarily like everything about him maybe, or they certainly don't want to become a Democrat. But they want to get rid of the old wrench that isn't working and try the new wrench.
KING: By the way, this convention was the second in a row -- the Republican Convention -- in which you were mentioned. John McCain took a jab at you in the 2004 Republican Convention in New York. And you were sitting in the press section.
Let's take a look.
MOORE: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE: It was between war and a graver threat. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
(APPLAUSE)
MCCAIN: Not our political opponents, not -- and certainly not -- and certainly not a disingenuous filmmaker who would have us believe...
(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Boy, Michael, you're really hitting it.
What do you make of...
(LAUGHTER)
KING: What do you make of John McCain?
Is he the same John McCain as in the year 2000?
Has he changed?
What do you make of him?
MOORE: No, he's definitely changed. It's kind of sad, really. He did seem to stand for one or two things that seemed to be the right thing and -- but he sold his soul to get elected this year. I don't know how that feels inside of somebody who's done that. I don't know if I want that person leading the country -- somebody who will say anything just to get what he wants. That's really kind of a scary proposition in your leader -- somebody who's willing to do that.
So I don't know. I just -- I feel bad. And he -- when I was there at the Republican Convention four years ago, he didn't know I was up there in the press box above him. And the crowd went kind of crazy. And, you know, "Fahrenheit 911" had just come out. And the Republicans were all just berserk because, you know, I dared to show what was really going on with this war very early on, before a lot of the mainstream media was covering it. And they were just ballistic about it.
But, you know, that was then and this is now. Right now, two- thirds of the country is against this war. Two-thirds of the country, you know, wants a change. And, you know, hopefully things are going to turnout OK.
But I just -- I don't know what to say about John McCain, other than he's -- he will continue the policies of George W. Bush.
KING: OK...
MOORE: It's been said a million times. I don't need to say it again, that he's, you know, voted with him 90 percent of the time so.
KING: OK.
Michael, by the way, says that he got chills during Barack Obama's speech last week. We'll talk about that right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: And you're watching Bowlers for Barack. And all that is in Traverse City, Michigan, as is our guest, which is his home, Michael Moore. You told our staff, Michael, that there were some moments during Obama's speech that really gave you chills.
Here's one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE: Tonight, I say to the people of America, the Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land -- enough. We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: On November 4th -- on November 4th we must stand up and say eight is enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Is that one of your chill moments?
MOORE: Well, I think -- I don't know about the eight is enough. That's -- you know, referencing bad '70s TV shows is -- I don't know who wrote that line. But, no. The part -- the part before that -- I think when he said enough, enough. I mean just to have a Democrat stand up with the guts to say that, we haven't heard that. We haven't seen it. And for him to say that and to maintain that position throughout that entire speech, I think that sent a chill down the spine of America. I think anybody watching that at home just leapt up off the couch and just felt yes, enough.
I know people that aren't Democrats that felt that way. And I think that's why he's going to win, because he's not only going to pull the Democratic base, he's going to pull a lot of these -- like these guys here and others that you wouldn't normally think would vote for Barack Obama or for a Democrat.
They're going to come out and vote this time, because they've had enough. They can't take this anymore. And they know that McCain has offered no new solutions.
His -- actually, I should back track a bit here. He has offered a new solution, which is to raise these guys' taxes. You know, these guys -- some of these guys, as I said, are UAW members. So their health insurance is paid for by the company.
McCain wants to raise their taxes. He wants to tax their health care benefits. He wants to put that into the pool of money that will then go to his health care plan and provide $5,000 for a year's premium for a family, for the people that don't have health insurance -- which, of course, anybody watching this knows if they don't have health insurance at home and they've tried to get a premium, the average cost is $12,000 a year for a family.
So that won't do anything. He's going to raise their taxes. He's going to tax their health benefits. It's absolutely crazy.
KING: What factor do you think -- and this would have to be an educated guess -- what factor will race play?
MOORE: None is what I'd like to say.
KING: That's what you'd like to say, but what do you think?
MOORE: None. Yes.
KING: None?
MOORE: None is the way -- none is the way I was raised to believe.
KING: You think nobody is going to walk into a ballot -- nobody's going to walk in and vote against Obama because he's black?
MOORE: No. Well, if they do that, then I don't know.
Are they American?
Is that the American thing to do?
Are they Christian?
Jewish?
Who are these people that would do such a thing?
Is that really going to happen, I mean really?
Do we have Americans who would behave that way?
Do we have Christians that would behave that way?
I -- boy, I don't know.
Do you know something I don't know?
KING: Well, polls say that there are people -- I know you don't trust polls -- but there are people who openly now -- openly say they could not vote for a black man.
MOORE: Wow.
And what century was this poll taken in?
KING: Yes, sad but true.
MOORE: I mean...
KING: I'm just giving you what the poll says. In the past, they wouldn't say it.
MOORE: Yes. KING: In the past, a lot of people would not say it. The Bradley issue in California (INAUDIBLE).
MOORE: I know a lot of people who might be intimidated by him because he's tall.
KING: By the way...
MOORE: Barack Obama is one of these tall guys.
KING: I see that you warned Democrats to stop saying nice things about John McCain.
Why?
MOORE: Well, I just think -- you know, when I was writing the book, there was all this, you know, John McCain is this and John McCain is that and he's done all this and this and this. And it's like, OK, enough of that already.
Will you please point out the things that the people need to know?
Democrats, you know, by their nature, as -- a lot of liberals are like this. You know, they're very nice. You know, they want to -- they want everybody, you know, the whole Kumbaya thing, Larry. You know what I'm talking about.
(LAUGHTER)
MOORE: And basically it's like all right. But, you know, don't show up to a gun fight with a pea shooter. And the Democrats have been doing this for far too long. And I just was praying that they wouldn't do it this time. And I can see now that that's not going to be the case after Obama's speech last week.
So I'm much more optimistic than I was, I think, when I initially thought that.
KING: All right.
We're going to take a break and come back with more of Michael Moore.
We have e-mails. We have phone calls.
And why didn't Michael support Hillary?
He'll tell us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: A program reminder. Monday night, Bob Woodward -- his first prime time experience to discuss his new controversial book, "The War Within." Bob Woodward Monday night.
Michael Moore is our special guest.
And we have an e-mail question from Rebecca in Jackson, Tennessee: "Michael, I'm a fan. I'm glad you brought attention to so many important issues. But why didn't you support Hillary? If more media people like you had supported Hillary instead of being -- I don't know. I don't know what this word is, misogynistic -- a new word for me -- "maybe we would have a Democratic president in 2008." I was reading it the wrong way.
MOORE: It's never too late to learn a new word, or a new behavior.
KING: I know the word. I was reading it as -- like some sort of disease.
MOORE: Well, it is a disease.
KING: OK.
MOORE: No, the -- my answer to that is, I did support Hillary Clinton when she ran for Senate. And I've always been a big supporter of her. I wrote about her in my first book, a chapter called "My Forbidden Love for Hillary." I have always had a great deal of respect for her. I didn't support her in the primaries for one simple reason: she voted for the war. And I couldn't endorse her or support her as a result of that. But she's done so many great things, and continues to do great things for this country. And I think people respect that.
You know, there's some issues that just become the issue for you. And of course, the war is a big defining issue for me.
KING: All right. We're going to have a couple of clips back to back here. It concerns the candidates and health care. I know that's a particular interest of yours. So we'll play them, and then you'll comment. Watch.
MOORE: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care -- if you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.
MCCAIN: My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government-run health care system, where a bureaucrat -- where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Michael -- MOORE: The government -- the government, oh, the government, we don't want the government doing anything for us. You know, ask anybody on Social Security how well that system works. You know, the government -- the Republicans, they love to run against the government. The government is of the people, for the people and by the people. It's we the people. That's the government. So they're really against us when they say they're against the government.
In fact, they do a great job actually of running for office and then proving, once they're in charge, that the government doesn't work very well under their leadership.
KING: The government also fights war.
MOORE: Right. Well, the government's job, in part, is to defend the country against attacks or imminent attacks. That wasn't the case here. There was no threat from Saddam Hussein. We all know that now. And this horrible war was started -- you know, McCain keeps talking about the surge, the surge, you know, the great surge. The surge, you know -- whatever the surge has done, it was only to clean up a mess that he and Bush started.
You know, if your kid is running around the kitchen table, and because of his antics spills a glass of milk on the floor, but then the kid goes and finds the right, you know, rag that's going to mop up the milk, and then says, oh, look at me, I found the right rag and mopped up the milk. Well, yes, because you spilled the milk. You know? It's like -- the surge, Larry -- if I can say this --
I mean, the surge is not going to bring back those 4,000-plus soldiers who have died, those American soldiers. It's not going to bring back the 100,000 dead Iraqis. The surge is not going to return the half a trillion dollars we've already spent on this war. The surge isn't going to do any of that. That's the real harm and the real trouble that's been caused here.
But I just want to answer your question on the health care thing, because I do want to say something critical about Barack Obama's plan. His plan still leaves the insurance companies at the table. They should not be anywhere. Private, profit making insurance companies should not be around a universal health care plan, because they are there to make a profit. We should never talk about a profit when we're talking about helping people who are sick.
So -- but the Congress has a great plan, the Democratic Congress. There's 91 co-sponsors for the John Conyers bill. With a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president, I think that bill will pass Congress. And I don't think the Democratic president, Barack Obama, is going to veto the Democratic Congressional bill. So that's my hope. We've got to get people elected to Congress.
KING: A call from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hello.
CALLER: Thank you, Michael and Larry. My question is this: how can John McCain declare war on lobbyists, when lobbyists run his campaign? KING: Michael?
MOORE: How can he declare war and -- what was the second part?
KING: How can he declare war on lobbyists when lobbyists, he says, run his campaign?
MOORE: Lobbyists do run his campaign. We're starting with Karl Rove's protege, Steve Schmidt, who runs the campaign. I just read in the paper here today that Sarah Palin's convention speech was written by a Bush speech writer. So you've got George Bush's speech writer -- George Bush's people running the convention, running the campaigns for these people. If anybody has any doubt that this isn't going to be just four more years of George W. Bush, just look at the people in charge of the campaign. And all lobbyists -- the best example of the lobbyists, actually, Larry, is the -- one of McCain's chief advisers is a lobbyist for the nation of Georgia. And they've paid this man hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby for them. And John McCain, boy, he was right there on the first day there. You know, it seems to me now, as we look at the whole situation, it's a little more complicated than just saying, we're all Georgians.
And how much I'd like to know of what he did there when that took place between the Russians and the Georgians. It had to do with this chief adviser, who's on the payroll for the nation of Georgia. We don't need this anymore.
KING: We need to take a break. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter, Michael will weigh in on that, and more, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Michael Moore, get out the youth vote. That's tonight's quick vote question and the theme of his newest movie. Tell us what you think at CNN.com/LarryKing and do it right now. Speaking of that new movie, the film is called "Slacker Uprising." It's going to be released, by the way, in a very unusual way. First, let's take a look at an excerpt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOORE: First of all, you didn't have to do it. You went and you signed your name on a piece of paper saying that, if necessary, you would give your life so that we could live. Is there a greater gift any human can give another human, to be willing to sacrifice their own life so that the rest can live? Do we have anyone here tonight who's in the Armed Services? Well, first of all, all of us here want to stand and applaud you and thank you for this gift for your service to our country. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: "Slacker Uprising" is being marketed in an unusual way. Are you going to make it available free, Michael?
MOORE: Right. I believe -- form what I've been told, it's the first feature length major movie that will be debuting for free online. I'm making it available for free as a download on September 23rd. You can go to SlackerUprising.com and sign up for it now. This is basically -- next year will be 20 years since "Roger and Me," my first film. I thought this would be a cool way to celebrate my 20th anniversary doing this, by making my next film available free of charge for all my fans, anybody out there in North America. So it's available only to people in the U.S. and Canada.
KING: On the website SlackerUprising.com, and you make plans to see it free?
MOORE: Yes. I want people to show this movie in their neighborhoods, invite people over. It's about our tour during the '04 election, where we got out the largest number of young people that ever voted before in that election. It was a record number. It was actually the only age group that John Kerry won, the 18 to 29-year- olds. He lost every other age group. But he won young people. It was a sort of precursor to what we've seen this year, where there's just been this youth revolt that really ignited and sparked the Obama campaign. I think we're going to have another record turnout of young people this year.
KING: It will be available for download on September 23rd. The website address is SlackerUprising.com. A call from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, hello. Are you there, Carlisle? Are you there, Carlisle? Apparently they're not there. We apologize.
MOORE: From our sister bowling alley in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
KING: How about Sarah Palin? Is her family -- should that be in the campaign at all, whether her daughter is pregnant or not?
MOORE: Not at all. I agree completely with Barack Obama. This is the family, the children especially -- minor children should not be discussed. It's off limits. I've always felt that way. I did not like it when the Clintons were in the White House, and Chelsea Clinton was a young teenager, and John McCain, if you remember, made that horrible joke, where he said that Janet Reno was actually the father of Chelsea Clinton, that Janet Reno -- she was a love child or something of Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton, and even used the word ugly. It was so beyond the pale that McCain would do that, would say that.
From that point until now, I just think the kids, the family, leave them alone. I agree with Obama.
KING: We'll take a break. Joe in Buffalo, Michael's going to answer your e-mail, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Michael Moore is our guest. Here's our e-mail question from Joe in Buffalo: "if you have so many problems with this country, why do you stay? Why don't you move to China?"
MOORE: The whole idea of when you recognize the problems that exist where you live is to fix them, to jump right in there. That's the most patriotic thing you can do is point out the things that need fixing, and then get to work fixing them. Only cowards would cut and run. So I don't know this individual, or why they would imply such a thing. But that's kind of a crazy thing to say.
KING: It's the American thing to do is to stand up and speak out.
MOORE: Yes. That's what's so great about us.
KING: That's what makes America separate from other places. Besides being a favorite target for Republican politicians, you're being parodied in a new movie "An American Carroll." It's about a film maker who's out to abolish the Fourth of July. Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said I was the hero of the true peace maker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't be here. You're dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen to me. You must redeem yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the greatest country in the history of the world the world, and you have slandered it all over the globe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I were just trying to be like you. You wouldn't have gone to Vietnam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who told you that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oliver Stone. It was in his movie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh brother. Did you ever read my inaugural address?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course. "Ask not what you country can do for you, ask what you --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOORE: I think I've heard of this. But I heard that -- I heard that Vigo Mortonson (ph) was supposed to be playing me, so this is an outrage, whoever that guy is. I mean, maybe I got the wrong movie. I heard Vigo was supposed to play me in some movie. I don't know what to say about it. I hope it's funny. It better be funny. If it's not funny, it won't be very good then.
KING: No, it won't. We have a King Cam question for Michael Moore. Let's go to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael, why do you think young Americans are so non-concerned with the mounting budget deficits and the fact that our children and ourselves are going to have to pay all this debt and all the health care for the veterans coming back from Iraq? And why aren't we more motivated to vote and move on those issues like balancing our budget and protecting our veterans?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOORE: It's a good question. First of all, I think when you're young, you're not thinking about what life is going to be like at 50 years old. Otherwise, you wouldn't get so many tattoos and piercings, because you don't really imagine yourself as a grand parent with a lot of tattoos. Just look at your own grand parents and ask yourself if you would want that many piercings on them.
Other than that -- grandma, where did you get all those piercings? And now I'm going to get all the tattoo people writing me letters. I love tattoos and piercings. But I think this is a great question, because we're spending right now, Larry, 350 million dollars a day on the war in Iraq, 350 million dollars a day. That doesn't count what this Harvard Nobel Laureate economist just issued this study of what the real cost is going to be to pay for the debt, to pay for the soldiers coming back, all the V.A. expenses in the coming years. It could be another 350 million dollars.
This is a tax that has been put upon the young people that they're going to pay for the rest of their lives. If I were a young person, I would be very upset about this, because we've essentially stolen a big part of your future from you, because you're going to be working to pay off the mistakes of your parents and your grandparent's generation. That's really sad. And I hope young people just turn out in droves for Obama on November 4th.
They better get registered to vote, though. They got to register by around October 4th, 5th, or 6th or they won't be able to vote.
KING: We'll be back with our remaining moments with Michael Moore right after this.
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KING: As we come back, Barack Obama is bowling, not very well. He should stick to basketball. But he did try bowling. Our guest is Michael Moore. We have an email question from Marko in New York City: "the mantra drill, baby drill makes it look like a lot of Americans still think oil is the only source of energy. Why don't you do some propaganda about renewable energy sources?"
MOORE: Any intelligent person knows that's the way we need to go. It's not going to happen as long as the oil company's candidate has a chance of winning the White House. Larry, let me just tell you this. The AP had this story out a few weeks ago. They took a look at how much of the profits the oil companies are making right now. These record profits are returned to the shareholders. In the last study, over 50 percent goes back to the shareholders, in terms of dividends or buy backs of stock.
In 2000, it was only 30 percent of the profits went back to the shareholders. In 1993 -- are you ready for this -- the total amount that went back to the share holders from the profits of the oil companies, one percent, one percent in 1993. And I think shareholders of the oil companies in '93 were living a pretty good life then. They're getting 50 percent of that back now.
Two thirds of corporations pay no taxes these days. I mean, this has been a fleecing of America, and the working people know this. These guys I'm here with tonight, they know it. And they're not going to be fooled by anything that's coming out of the Republican party's mouth.
KING: Michael, your new book "Michael Moore, Mike's Election Guide," is number three already on the "New York Times." Interesting picture of you. And I noticed you're wearing an American flag.
MOORE: Yes, I have my lapel pin on. It's like, you know, we're judged as Americans. We should be judged by our deeds and what we do to behave as Americans. I'm tired of the symbols defining us. I'm tired of somebody can say I'm this religion or that religion, or I'm a liberal or conservative or Democrat or Republican. I think most people are sick and tired of these labels.
And, you know, I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud to be supporting Barack Obama. And these hard working Americans I'm here with tonight, they're proud of that too. And they're not going to tolerate anymore Tom Foolery. They've had enough of it for these last eight years.
KING: I want to get one more call in. We haven't heard the word Tom Foolery in a long time. South Pasadena, California. Hello.
CALLER: Michael, I'm a big fan. I'm originally Iranian, and I'm a little concerned about the Iran situation. Do you think Iran should be allowed to pursue their nuclear program and --
KING: We have less than a minute, Michael.
MOORE: I don't care one lick about Iran. I mean, I got to tell you, we were bamboozled into this Iraq situation. Oh, they have weapons of mass destruction. Now they're on Iran. You know what? I'm not listening to the government anymore about this from these Republicans, when they tell me that a country has weapons of mass destruction. Seriously, for me to believe that, I would have to see Ahmadinejad walk onto the stage of "American Idol" with a bomb himself. Maybe that, then I would say OK, we're in trouble. We better do something.
KING: Thank you, Michael. Go bowl. Michael Moore.
MOORE: I'm going to go bowl a few frames.
KING: We're looking forward to his movie. And we've got a question, of course, for you: can Michael Moore get out the youth vote? That's tonight's quick vote. tell us what you think. It's CNN.com/LarryKing. Right now, our newest podcast is available. Steven Curtis Chapman and his family talk about a tragedy that reinforced their faith and brought them closer together. Bob Woodward is here Monday night with the story behind his explosive new book. You will not want to miss that. Speaking of not missing something, stay tuned. Don't miss Anderson Cooper and "AC 360." Anderson?
