Democracy Now! spends the hour hearing the words of Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, television producer and author Michael Moore speaking at part of his current nation-wide tour promoting his latest book Dude, Where’s My Country?

NOTE RUSH TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT:
(FULL TRANSCRIPT COMING SOON)

Michael Moore speaking at San Francisco State University on October 20, 2003:

“If we leave this election up this year to the Democratic Party hacks, we’re doomed. We are doomed. We are doomed for another four years of Bush. He will win his first term next November. All right? The only thing — I mean, I’m telling you — we have got to get in charge of this thing?

“There is not going to be a third party independent candidate this year. There’s only going to be that spot on the ballot, the Democratic slot. They don’t deserve to have that slot, they haven’t earned it, they haven’t been the true opposition party, so we have to go in there and hijack that slot. We have to hijack that slot, and the way it’s going to happen is we have got to make sure that the right candidate gets on that ballot…the good news is that there are enough of these Democrat candidates that are running that can give us 60, 70, 80% of what we want…I have not endorsed anyone, nor will I endorse anyone right now.

“I’m encouraging others, don’t endorse, don’t throw down with somebody right now because each of these Democrats have to take better positions and stronger positions on the issue. We should not — on the issues — we should not have to settle. Let’s not settle, folks. Don’t do this, because, look, we hold the power right now. We have the leverage, okay? These candidates need us now more than we need them. All right, we have got to — we have got to use this leverage wisely. We have got to push them to take better positions.

“I don’t think it’s healthy right now in the fall of '03 to be in the ’anyone but Bush camp.' Don’t take that position right now. You don’t have to. We’re a year away. You don’t have to take the position of 'anyone but Bush.' All right? If you do that, it sends the wrong message to the Democrats that, we’re so desperate to get rid of Bush, we’ll take anything they shovel us, all right? No, we won’t. So, don’t take that position.”