More from Michael Moore ("Roger & Me").........
THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT, MR. BUSH
November 3, 2000
Dear friends,
With the revelation last night of the drunk driving
arrest and conviction in 1976 of George W. Bush,
this marks the THIRD arrest -- that we know of --
involving this man who would be President.
Let me ask you, the readers of this letter: How
many times have YOU been arrested? Me, none.
Most of you -- once? twice? This guy has been
arrested AT LEAST THREE TIMES! How many
people do you know have been arrested three
times? Go ahead, do a quick count on your fingers.
The answer? NONE!
Yet, we are being asked on Tuesday to vote for
a man who has been arrested THREE TIMES.
For President of the United States! Are they
kidding? The Republicans must take us all for
idiots.
The first arrest of George W. Bush was for
theft at a hotel. The second arrest was for
disorderly conduct at a football game. The
third arrest, we've now learned, is for a very
serious crime -- drunk driving. What's the next
crime committed by George W. Bush that we
will learn of? When will we learn it? It is time for
everyone to demand the truth from Governor
Bush. I'm telling you, we haven't heard the last of
his criminal behavior.
But next Wednesday will be too late to find out.
The press should be ashamed of itself for its
laziness. I cannot believe it took a young woman,
Erin Fehlau -- at a FOX affiliate, no less -- up in
Maine to stumble onto this story and do the
necessary work to uncover it. Where have the
big networks' investigative reporters been?
I'll tell you where: ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL!
After seeing this local Maine reporter on "Nightline"
last night explain how a policewoman told her she
overheard a conversation between a lawyer and a
judge, and then the reporter started digging around
and found out the facts, it was clear the story was
not planted by the Gore campaign, as Bush and his
people have been insinuating.
The real story here is how did this conviction get
covered up for so many years? I spoke to a lawyer
last night familiar with these kinds of cases. She
said that a D.U.I., in and of itself, is not something
worth covering up. Had Bush revealed this himself,
he would have found the public forgiving of his
infraction.
No, my lawyer friend continued, the only reason
to cover it up would be that there was something
ELSE connected to the arrest that night -- e.g.,
drugs or resisting arrest. This other potential charge
could have been dropped and expunged. The
reporter was shown only the court docket which
listed Bush's name, address, and the charge to
which he pleaded guilty. What we need to see
is the actual POLICE REPORT from that night.
Assuming it hasn't been doctored, that will tell us
the truth.
The Bush people have already lied about the
nature of the D.U.I. arrest (they said the cop
pulled Bush over because he was "driving too
slowly"; the arresting officer last night said it
was because Bush had "swerved off on the
shoulder of the road"). Bush himself lied last
night when asked about the night he spent in
jail. "I didn't spend time in jail," he insisted. The
officer told the local reporter that Bush, in fact,
was handcuffed, taken to the station, and held
in custody for at least an hour and a half.
This is not just some simple traffic ticket. I
don't want to hear one word comparing this
drunk driving conviction to Clinton's
transgressions. Lying about consensual sex you
had with another adult is NOT the same as
getting behind the wheel of a car when you are
drunk and endangering the lives of others
(including the life of your own sister, Mr. Bush,
who was in the car with you that night).
It is NOT the same as Gore volunteering he
smoked pot in his youth. That act endangered no
one's life and he did not try to cover it up.
And don't tell us that the drunk driving and the
"drinking problem" was just a "youthful indiscretion."
You were NOT a "youth" when you were in your
THIRTIES on the night you were arrested while
careening off the road. The fact is, according to your
own admission (if not in these words), you were a
drunk and a bum 'til the age of 40, living off your
rich daddy who spent his time bailing you out of
trouble.
For crying out loud -- if any Republican is reading
this, I implore you: this man does not deserve to
be placed in the highest and most respected office
in the land! Bush voters, come to your senses! If
you can't bring yourself to vote for Nader or Gore,
then show your love for your country and just stay
home next Tuesday.
Please, save our nation this incredible, unfolding,
never-ending embarrassment.
Yours,
Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com >> |
