He’s got my vote.

One can only imagine how moore must feel having it handed to him like that.  Moore is carping about cigars while Thompson gives an example of the real Castro Cuba.  Best debater in Michigan for 1972?  Well, southeast Michigan does have lowered expectations. 

Moore is in way over his head.  C’mon, Fred, put your hat in the ring already…

I’ll expand my comment… he’d have my vote not just for the skewering of Moore. I like that, but it wouldn’t be enough to make me vote for him.

But a lot of politicians are just too darn polite. They’ll snip and sneer at each other in the sort of “it’s not an insult because I didn’t use bad words” insults that a lot of stealth trolls favor, but never against their outside detractors. They might have someone from their office issue a bland statement about “We respect his right to his opinion even if we do not agree with it” or yadda yadda.

I like that he was willing to actually step up and answer someone taking potshots at him and his country. I think that’s kind of what we need, a politician that’s obviously not scared of the media that’s dogging their steps.

One word: PWNED!!!

I wonder if electro-shock treatments are included in Cuba’s free comprehensive healthcare system, or does the treatment require a co-pay from the dissident?

I agree with his response 100%

We made our film Love & Suicide in Cuba without permission from the U.S. or Cuban Governments. Moore had full support with “Sicko” from the Cuban government. That’s why one of the many reasons the content of Sicko documentary is grossly erroneous.

We made a narrative feature film based on true events. Moore made a documentary based on lies and half truths. (See the Cuba hospital photos of filthy conditions)

Ironically our feature film has more truth about Cuba, than Moore’s documentary.

I do agree with Moore; that the embargo should be abolished. But his embellishing by saying Cuba has a better medical system than the United States is grossly in accurate.

The fact is, what Moore says in Sicko is not the total truth. And his method of using documentaries to deliver a tainted message is embarrassing to any true filmmaker team.

Luis Moro, Filmmaker

Luis,

After making your movie in Cuba, I understand you also got a letter from the OFAC.  Are you at liberty to tell us more about that inquiry?

From the Altadis USA Web site, Montecristo’s parent company (emphasis mine):

“The world’s most famous cigar trademark. Originating in Cuba, our Montecristo, now distributed in the U.S., is manufactured by hand in the Dominican Republic. Considered one of the finest cigars on the market, the Montecristo is blended for the true connoisseur. It is a medium to full bodied cigar with a sweet aroma and impeccable construction.”

The cigars in question by Moore, were probably never from Cuba in the first place.

From Mikes letter:

“Thompson’s work space looks just like what the home office of a successful politician or CEO should look like—though a little messier: a large desk, dark wood, leather furniture, lots of books and magazines and newspapers, a flat-screen TV, and box upon box of cigars—Montecristos from Havana.” [http://weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=13528&R;=1136E33842]

In light of your comments regarding Cuba and Castro, do you think the “box upon box of cigars—Montecristos from Havana” that you have in your office have contributed to CastroÕs reported wealth?

While I will leave it up to the conservatives to debate your hypocrisy and the Treasury Department to determine whether the “box upon box of cigars” violates the trade embargo…

Ah, Moore. Every so often, instead of being deceitful and snide, he’s just plain dumb. Though it’s amusing to note that he’s yet again trying to play the vague threat of “You’re gonna get in trouble!”

Also, you notice he doesn’t actually make any reply to the thing about Castro jailing a documentary-maker, just starts screaming “Cuban cigars! CUBAN CIGARS!”? He truly is like a monstrous five-year-old.

I was TOTALLY going to write about the cigar thing in the main post and forgot.

Everyone knows that Cubans (the cigars) aren’t really Cubans any more.  When Castro took over, all the great cigar makers took flight.  Most went to the Dominican Republic.  That’s where all the great cigar rollers, the blenders, the truly great growers went.  They trained their sons, and they carry on the great traditions.  The best cigars in the world are now Dominican in the style of pre-Castro Cubans.

Every cigar guy knows that.  Mikey doesn’t.  He’s made an ass of himself again.  It’s just icing on the cake that Fred also laid the smack down.  :)

Rann, the letter to Fred was made before Fred brought up Nicholas. Fred just had the cigar there as a inside joke I think.

Moore fans are saying that Fred is affraid to debate Moore, but I believe that it was Moore who was affraid to debate Sean Hannity in 2004.

Moore fans are saying that Fred is affraid to debate Moore, but I believe that it was Moore who was affraid to debate Sean Hannity in 2004.

Moore’s fans are delusional.  I wonder if they know Fred Thompson is a lawyer?  Old Fred is already making Moore look like a fool . . . and naturally Moore is helping Fred do it.  Notice Thompson didn’t bother to address the cigar issue . . . he’s letting Moore hang himself.

Also note that Moore can’t debate . . . he’s proven that on the few occasions he ventured into that arena.

JimK, it’s “Fred!” h/t Hotair.

He is waiting until the current season of L&O;is over.

We will see him in soon. Until then Rudy.

I’m liking Fred more and more. I still have some concerns about some of his votes in the Senate, but it would be nice to finally be able to vote for someone instead of against someone.

That was awesome. Fred Thompson just climbed a few rungs on the Candidate Ladder.

It is just too perfect that mikkel moore didn’t have the foresight to investigate the origin of Montecristos.  You’d think that they’d teach one to do fact checking in Documentary Filmmaking 101.  Then again, maybe I just answered my own query…

By the way, I saw on the michiganworks.com state of Michigan job site, that moore and/or his sheep are advertising some unpaid internships for this year’s Traverse City Film Festival.  Once again, I must reiterate that moore; the champion of the downtrodden blacks and poor of Flint, is holding his film festival in the wealthiest tourist town in his home state.

“Why would a potential presidential candidate provide photographic evidence of himself committing a felony?” the director told the New York Daily News. “Someone should tell him that ‘Law & Order’ isn’t just a TV show, it’s real life. I hope the federal government will take the proper and necessary actions against him for violating the law.”

-Michael Moore

Oh man . . . is this classic Moore or what?

Why would a potential presidential candidate provide photographic evidence of himself committing a felony?

As we all know Mooreons have reading comprehension problems, so to them the above is a statement of fact, not a politically loaded question having no other purpose other than creating the illusion that Fred Thompson is a felon.

Any fool can go on line and buy Montecristo cigars from hundreds of stores all across this country.  So why doesn’t Moore know this . . . or does he?  Interesting that Mikey keeps pressing the issue.  Either he’s real stupid, or he’s real, real stupid . . . I just wonder which one it is.

Moore is an idiot, but I believe that he’s milking this for all it’s worth.  He has a new movie coming out and he’ll take all the free publicity that he can get.  What do they say, “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”, not as long as you live in a capitalist society.  And therein lies the hypocrisy of moore--he’s a multi-millionaire socialist who would be nothing if he lived in Cuba…

Just check out some of the fugly, rabid anti-Fred! comments over at youtube. The case is closed for the Thinkers: That cigar is from Cuba, just like the US has 52 states. Impeach Bushitler and Fred!… they lie people die… cue “Kumbaya"…

As I said in the forums - after yearsof praise for the Canadian National Health system, he takes these people to CUBA instead?  Well, of course - if he takes them to Canada, no one cares - he takes them to Cuba and he gets the obligatory letter from the Treasury Department and he can claim persecution by the Bush Administration.  Whee!  Free publicity!

One wonders if Moore’s love affair with Canada is coming to an end, since after years of many Canadians telling him to fuck off, they’ve also got a Conservative in power now, and have thus become The Enemy. I somehow imagine his love affair with Cuba is just beginning.

It’s so nice when someone proves you right about them. Mikey’s snuggling up to the bosom of a terrorist dictator, just like we always said he longed to.

It’s so nice when someone proves you right about them. Mikey’s snuggling up to the bosom of a terrorist dictator, just like we always said he longed to.

Being enchanted with a communist dictator is nothing new for Moore.  This goes way back to his early days when he got hired by Mother Jones, then wanted to censor an article unfavorable to the communists in Nicaragua.  The article was written by a typical Mother Jonesliberal, too.  Mikey didn’t want any part of telling the truth about the Sandinistas.

Moore got fired a few months after taking the job, sued Mother Jones, settled with their insurance company for $58 grand, then used the money to make Roger and Me.

Don’t forget Cuba’s health care policy of quarentining AIDS patients.  Holding them against their will.  I recall a US media outlet doing a news story on this trying to make it seem like the AIDS patient’s liked the policy and it was for thier own good and protection.  No complaints from the people they interviewed.  Imagine that.

Fred Thompson: Destroyer of Worlds, Empires, and Left-Wing Propagandists. :D

LOL
I love it!!!
But I have a question here; what proof does little Mikey have that those are Cuban cigars and not Cuban seed Dominicans or something like that?

But I have a question here; what proof does little Mikey have that those are Cuban cigars and not Cuban seed Dominicans or something like that?

Moore quotes an article from the Weekly Standard decribing Thompson’s workspace which included box upon box of cigars—Montecristos from Havana.

The actual article dated 4/23/07 was written by Stephen F. Hayes.  It reads as follows:

Thompson’s work space looks just like what the home office of a successful politician or CEO should look like--though a little messier: a large desk, dark wood, leather furniture, lots of books and magazines and newspapers, a flat-screen TV, and box upon box of cigars--Montecristos from Havana.

The presence of the cigars and the absence of a press chaperone were clues that Thompson is taking a different approach to his potential candidacy. A campaign flack would have insisted on hiding the cigars--Senator, how did you get those Cuban cigars? Isn’t there a trade embargo?--and might have dampened Thompson’s natural candor. On subjects ranging from Social Security to abortion, the CIA and to Iran, there would be lots of candor over the next several hours.

So the evidence comes from a magazine article.  Whether those cigars are Cuban or not doesn’t matter to Moore . . . all that matters to him is making Fred Thompson look like a felon.

Great Clip!
I only have one question…
... how long has Joe Don Baker been a senator?  I never even knew…

;)

Luis, after looking at your photos of the cuban hospital ( I’m sorry about your uncle) the thought of Moore taking American 9-11 victims there is akin to torture.

Imagine how pissed you would be if you flew all the way to Cuba for some cutting rdge medical treatment and they took you to a room like the one in Luis’s pictures.

It bears repeating:

“Why would a potential presidential candidate provide photographic evidence of himself committing a felony? Someone should tell him that ‘Law & Order’ isn’t just a TV show, its real life. I hope the federal government will take the proper and necessary actions against him for violating the law.”

Even those of us with a dimmer view of The Light must grudgingly acknowledge that Mikey can see Things in film footage that yer average non-thinking Joe Schmoe weened on Bushitler couldn’t possibly discern. I’ve tried but I still don’t see a UPC code or “Made in Cuba” visible anywhere on Fred’s cigar in that clip that might provide even circumstantial “photographic” evidence that Thompson is a “felon”.

Even those of us with a dimmer view of The Light must grudgingly acknowledge that Mikey can see Things in film footage that yer average non-thinking Joe Schmoe weened on Bushitler couldn’t possibly discern. I’ve tried but I still don’t see a UPC code or “Made in Cuba” visible anywhere on Fred’s cigar in that clip that might provide even circumstantial “photographic” evidence that Thompson is a “felon”.

That’s because you aren’t blessed with the “liberal” vision Mikey has.  Besides, the evidence is clear . . . the object is obviously cylindrical, and it’s in a conservative’s mouth.  Therefore, it’s a genuine (not a fake) Cuban Montecristo cigar from Havana.  What more proof do you need?

Imagine how pissed you would be if you flew all the way to Cuba for some cutting rdge medical treatment and they took you to a room like the one in Luis’s pictures.

Paratrooper,

That’s just one reason why I think Moore has crossed the line with this Cuba stunt.  I doubt he’s going to show the negative side of the Cuban medical experience, but it’s all too real to ignore.

In fact, most Cubans today are inferior to various brands of Dominican cigars.  I learned this the hard way…

I learned the easy way, honeymoonin in the Dominican :D

I dont really care, but just kinda interested… So there are two Montecristos?  Completely seperate companies that have the same name and logo?  In other words, when you buy those cigars, not a dime ends up with the Cuban govt?

And I really dont understand this whole Cuba thing.  Ive never been, and would never go.  The last straw for me was hearing on a radio show that not only are you not allowed to tip service staff there, but they could be jailed for accepting.  I was a bartender for years, I tip well, I know its important.  Im kinda torn about it, because I know not giving them my business is going to hurt the lowest paid people the most.  Its not like Castro is every going to starve.  But I cant support that system, and I just hope that it starts to hit the ‘higher ups’ enough that they have to come around. I wont be going to Mexico anytime soon either, Canadians keep getting killed there lately, but thats a whole other issue!

But I dont get the US thing with Cuba.  Im surprised you guys stand for this, just on principle. Shouldnt you be allowed to travel whereever you wish, and have the opportnuity to make your own informed ( or if you wish, uninformed) decisions?  It just seems kinda wacky.

Oh ya, Fred.  Ya, please elect him.  Him or Obama.  There is nobody real inspiring in the field.  So do me a personal favour if you dont mind, and at least elect someone that is enjoyable to listen to.  Thanks guys, y’all are the best!

But I cant support that system, and I just hope that it starts to hit the ‘higher ups’ enough that they have to come around.

Well, the higher ups have had a half century to come around, and remain true to the revolution.  That means Cuba is stuck in the 3rd World.

The real problem Cuba faces is that after the revolution Cuba nationalized billions in assets.  This in the name of a just cause.  Of course, they were supported by the Soviets for decades, but when the funding was cut off Cuba faced a real financial dilemma.  They had to default on loans.  With no money and no credit Cuba had to do something to attract investment.

But how does a country with that kind of history attract investors?  They don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence in investors, do they.  Realizing this Fidel passed some new laws back in the 90’s in a feeble effort to assure the rest of the world their money would be safe in Cuba.

Remember now, the only country that has an embargo on Cuba is the U.S.  Many other nations are free to invest in Cuba without restriction.  So when Fidel passed these new laws why were there so few takers?  The answer is people aren’t stupid.  Castro talks out of both sides of his mouth and always has.  Hardly anyone trusts him.  You can’t run around stealing other people’s assets in the name of a righteous revolution, all the while ranting against capitalism, then try to inspire those same capitalist to invest in you country.

All this BS about how lifting the embargo is going to benefit Cuba is simply not true.  As long as Fidel is still in power, or any other similar regime, and given Cuba’s track record, few people are going to invest money in Cuba without an ironclad guarantee they won’t lose their investment.  And Cuba is too poor to financially guarantee anyone anything.  That’s exactly why few companies in EU countries have sought to invest there.  And the EU economy is as large as ours.  So, while there has been some foreign investment on the Island, it has been too meager to matter.

The economic boom in Cuba will come when they estabish the reforms necessary to promote and inspire confidence from capitalist nations.  That means a certain leopard has to change his spots, and that ain’t gonna to happen because the leopard is a hard-line marxist with strong anti-capitalism sentiments that he readily and freely expresses whenever the opportunity arises.

Castro rants every chance he gets about how the U.S. is illegally and immorally creating all of Cuba’s problems with our embargo.  And a large part of the world buys his BS.  Of course, you don’t those same people investing their money in Cuba, do you?  Instead, they want us to risk our capital to support a totalitarian police state run by a 3rd World communist dictator whose financial institutions can’t rub two dimes against one another.  Cuba’s fearless leader has made perfectly clear how much he detests the economic system of the United States—the very country he wants to attract as an investor.

Meanwhile, the Cuban government under the direction of Fidel Castro engaged in the tiny cow project hoping to alleviate the milk shortage.  You can read about this stroke of genius on the Internet.

the object is obviously cylindrical, and it’s in a conservative’s mouth.  Therefore, it’s a genuine (not a fake) Cuban Montecristo cigar from Havana.  What more proof do you need?

Aw, none really. But somehow linking the cigar to Halliburton would be icing on the cake.

Here’s an interesting interview about Sicko:

Moore Interview

But somehow linking the cigar to Halliburton would be icing on the cake.

You’re a tough sell, biafra. :)

dont really care, but just kinda interested… So there are two Montecristos?  Completely seperate companies that have the same name and logo?  In other words, when you buy those cigars, not a dime ends up with the Cuban govt?

OK, here’s the 30 second version.

Two dudes bought a company that made what became the Montecristo.  Revolution comes.  A few years later, Castro takes over the cigar business and forms a holding company to run it. That company makes Cuban Montecristos to this day.  Two dudes run for the hills and eventually end up in the DR. They took Cuban seed tobacco with them and found a whole slew of other Cubans in the area, doing the same thing.  They start making cigars.  In the 70s, they revived the Montecristo crand just for the US, because we don’t recognize the Cuban government’s trademarks, etc.  Cuban MCs are sold all over the world, but all the real talent is in the DC.

Now...a bunch of years later: a big French company has bought 50% of the Dominican makers of MCs.  They ALSO own 50% of the company Castro formed to make Cuban MCs.  In other words, they win on all counts!  :)

Cigar politics is fucked up.  :)

But I dont get the US thing with Cuba.  Im surprised you guys stand for this, just on principle. Shouldnt you be allowed to travel whereever you wish, and have the opportunity to make your own informed ( or if you wish, uninformed) decisions?  It just seems kinda wacky.

Well, it’s about communism.  It started because of USSR support of Cuba, the cold war, etc.  It seems dated now, but on the other hand, it’s awfully hard to justify openly supporting the Cuban economy given that Castro is such a brutal bastard, and would make billions off open US trade.  I’m a little surprised that the rest of the world hasn’t raised a stink and demanded some regime change.

BTW, you wanna meet some fiercely conservative, crazy, Castro-hating motherfuckers?  Throw a rock at a crowd of Cubans in Miami.  They would take up arms against Fidel tomorrow if we promised to back them.  :)

Entire generations have wasted away eating fried cardboard under Castro.

Up4,

Below is a typical story of investors getting the shaft from the Cuban government.  These folks just happen to be Canadians, but Fidel is an equal opportunity shafter, so he not picking on you guys exclusively.  The story dates back to 1999 which means the so-called reforms Fidel enacted into law a few years earlier had little meaning.

Invest in Cuba

Is it any wonder Cuba still lacks the capacity to keep the lights on 24/7 . . . 50 years after the glorious revolution?

Fred says this about the cigars:

“As to the cigars, they are the result of the generosity of a friend of mine who gives me a few from time to time. We intend to see to it that they are destroyed over the next few months.” - Fred Thompson

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/673ytudf.asp?pg=2

Indeed. Destroyed by fire. But you can’t let a blaze like that get out of control, so you need to do it gradually. One at a time, and just lighting the one end of them. Heheheh.

How is this a great response from Thompson?

Mike makes a movie about health care.
Fred responds with common knowledge about human rights abuses in Cuba.

But....Mike doesn’t dispute Castro’s horrible human rights record.  If anything, this only makes the fact that their health care being better than ours more sadly ironic.

Then, Fred follows with the obligitory insult:

“...mental institution...think about it Mike”.

A final shiny object to those in the choir who don’t like Mike, but, alas, not an answer to the original question posed by Mike’s movie and visit to Cuba; What is to be done about health care in the United States.