Good story about that wonderful Moore guy!

[AKPogue]

Iraq Vet Sues Michael Moore for Misleading Interview in 'Fahrenheit 9/11'
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
By Jennifer Fermino


TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A double-amputee Iraq-war vet is suing Michael Moore for $85 million, claiming he recycled an old interview and used it out of context to make him appear anti-war in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Sgt. Peter Damon, 33, who strongly supports America's invasion of Iraq, said he never agreed to be in the 2004 movie, which trashes President Bush.

In the 2003 interview, which he did at Walter Reed Army Hospital for NBC News, he discussed only a new painkiller the military was using on wounded vets.

"They took the clip because it was a gut-wrenching scene," Damon said Tuesday. "They sandwiched it in. [Moore] was using me as ammunition."

Damon seems to "voice complaint about the war effort" in the movie, according to the lawsuit.

But what the father of two from Middleborough, Mass., was really talking about was the "excruciating" pain he felt after he lost his arms when a Black Hawk helicopter exploded in front of him.

Damon wasn't expressing any opinion about the war, the suit charges, but rather extolling the drug

"I just want everybody to know what kind of a guy Michael Moore is, and what kind of film this is," said Damon. He has appeared in two films attacking "Fahrenheit" -- "Michael Moore Hates America" and "Fahrenhype 9/11."

In "Fahrenheit 9/11," the bandaged National Guardsman is shown laying on a gurney complaining that he feels like he's "being crushed in a vise. But they [the drugs] do a lot to help it and they take a lot of the edge off it."

His image appears seconds after Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) says, "You know, they say they're not leaving any veterans behind, but they're leaving all kinds of veterans behind."

Damon -- the dad of an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy -- doesn't come close to feeling that way.

"He couldn't have picked the worst guy to say that about," he told The Post.

"I'm the most fortunate disabled guy. I've even had a house built for me [by a nonprofit group, Home for Our Troops]."

Particularly outrageous to Damon is the fact that Moore never interviewed him or asked his permission to use the old clip.

"I was complaining about the pain I would've been having [if it weren't for the painkiller]," he said.

NBC is named in the suit -- which was filed in Suffolk County, Mass., on Friday -- along with Harvey and Robert Weinstein, Miramax Corp., Lions Gate Films and other production companies involved with the picture.

Newsman Brian Williams ends the NBC clip by adding, "These men, with catastrophic wounds are ... completely behind the war effort," according to the lawsuit.

That part, which wasn't shown in the Moore movie, is a far more accurate depiction of Damon's feelings, he said.

Lawyer Dennis Lynch said he took the case last year and they held off filing the lawsuit in a bid to settle the matter.

"We attempted to resolve the situation amicably with Mr. Moore [for a year] but he refused," he said.

Damon is asking for up to $75 million because of "loss of reputation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and personal humiliation."

In addition, his wife is suing for another $10 million because of the "mental distress and anguish suffered by her spouse."

Spokeswomen for NBC and Harvey and Robert Weinstein would not comment because they haven't seen the suit. Lions Gate doesn't comment on pending litigation, a rep said.

Michael Moore and Miramax reps didn't return calls for comment.

[The AD]

I don't really even see how Michael Moore is misrepresenting the guy. He's showing a wounded soldier discussing pain. The soldier never says anything about whether he supports the war effort, and nothing to that effect seems implied. I think it's a ridiculous lawsuit.

[RootSkier]

Where is that article from, the Drudge Report?

[PNWbrit]

But what the father of two from Middleborough, Mass., was really talking about was the "excruciating" pain he felt after he lost his arms when a Black Hawk helicopter exploded in front of him.
.

Must have missed that story. Perhaps it was buried under all the news of how smashingly well the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are going right now - State of emergency in Basra, 1500 extra troops from Kuwait, never ending deaths in car bombs and IEDs, Marines gone wild in Haditha, Shambolic show trial of Saddam, resurgent Taliban etc. etc. and that's just the past few days don't get me started on why we're there.

Just to be completely accurate - this guy was an aircraft tech, he lost his arms when the Black Hawk tire he was filing with nitrogen exploded. Very tragic but really just a workshop accident.

Before you get on your high horse a member of my family was killed in Gulf War 1 and another is currently serving in Afghanistan.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Is there a point to this? Even that POS article doesn't make clear that Moore actually did anything but include what the guy said in his movie. Ooohhh, that's pretty bad.

Michael Moore has infinitely more integrity that Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and the rest of warmongering Halliburton crew.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Fermino, the author's article, does have a lot of writing credits for the NY Post and Fox News. She'd be a little more credible if she'd written for Highlights For Children.

[Arty50]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Michael Moore bought this clip from NBC, meaning he got permission from NBC before using it. NBC obviously had Sgt. Damon sign a release for the use of the clip on it's news program, and I'm guessing that release included language which stated that NBC could use or sell the footage to whomever it wanted.

If this lawsuit prevails, I'm gonna make it a point to go see a movie premier, give an interview to the screeners, and then sue the movie company when they hatchet up my quote.

[leroy jenkins]

I have some more shocking new about this evil man and his movie. He swapped different sections of Rocking In the Free World (the song that played during the credits) so the lyrics would fit his meaning more. We must stop him.

Seriously though, he shouldn't be getting sued for misrepresention, maybe for not getting permission to show the clip or something.

[Mofro261]

If this lawsuit prevails, I'm gonna Bake It and to go see a movie premier, give an interview to the screeners, and then sue the movie company when they hatchet up my quote.

You may now sue me.

[Rontele]

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12345678

[Greydon Clark]

$75 million for loss of reputation? I wonder if this was the kind of lawsuit abuse Bush was talking about in the ’04 campaign?

[slim]

$75 million for loss of reputation? I wonder if this was the kind of lawsuit abuse Bush was talking about in the ’04 campaign?

Shouldn't you be busy fundraising for a new lawsuit against the chemical industry?

[mr_gyptian]

I have some more shocking new about this evil man and his movie. He swapped different sections of Rocking In the Free World (the song that played during the credits) so the lyrics would fit his meaning more. We must stop him.

Seriously though, he shouldn't be getting sued for misrepresention, maybe for not getting permission to show the clip or something.

he's never misrepresented anything before.

nothing to see here.

[leroy jenkins]

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12345678

I just shat myself. Fucking classic. POTD

[summit]

It doesn't matte what your politics are... unless you support using propoganda, truth twisting, misrepresentation, shoddy research, and outright lies, then you are NOT a fan of Michael Moore.

Most opponents (and many supporters) of the war level the same charges at the administration.

Don't be a hypocrite by tolerating the same immoral action from Moore just because you think he supports your political position.

Moore is the type of scum whose work Joseph Goebbels would be very impressed with.

[PNWbrit]

Moore is the type of scum whose work Joseph Goebbels would be very impressed with.

Goebbels would have been too busy sucking Karl Rove's cock to notice anyone as small time as Michael Moore

[smitchell333]

What exactly did he do wrong?

Not that I think his work fits the truest mold of honest objective documentary, but doesnt sound to me like this lawsuit has a snowball's chance.

It doesn't matte what your politics are... unless you support using propoganda, truth twisting, misrepresentation, shoddy research, and outright lies, then you are NOT a fan of Michael Moore.

Most opponents (and many supporters) of the war level the same charges at the administration.

Don't be a hypocrite by tolerating the same immoral action from Moore just because you think he supports your political position.

Moore is the type of scum whose work Joseph Goebbels would be very impressed with.

[TurxSki]

...so the guy is *real upset* about being mis-represented...
...but is ok with having his arms blown off...
It's a funny old world innit ?

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

[XtrPickels]

It doesn't matte what your politics are... unless you support using propoganda, truth twisting, misrepresentation, shoddy research, and outright lies, then you are NOT a fan of Michael Moore.

Most opponents (and many supporters) of the war level the same charges at the administration.

Don't be a hypocrite by tolerating the same immoral action from Moore just because you think he supports your political position.

Moore is the type of scum whose work Joseph Goebbels would be very impressed with.

Thank you for saying what needed to be said.

Moore is great at what he does... telling his own truth using parts of facts, but never the whole story.

What did he do wrong? Are you blind or lacking in judgement?
While it might not be worth the 85 million (what lawsuit is ever for the right amount) The fact is that this guy is calling Moore out for misrepresenting the situation. This is one "fact" within one of many propoganda movies from Moore, how much would be left if he was held accountable for all his misrepresentation... not very much.

[Rontele]

I heart this movie

[Syprik]

^^^ lol.

Even though I'm very much against the Iraq war and pissed about alot that surrounds it and will come of it, fame seeking propogandists like Moore deserve no airtime. With the facts we know today, one can easily put together a neutral factual documentary with little/no propoganda, and the Bush admin still comes out looking like a bunch of goons. Moores over-the-top conspiracy BS is aimed at the uninformed Americans...he's learned well from Rove's "the sheep will eat anything" strategy. You ain't going to win over the moderate dems (like myself) and right by lashing out at the president, no matter how much of a moron Bush and his crew are.

[nutcase]

The one thing I find funny about this is that most people I know who bash Moore as beinga propagandist and lying and piecing together stuff to misrepresent people have NEVER seen his movies.

I have never seen any of his recent movies nor do I have any desire to - and it may well be true what everyone says - but I also realize that I probably shouldn't say shit about them since I have never seen them. People who say shit without ever having seen what they are talking about should shut the fuck up.

[summit]

The one thing I find funny about this is that most people I know who bash Moore as beinga propagandist and lying and piecing together stuff to misrepresent people have NEVER seen his movies.

I have never seen any of his recent movies nor do I have any desire to - and it may well be true what everyone says - but I also realize that I probably shouldn't say shit about them since I have never seen them. People who say shit without ever having seen what they are talking about should shut the fuck up.

If that is directed at me, for the record I've seen Farenheit 911 and Bowling for Columbine.

I deeply regret that I actually paid to see Bowling.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Not only that, the people labeling Moore a propagandist usually have nothing to back up the claim (see the above article). Nearly everything Moore has ever stated in print or film has been exactly right, and that's what his opponents actually find so upsetting. It's disappointing that their campaign against him has found traction among some people in the middle, who swallow the untrue conservative claims.
That supporters of this administration point fingers at Moore for supposedly distorting the truth is beyond hilarious.