Bush Administration Subpeonaes Moore for Cuba Visit

Moore announced last night on The Tonight Show that he's been subpeonaed by the Bush Administration for taking 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba in an attempt to get them health care in his film Sicko. Moore also talked to Jay Leno about how Harvey Weinstein (a Clinton supporter) asked him to edit out an unflattering segment about Hillary. Moore refused.

But wow. Moore has to be stoked. You can't buy this kind of press/marketing. You'd think that the the Bush administration would want to leave this one alone. But all the national attention has yet to translate into big box-office bucks for Moore's movie. It's only made $20 million in theaters so far.

The press release from The Tonight Show is below:

MICHAEL MOORE ANNOUNCES THAT HE'S BEEN SUBPOENAED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO"

BURBANK-July 26, 2007 - Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore announced that the Bush Administration has subpoenaed him in the wake of his recent trip to Cuba on the July 26 episode of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (Monday-Friday, 11:35 p.m. - 12:37 a.m. ET). "I haven't even told my own family yet." Moore began, "I was just informed when I was back there with Jay that the Bush administration has now issued a subpoena for me."

The trip was part of his new film "Sicko" which tackles the question of affordable health care in the United States. Moore, who brought 9/11 rescue workers with him on his excursion, explains the reason for his trip, saying: "Took them to Guantanamo Bay because I heard the Al Qaeda Terrorists we have in the camps there, detained, are receiving free dental, medical, eye care, the whole deal, and our own 9/11 rescue workers can't get that in New York City."

In a continued effort to help the 9/11 rescue workers, Moore stated that on August 11, the Weinstein Company will be donating 11 percent of the box office receipts from "Sicko" to "help these workers and the other workers who need help," said Moore.

Also Moore told Leno on the show how his studio asked him to cut a certain segment out of his film. "I just tell the truth in our film. (Hillary Clinton) did something very courageous 14-years ago, saying all American's should be covered. She got beat up badly for it. Now she's the second-largest recipient of health care industry money in the U.S. Senate."

Moore continued: "In fact, I don't know if I should really talk about this on national television, but you know the head of the studio that's releasing this film...Harvey Weinstein is a big supporter of Hillary Clinton. For the months leading up to the release of the film, he kept calling me every day saying, 'I want you to take that scene out of the film, attacking Hillary.' I said, 'I'm no attacking her, I'm just telling the truth.'"

Moore explained, "I'm going to go after whoever is in power, doesn't matter if they are Democrat or Republican I'm going to try to be a voice for people that don't have a voice."

The segment remains in the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2007.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Media Studios. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.

BUSHIES WANT TO HEAR FROM MOORE ON CUBA TRIP [NY Daily News]