Michael Moore excoriates Wall Street, Italians celebrate their unique heritage.

By Janet Donovan

Michael Moore with Kandy Stroud at the opening of “Capitalism: A Love Story.”

MOORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR

You have to love someone who stands on Wall Street and screams into a megaphone demanding his money back while surrounded by New York’s finest. But that’s exactly what Michael Moore did in his latest flick: “Capitalism: A Love Story.” Hey, we all want our money back and you know New York’s Finest want theirs, too. Much of the controversy is due to the bailout of the big financial houses.

Long considered a weirdo in some circles, Moore may have finally come into the mainstream by exposing the greedy wonder boys of the financial world and the problems of unemployment, housing, and medical care in America. He wants President Obama to get tough, really tough, especially on health care reform. That played out on Saturday in the House of Representatives where the bill narrowly passed. It now heads to the Senate where it faces a filibuster by Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Turhs out Moore is not so misguided; perhaps it was his megaphone that orchestrated the cry for help on universal health care. Someone must be listening.

He arrived at his Uptown Theatre premiere in his trademark cap and glasses and was affable and laid back as he strolled the red carpet to accommodate the reporters waiting patiently for his very late arrival.

After a brief Q&A he joined guests at the Irish pub next door where he graciously engaged in photo ops with Christina Sevilla, Terry Robinson, David Corn, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, among many others.

All were grateful that food and drinks were on the house – because somebody else is spending our money.