Filmmaker single-handedly `L'-evates the campaign for president
By Beth Teitell
Wednesday, September 1, 2004

With the full force of the renowned American punditocracy massed and panting in New York City, you'd think someone would have tackled the hot-button question of the Republican National Convention.
     Is the ``L'' sign - flashed by director Michael Moore in response to boos from the crowd inside Madison Square Garden - better or worse than giving the finger?
     Could the ``L'' become become the new finger? The ``Where's the beef'' of the new millennium?
     Could it replace the derisive snort or the dismissive ``whatever''?
     And what if Al Gore had skipped the eye-rolling in favor of flipping W the ``L'' during the 2000 debates? Would the election have hung on the hanging chads?
     I don't know if you heard Sen. JohnMcCain's speech Monday night, but partway through he referred to Moore, the director of ``Fahrenheit 9/11,'' as ``a disingenuous filmmaker who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace.''
     The partisan audience inside the Garden exploded, pointing at Moore - there as a columnist for USA Today - and chanting, ``Four more years, four more years.''
     In response, Moore (wearing his signature baseball cap and beer gut) mouthed ``two more months'' and then made the ``L'' sign with two fingers (in the air, not on his forehead) to indicate what he thinks of the president.
     McCain, obviously pleased with the spirited reaction from the delegates, said, ``That line was so good I'll use it again.''
     A mature response, yes. But frankly, I don't think he should have let the ``L'' sign go.
     Since Moore dragged the level of exchange down to the schoolyard, McCain should have called out: ``I know you are, but what am I?'' and then charged the press section and given the guy a wedgie, or even a swirly, though it would have taken quite a few delegates to wrestle him to the men's room.
     Unless, of course, Moore's ``L'' stood not for ``loser,'' as everyone thought, but rather for ``Lincoln,'' meaning that he agrees with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani that President George Bush is following in the proud tradition of the first Republican president.
     Or ``love,'' as in ``Love the speech, John.''
     Or ``lasagne'' as in ``Boy, I'd love some lasagne right now.''
     Whatever he meant, Hillary better be on guard, because Moore's ``L'' was nothing if not an obvious move to position himself for 2008.
      ``L,'' as in ``later.''