The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Calling Cpt. 'Trapper' John McIntyre, M.D.

    By Ripper on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 6:26pm |
    Screen Actors Guild board member and movie star Elliott Gould called me today to express his support for Single Payer health care and to graciously explain a prior commitment that prevents him from attending Healthcare NOW's July 30th rally in Washington, D.C.

    No, I'm not joking, and no, this wasn't a recorded robo-call.

    Mr. Gould's brief five-minute call was unexpected, as I had been sure that the short-notice request I made of SAG executives (only last week) would not prompt much effort in Hollywood to find a major celebrity speaker for the rally. I was wrong. In fact, I could not have guessed how diligently my request would be handled. When a person of Mr. Gould's stature calls you back, it doesn't happen casually. As it turns out, he has been working on Single Payer for a long time now in California.

    So the next time Healthcare NOW stages a rally, we will have a friend in Hollywood who was kind enough to give me his personal email address.

    Thank you, Mr. Gould.

    Calling Captain McIntyre...incoming wounded ...report to the O-R...

    Moral of the story: When the need is great, reach for the stars.