Just in time for the political season, George Clooney’s “Ides of March” is a cautionary tale of the perfect candidate corrupted. Think Barack “The One” Obama meets Bill “The Intern” Clinton. But in pre-release interviews, Clooney – a committed Democrat – wants audiences to know that despite the film’s cynical message, his lead character’s left-wing policies on green energy and taxation are to be taken seriously.<\/p>\n
“This is the one I think should be used by the Democrats,” he says in reference to one of the impassioned, Obama-esque speeches his character, Governor Mike Morris, gives in the film. “I would run on this as a candidate. ‘My campaign, my administration, is vehemently against the distribution of wealth by the government to the richest Americans.'”<\/p>\n
No he’s not. Clooney, like his character, is not what he seems.<\/p>\n
In truth, the multi-millionaire Clooney received a 42 percent Michigan production subsidy – amounting to $4.9 million in 2010 – to make part of “Ides” in Michigan.<\/p>\n
As a producer of the film, according to the Mackinac Center’s Michael LaFaive, Clooney (who also directed the film) received specially-targeted, Big Hollywood corporate “cash subsidies, redistributing income from Michigan families and existing businesses to a handful of film producers.”<\/p>\n
Ken Braun, editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential, calls this welfare for the super-rich “morally repugnant.”<\/p>\n
Despite the cynical transfer of wealth from Michigan taxpayers to himself, Clooney maintains the outward facade – like his character – that he is pure as snow. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the star says that he won’t go into politics because he could never compromise his ideals.<\/p>\n
“Every two years, somebody tries to bring my name up and talk about politics in the real world \u2014 ‘You should run for governor!'” he says. “I’m not getting in politics. I have no interest in politics \u2014 because of the compromises you have to make. ”<\/p>\n
But as Clooney’s Michigan windfall shows, he is plenty compromised. His production partner, Grant Helov, says “Ides” is “about a character who starts out one way and ends up completely having sold his soul.” Apparently it was based on a true story.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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