Politics & Government

Filmmaker Defends 'Go to Hell Barack' Metro Ad

Clements: Phrase designed to capture 'magnitude of anger' at health care reform.

Independent filmmaker Logan Darrow Clements said Wednesday that his decision to use "Go to hell Barack" in a Metro advertisement was borne out of his anger at the state of America's healthcare system -- and where he feels it's headed.

"It was designed to express the magnitude of anger over our move toward socialized medicine," Clements told Patch in a phone interview.

"I'm extremely upset the government is going to take over health care. I'm not mildly upset. I'm extremely upset."

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An advertisement for Clements' movie "Sick & Sicker" in the Clarendon Metro station states, "Barack Obama wants politicians and bureaucrats to control America's entire medical system."

It adds: "Go to hell Barack."

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The language has drawn the ire of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, a Northern Virginia Democrat and . Wednesday, . A Metro spokesman, citing case law, said the transit authority could not pull an ad based on its political content.

"My position is that I'm pretty outraged that the government wants to get between me and my doctor -- to basically hold my life in their hands," Clements said.

"When it's all said and done… we'll be in a system likes Canada's. Some bureaucrat is going to have my life in his hands. That's outrageous. That's where we're headed. Medical decisions in America are going to be made by politicians and bureaucrats, not doctors and patients."

Clements, who is based in Los Angeles, believes the problems with this country's healthcare system began with the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid. The country should move toward a market-based system, he said, to keep costs down and quality up.

So far, the advertisement is only running in the Washington metro area -- and just in the Clarendon Metro station. The ad went up Feb. 13 and will run through March 11.

Clements said he picked the Clarendon station to display his ad because it was "affordable." The advertisement cost about $800, according to the Washington Post.

"I'm an independent, struggling filmmaker. I can't afford to spend a ton of money like Michael Moore," Clements said. "In fact, I basically positioned my movie as the antidote to Michael Moore's movie 'Sicko.' "

Clements supports Texas Congressman Ron Paul's presidential bid, and considers himself an objectivist -- a follower of Ayn Rand's philosophy -- rather than a conservative or libertarian.

Paul to a Springfield, Va., rally this week. He and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are the only two Republicans who will be on Virginia's ballot on Super Tuesday.


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