Media Matters Assails Dobbs...But Not on CNN
Viewers tuning in to Lou Dobbs Tonight Tuesday will NOT see Media Matters’ 30-second spot that turns up the heat on Dobbs and the so-called “birther” controversy and also calls out his bosses, specifically CNN U.S. President Jon Klein, for his seemingly tepid response to Dobbs’ ranting.
The liberal watchdog group had bought air time during Dobbs’ program but CNN made their displeasure known to cable operators, according to a CNN spokesperson. Five of the six cable operators contracted for the buy have opted not to run the ad on CNN, according to Huffington Post, who said it may run for a small portion of New York households. The ad is still expected to air on the cable network’s competitors, Fox News and MSNBC.
“CNN retains the right to object to any ad run by the cable operator on our network whose purpose is to attack CNN or our employees,” the network said in a statement.
The ad opens with chilling music set over footage of the Obama family from the Grant Park Election Night celebration. A voiceover tells the viewer that Dobbs has been reporting a “false right-wing conspiracy that President Obama hasn’t produced a valid U.S. birth certificate,” followed by spliced clips of Dobbs saying the words “birth certificate” over and over.
The ad closes with the tag line: “Let CNN know there’s nothing legitimate about racially charged paranoia.”
Klein has been in a tough spot in recent weeks, trying to publicly maintain the network’s “No Bias” creed while grappling with Dobbs’ editorial decision to continue lending air time (and seemingly credence) to a controversy that, even in Bill O’Reilly’s judgment, is bogus.
Late last month, Klein sent an email to Dobbs’ producers in which he said that the “birthers” story was a dead issue. Still, he stopped short of reprimanding Dobbs and, days later at the Television Critic’s Association press tour, said CNN wanted to reflect “a range of points of view” and said he trusted “the best judgments and instincts” of his reporters.
Meanwhile, Lou Dobbs Tonight ratings slid during the last two weeks of July, starting around the time he began fanning the flames of the birth certificate controversy. While “birther” baiting may not be the sole reason for the decline, the banter doesn’t seem to have kept viewers tuned in-and it makes Dobbs look exceedingly out of touch.
Squeeeky commented:
I agree with Lou. And I believe he is an honorable man. More than I'd care to say about most media types.
singabob commented:
All of you birthers and right wing nut jobs are sick. Let's bring back the Fairness Doctrine and put an end to Beck, Limbaugh and Dobbs saying anything they want regardless of the TRUTH on our airwaves. You folks wouldn't know fairness and decency if it hit you in the face. Hey here's something for you...we really didn't land on the Moon (it was shot in a Hollywood studio) and Elvis is still alive! Check it out!!!!
Callie369 commented:
Lou Dobbs is the only person on CNN that has a brain and the balls to use it!!!! The uneducated libs don't have the intelligence to debate, they can only attack.
Rita commented:
If it was not for Lou Dobbs just where would we get any real news?Lou has balls, no one else on CNN has the guts to tell the real stories except Lou. Any who say Lou is a racist, are stupid idiots seeing as Lou is married to a Latina. Lou is for Legal Immigration people not for illegal immigration as we should all be like him or else just get ready to hand our country to the illegals. We are all for legal Immigration, just damit, come into our country through the front door, the legal way. Kudo's do you Lou, kept on telling it just like you see it!
SicNTired commented:
I'm on Lou's side. If Obama has nothing to hide - then he should put all this to rest and show us his BC. BO, show the BC!
Former Dobbs Supporter commented:
I used to like Lou Dobbs but he has lost it. He used to be a good journalist but now he is so filled with hate and anger I refuse to watch him anymore. First he is against Latinos, now he is against our President. What is wrong with him? Why is he so UnAmerican? No wonder his ratings are down. I think CNN should let him go. He obviously needs help.
Dee321 commented:
The leader of the birthers and lou dobbs' friend Orly Taitz is a nutcase. Did anyone see your video:
youtube.com/watch?v=bMUaca8wP9w
What a Nutcase. Nice Friends Dobbs!
Then Tietz showed a FALSE Kenyan birth certificate for our President.
I think all birthers are absolutely unpatriotic.
Taitz herself sounds like she is from Nazi Germany.
The terrorists love the Birthers. They are unpatriotic and illogical. How can they do this during times of War?!?
Dobbs should be fired!
melena29 commented:
It's a simple question, so just answer it.
We have no doubt that BO is a citizen. The question is, however, is he a natural born citizen as demanded by the Constitution?
Show the American people the documentation that proves once and for all that Mr. Obama is eligible to hold the office of president of the United States of America. That's all we want, that's all Lou is asking for, that's all Mr. Obama needs to do.
As the line in Shakespear said, "Me thinks the liberals doth protest too much!!!"
norcalguy commented:
I gotta show my info for jobs... why can't he do the same? I am on Lou's side.
miguelina commented:
What exactly is the point of attacking Lou Dobbs for asking a question?? The venomous attacks and responses from Obama-loving media are laughable.
Why isn't the media asking Obama to just show the long form instead of spending millions in taxpayer money and hide all records? Why isn't the media even asking about this?
Enquiring minds want to know. What's Obama hiding and why is the media helping him?
Somethings very rotten.
CJBL commented:
You don't hide something unless you have something to hide. I don't know what he is hiding, but he has not released school records, health records, ..... so I say "show us the records - all of them"!
If there is nothing to hide, the shine the light!
Richard Bond commented:
Whether or not Obama was born in Hawaii with this much information about him under lock and key by him something is definitely wrong.
True American commented:
Honestly, why on Earth is Obama not providing his Long Form BC? This quickest way for the Obama Admin. to end all this would be to just release it.
ALIPAC commented:
Rally the nation around Lou Dobbs and the 1st Amendment. These groups are attack all our freedoms! Lou Dobbs is a national hero!
Groups Rally Nation In Support of Dobbs and 1st Amendment
details at alipac
Captain Steve commented:
I agree with Lou!
It's no surprise that Hillary Clinton is in Kenya today to reinforce the cover-up.
I don't trust ANY politician and almost no one in the media. I still want answers. Obummer, put up or get out!!!! All he has to do is make the following official public statement,
"I Barack Obama authorize the State of Hawaii to release and make public all of my records on file."
That's it. Issue over. But he won't because he's a fraud!! Obama knows that millions of citizens want to see it yet he continues to hide it. What/why is he hiding? and most disturbingly, why don't BHO's supporters want to know the whole truth, especially since there's a reward of $100,000 for proof that Obama is a "natural born" citizen of the United States.
OBAMA, STOP HIDING. SHOW US THE LONG FORM BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND YOUR OTHER RECORDS!!!!!