Truth Fiction and Lou Dobbs
Lou Dobbs
Weâll get to the merits of the charges and countercharges shortly  but first itâs worth considering why  beyond entertainment value  all this matters. Over the last few years   Lou Dobbs  has transformed  himself  into arguably this countryâs foremost populist. Itâs an odd role  given that  he  spent the 1980s and â90s buttering up chief executives on CNN  but  he âs now playing it very successfully.  He  has become a voice for the real economic anxiety felt by many Americans.
The audience for  his  program has grown 72 percent since 2003  and CBS â yes  the same network that broadcasts â60 Minutesâ â just hired  him  as a commentator on âThe Early Show.â Many elites  as  Mr. Dobbs  likes to call them  despise  him   but others see  him  as a hero.  His  latest book  âWar on the Middle Class â was a best seller and received a sympathetic review in this newspaper.  Mario Cuomo  has said  Mr. Dobbs  is âaddicted to economic truth.â
 Mr. Dobbs  argues that the middle class has many enemies: corporate lobbyists  greedy executives  wimpy journalists  corrupt politicians. But none play a bigger role than illegal immigrants. As  he  sees it  they are stealing our jobs  depressing our wages and even endangering our lives.
âThe invasion of illegal aliens is threatening the health of many Americans â  Mr. Dobbs  said on  his  April 14  2005  program. From there   he  introduced  his  original report that mentioned leprosy  the flesh-destroying disease â technically known as Hansenâs disease â that has inspired fear for centuries.
âIncredible â  Mr. Dobbs  replied.
Mr. Dobbs and Ms. Romans engaged in a nearly identical conversation a few weeks ago  when  he  was defending  himself  the night after the â60 Minutesâ segment. âSuddenly  in the past three years  America has more than 7 000 cases of leprosy â she said  again attributing the number to Ms. Cosman.
I have been somewhat taken aback about how shameless he has been during the whole dispute  so I spent some time reading transcripts from old episodes of âLou Dobbs Tonight.â The way he handled leprosy  it turns out  is not all that unusual.
Second  Mr. Dobbs really does give airtime to white supremacy sympathizers. Ms. Cosman  who is now deceased  was a lawyer and Renaissance studies scholar  never a medical doctor or a leprosy expert. She gave speeches in which she said that Mexican immigrants had a habit of molesting children. Back in their home villages  she would explain  rape was not as serious a crime as cow stealing. The Southern Poverty Law Center keeps a list of other such guests from âLou Dobbs Tonight.â
Weâll get to the merits of the charges and countercharges shortly  but first itâs worth considering why  beyond entertainment value  all this matters. Over the last few years    [TGT] has transformed   [TGT]   into arguably this countryâs foremost populist. Itâs an odd role  given that   [TGT]   spent the 1980s and â90s buttering up chief executives on CNN  but   [TGT]  âs now playing it very successfully.   [TGT]   has become a voice for the real economic anxiety felt by many Americans.
The audience for   [TGT]   program has grown 72 percent since 2003  and CBS â yes  the same network that broadcasts â60 Minutesâ â just hired   [TGT]   as a commentator on âThe Early Show.â Many elites  as   [TGT] likes to call them  despise   [TGT]    but others see   [TGT]   as a hero.   [TGT]   latest book  âWar on the Middle Class â was a best seller and received a sympathetic review in this newspaper.  Mario Cuomo  has said   [TGT] is âaddicted to economic truth.â
  [TGT] argues that the middle class has many enemies: corporate lobbyists  greedy executives  wimpy journalists  corrupt politicians. But none play a bigger role than illegal immigrants. As  he  sees it  they are stealing our jobs  depressing our wages and even endangering our lives.
âThe invasion of illegal aliens is threatening the health of many Americans â   [TGT] said on   [TGT]   April 14  2005  program. From there    [TGT]   introduced   [TGT]   original report that mentioned leprosy  the flesh-destroying disease â technically known as Hansenâs disease â that has inspired fear for centuries.
âIncredible â   [TGT] replied.
Mr. Dobbs and Ms. Romans engaged in a nearly identical conversation a few weeks ago  when   [TGT]   was defending   [TGT]   the night after the â60 Minutesâ segment. âSuddenly  in the past three years  America has more than 7 000 cases of leprosy â she said  again attributing the number to Ms. Cosman.
I have been somewhat taken aback about how shameless  [TGT]  has been during the whole dispute  so I spent some time reading transcripts from old episodes of âLou Dobbs Tonight.â The way  [TGT]  handled leprosy  it turns out  is not all that unusual.
Second   [TGT]  really does give airtime to white supremacy sympathizers. Ms. Cosman  who is now deceased  was a lawyer and Renaissance studies scholar  never a medical doctor or a leprosy expert. She gave speeches in which she said that Mexican immigrants had a habit of molesting children. Back in their home villages  she would explain  rape was not as serious a crime as cow stealing. The Southern Poverty Law Center keeps a list of other such guests from âLou Dobbs Tonight.â