Dobbs Courts Latino Support, Angers Nativists
Think back to Jennifer Anniston鈥檚 distress when Brad Pitt dallied with Angelina Jolie; Debbie Reynolds鈥 angst when Eddie Fisher strayed with Elizabeth Taylor. Now meet the latest big-name heartbreaker: Lou Dobbs. No, he hasn鈥檛 left his wife. But some of his most ardent anti-immigration supporters at Americans for Legal Immigration PAC 鈥 ALIPAC -- are feeling shock and betrayal like that of a cuckolded lover. Lou, they cry, has embraced the enemy, caught in flagrante delicto on the American Spanish-language television network, Telemundo, making nice to Hispanics and immigrants. And if you missed the program, why, there it is on YouTube. To some ALIPAC members, it was comparable to a far-right conservative discovering Ann Coulter in a steamy tryst with Bill Maher.
Dobbs, you recall, as abruptly as a ruler toppled in a coup on Nov. 11, after the 人兽性交 and other organizations had persistently urged he be fired because of his repeated falsehoods about undocumented immigrants on his CNN show and on his radio program. One of the most infamous myths, in 2005, was that they were at least partly responsible for 7,000 new cases of leprosy in the United States in the prior three years. There actually were about 400 new cases, and nobody knew what role immigrants had in those numbers. The Columbia Journalism Review wrote that Dobbs was 鈥渢amper[ing] with facts鈥 and David Leonhardt wrote in The New York Times that 鈥淢r. Dobbs has a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.鈥
Then Dobbs was interviewed on Telemundo鈥檚 Al Rojo Vivo on Nov. 20. He assured the Latino community that he is one of its 鈥済reatest friends鈥 who has been falsely portrayed by the far left. He told interviewer Maria Celeste that 鈥渨e need the ability to legalize illegal immigrants under certain conditions.鈥 He added, 鈥淲hat isn鈥檛 working is a penalty to those who are in this country illegally for whom we can both be building a bridge to the future in which there is legalization and at the same time constructing an environment in which everyone is clear and unequivocal about the need for border security and a regulated flow of immigration.鈥
ALIPAC President has been one of Dobbs鈥 most dewy-eyed devotees. Like Dobbs, Gheen has a penchant for flamboyant and false claims when it comes to undocumented immigrants. He claimed in 2005, for example, that proposed legislation in North Carolina would permit 鈥渋n-state tuition for illegal aliens,鈥 when only those in the country legally and had applied for citizenship would have been affected. [ALIPAC is supported by the 鈥 FAIR 鈥 which has been designated as a hate group by the 人兽性交].
In an open letter to Dobbs before his CNN exit, Gheen claimed that the 人兽性交, La Raza, Media Matters and the Associated Press were in cahoots to depose or muzzle Dobbs before filing amnesty legislation for undocumented immigrants.
鈥淵ou and your shows have been leaders in the battle to get accurate information out and to have a truly informed electorate in America,鈥 Gheen gushed in an open letter to Dobbs in August.
Now Gheen sounds like Kate Gosselin upon learning that reality show hubby Jon was seeing another woman. 聽鈥淚 am hurt, dismayed, angry, sad, exasperated, red faced, embarrassed and more after seeing this video,鈥 Gheen was quoted as saying.
Gheen鈥檚 North Carolina-based ALIPAC says that, as of today, it had received pledges of more than $672,165 from 3,694 Americans should Dobbs decide to run for president in 2012. ALIPAC has received those pledges at a website it created in early 2008. Activity on the site had increased since Dobbs was mentioned as a possible candidate to oppose New Jersey Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, but ALIPAC hoped Dobbs鈥 aims were higher. That is, until the Telemundo interview.
Now many of ALIPAC鈥檚 supporters share Gheen鈥檚 dismay and distrust. 鈥淗e sounds like just another disjointed politican,鈥 wrote butterbean on ALIPAC鈥檚 website.
鈥淚 am appalled that Lou Dobbs has turned into a traitor!鈥 complained thesocialdiva. 鈥淲hat a loser. Hope he doesn鈥檛 think he can run for president. He is totally full of crap!鈥
鈥淲e need true red, white & blue Americans in high places,鈥 added Floorguy. 鈥淣ot Socialist, Communist, Marxists, ruining a once great nation any further. Where is John Wayne, when you need him 鈥..鈥
After Dobbs鈥 Telemundo appearance, ALIPAC posted a聽reader survey online聽to gauge their sentiments. More than two-thirds of the 1,987 respondents said they were 鈥渄isappointed,鈥 鈥渦pset鈥 or 鈥渧ery upset鈥 with the interview.
Three-quarters of the respondents said they were specifically upset with Dobbs鈥 statements 鈥渟upporting legalizing illegal aliens鈥 and his failure to 鈥渕aintain that illegal immigration is a crime.鈥 Almost as many objected to his promise to compromise with amnesty supporters. And more than 59 percent said that ALIPAC should reject or strongly reject Dobbs as a result of the Telemundo interview.
And so Dobbs perhaps has learned this from his Telemundo interview: Hell hath no fury like a nativist scorned.