Former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs had long been considered one of the most vocal anti-illegal immigration advocates on television and radio.The Wall Street Journal reports that the former CNN anchor, pondering a run for the Senate or maybe even for President, is trying to wipe away his image as an enemy of Latino immigrants by positioning himself as a champion of the fast-growing ethnic bloc.
In an interview Friday, Dobbs told Spanish-language network Telemundo he now supports a plan to legalize millions of undocumented workers, despite the fact that he long called these programs an unfair "amnesty."
"Whatever you have thought of me in the past, I can tell you right now that I am one of your greatest friends and I mean for us to work together," he said in a live interview with Telemundo's Maria Celeste. "I hope that will begin with Maria and me and Telemundo and other media organizations and others in this national debate that we should turn into a solution rather than a continuing debate and factional contest."
Dobbs mentioned a possible legalization plan for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., saying "we need the ability to legalize illegal immigrants under certain conditions."
Advocates on the left and right side of the immigration debate seemed perplexed by the about-face of his stance on the issue.
Frank Sharry, who heads America's Voice, a group that advocates for legalizing undocumented immigrants, told the Journal that Dobbs's conversion isn't credible, given his history of opposing efforts to liberalize immigration policies.
Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, which seeks strict border enforcement and opposes legalization, said he admired Mr. Dobbs and will "watch him for several months before drawing a conclusion."
Click here to connect to the Telemundo website where you can see video of the interview in English.
Posts
22 comments:
What happened gringos? surprised? now your pill addicted semi-god? who once called the Latino community "the plague" wants to get in the good Latino side, now he knows our votes count huh.
It is the duty of every legal, natural born or naturalized, citizen to be
"anti-illegal immigration advocates"
Once the liberals lose power, and the lights come on, the scurry will commence.
The front door to U.S. citizenship, the legal rightful way however is always a viable option is it not?
Illegals are like a pack of software pirates, they know it is wrong yet they do it anyway laughing at the rest of us who pay the bills.
The "new" white man's burden? Lou Dobbs, what a fraud.
Liberal = ILLEGAL immigrants
Franco, I'm sure you are intelligent and educated, so please explain why you support ILLEGAL immgration.
Franco,
I'm also one who would like your rationale for encouraging illegal aliens to continue breaking our nation's laws.
While immigration needs to be improved and become more efficient, to condone the outright blatant disregard that many 'activists' in the Latino community encourage, is tantamount to anarchy among a self-imposed 'elite' group of people that feel laws do not apply to them.
I'd also like to suggest that you read and report on several studies that show the true cost of illegal immigration and how it has financially effected our nation. With unemployment over 10%, the same old adage of 'they do the work that Americans don't want to do' no longer applies.
I'm tired of the many having to support and not hold accountable the few. I've lived within my means, never been on government assistance, hold a job, pay my taxes and yet it somehow is NEVER, EVER ENOUGH for some folks. The sense of entitlement among our 'special citizens' is revolting!
Yes, I agree. Please stop pointing your finger at others, like Dobbs, and explain why illegal immigrants should not be sent home.
Immigration has made this country a good place to live and prosper, but it needs to be legal. What are your views?
Thank you
If they are illegal, I guess no one will look for them when they go missing, right?
Wow... what a disappointment and sell-out Dobbs has become. It just goes to show that very few 'pundits' actually have the strength of their convictions. Where are the Walter Cronkites these days?
It's sickening that American citizens no longer can depend on ANYONE to protect our nation and our borders from the invasion of parasites from Mexico and points south.
Franco rarely participates in actual discussions here... he prefers starting the fire and watching it burn. I've never seen him explain his position on illegal immigration... and the reasoning behind it. It's easier to not take a stand one way or the other... that way you maximize your blog readership.
Few, if any, immigrants can enter the country 'legally' (with permission from the state) because, like every other govt program, the process is so cumbersome, expensive, and awash in red tape.
Why so much vindictiveness towards illegals? These are real people who are seeking a better way of life.
I don't believe in taxpayer-confiscated govt handouts either, whether its to 'illegals' or legal citizens. In my opinion, it is akin to theft.
Yet, few condemn US-born welfare recipients in the same manner they vociferously attack illegals.
It is disingenuous to say there is no racial or religious component in this debate. If most 'illegals' were white Canadians, there would be far less outcry than there is at present, since most 'illegals' are brown skinned folks.
Good old Lou: "Don't pay attention to the sociopath behind the curtain."
It seems to me that those most opposed to illegal immigrants are the legal immigrants. They are the ones who are unjustly shunned and despised because everyone assumes they are illegal too.
Lou Dobbs has always been a complete phony. Just look at his official photo; it has "I'm a phony" written all over it. I'll bet CNN is most glad he's gone, Let's just drop all coverage of him and he'll disappear.
I am a hispanic woman and I live in East Charlotte. I have my babies here because even if I can not be a us citizen, they will be. We know the racist and hatred from the white southern women who stay here in charlotte and nc. Please stay in the south part of town and leave us alone. Lou Dobb is a devil to us all. You want to eat our food but hate us. This is like a devil too. We spit on the whites who try to ruin our lifes.
"The front door to U.S. citizenship, the legal rightful way however is always a viable option is it not?"
No, it's not. I'm an immigration attorney and know firsthand that the front door to legal residency is closed for the vast, vast majority of the world. The USCIS has made applying for residency such a convoluted, restricted, and expensive process, that for 99% of the world, it's impossible to immigrate to the US.
The obvious (market-driven, for all you "free-market" right wingers) result is that people will find ways around the inefficient government restrictions, even if it is illegal.
Here's an example that may be easier to understand, if the govt. tomorrow decides to charge $500 for a pack of cigarettes and only make them available on the 2nd Thursday of the month, you better believe that the bad government rule will result in a black market for cigarettes, where people will be selling them at illegal lower prices and on illegal dates.
It's the same thing with immigration. Fix the inefficiency in the immigration laws and that will fix the illegal immigrant problem.
Shouldn't the United States simply adopt Mexico's immigration policies? This would stop almost all immigration from Mexico. Mexico rapes, tortures and murders hundreds of illegal immigrants from Guatamala, Nicarauga and Costa Rica every year. Obtaining citizenship in Mexico is damn near impossible. If you don't believe me look up the Mexican Constitution on Citizenship.
To the Immigration Attorney:
Like most attorneys you manage to talk much about what you are paid for and express little of what is your own opinion. In fact, like most attorneys you will manage to screw things up and when it comes crashing down you will move on a plague of locusts to screw up another country. The U.S. restricts immigration purposely to about 880,000 per year to prevent overpopulation. Fact, most immigrants coming from Central America have no interest in becomeing citizens. They're here because of jobs, which is not a qualifying reason for U.S. Citizenship alone.
I personally like the fact that so many Mexican nationals live in the U.S. It actually gives us a claim on Mexican land. Mexico as a country can't even defeat their drug gangs and provide basic services for its people, this makes it what is commonly referred to as a "Failed State!" This along is reason to establish a U.S. military presence in Mexico and annex it. Can you say Montana, Michigan, Minnesota and Mexico? Sounds good doesn't it. How about 51 stars on the flag??
Lou's just calling a wetback , a wetback...no lies there.
HI N.C.! HERE IN PHOENIX SHERIFF JOE WAS INVITED TO DEBATE 3 PROFS. FROM THE "WALTER CRONKITE "SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM! THE SAME STUDENTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING ALL ABOUT THE FIRST AMENDMENT DECIDED TO DISRUPT THE DEBATE LIKE "LITTLE KIDS THAT AREN'T GETTING THERE WAY"! SHERIFF JOE ASKED THE PROFS. TO CONTROL THESE LOUD MOUTHS, THEY HAD NO CONTROL AND THE SHERIFF WALKED OUT. HOW QUICK THESE SO CALLED JOURNALIST STUDENTS WERE TO TAKE THAT FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT AWAY. THE OPEN BORDER SKUM TRULY FEAR THIS MAN. HE'S THE NEXT GOV. OF AZ. IF HE WANTS IT! GOD BLESS AMERICA! TO HELL WITH THE ILLEGAL TRASH AND THERE SUPPORTERS!
Post a Comment