Lou Dobbs Crumbles When Pressed On His 'NAFTA Super Highway' Myth

Think Progress:

Last Wednesday, Media Matters Action Network issued a report, which found that cable news commentators Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, and Glenn Beck regularly "serve up a steady diet of fear, anger, and resentment on the topic of illegal immigration."

Last night on his CNN show, an edgy Lou Dobbs hosted Media Matters fellow Paul Waldman to discuss the report's finding. Waldman asked Dobbs to provide evidence of the "myth" he often promotes -- that there is a "secret plan" to build a "NAFTA Superhighway" from Mexico to Canada. Having trouble providing evidence, an exasperated Dobbs said finally, "You're charging nonsense." "I reject it, I reject you, and I reject your position," he angrily added. From the exchange:

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[Virago55]

Nothing is more fun to watch than a racist bullshitter being cornered by his own B.S.

[pupbayer]

I'm no fan of Dobbs but you call this "crumbling?"

[loki]

That is what I thought to when I saw this. However HufPo has never posted Media Matters response when lou ask them if they have ever researched what he says or the illegal immigration problem.
Media matters response after ask several time..... NO they did not research either! Yet , they had the balls to come out with a report spouting what groups that support open borders told them to.
Funny how things work here at HufPo...

[loki]

Oh, and during the Super Highway debate, that many others have talked about and I believe it could be possible, especially with corporations running our gov the way they do, but Lou also told the clown from media matters that if he had been told that questions off topic was going to be ask, they could have prepared with a response, but he doesnt have time to go into that now..

SOunds bites are great for propaganda.

[Witchitalineman]

I don't like Dobbs either but why invite this guy on when he couldn't get a word in edgewise. Dobbs appeared to be extremely defensive. Geez I can't understand why a white rich bigot would be this way.

[Big0725]

Lou Dobbs is a xenophobic ninny that, when backed into a corner, lacks the intelligence to extricate himself. He's a one trick pony. If he didn't have "brown" people to villify, he would have nothing to say.

[RoboA2008]

Lou Dobbs is a blustery windbag. He is a racist and a loser. Isn't he married to a Hispanic lady? I mean what a jerk. There are more illegal whites in this country than Hispanics. Why is he such a zealot? Fellow Bloggers please educate me about this man.

[toocoldout]

Lou Dobs is a straight shooter, but can at times be too conservative for my taste.

[xmw]

I agree. I am a democrat but he is often dead on point but then he starts weirding me out when he starts spewing what verges on hate. His self rightousness is tiresome at times.

[Christian]

I would like to point out that down here in Texas, we are having town meetings to fight this super highway, it goes very close to my home and if you would do some research, you would know this highway is starting to shape up. It is a hot fighting issues down here for people are going to loose a lot of land to this so get off your asses and do some real study and work to find out what the truth is before you got on your high houses and start spouting your idealogical perspective without facts. Our governor wants this highway and is not trying to push this down our throats and the people of Texas are fighting hard against this non-existent plan.
I really hate it when i view our side spouting with out the facts, that is what the right does so shape up.

[Christian]

Pardon me, I should proof read better, I mean that our governor IS trying to force this highway down our throats. He has even stated that the state government doesn't need the permission of the Texas voters to do it.

[loki]

SHHHHHhhhh­... Facts do not matter when your spreading propaganda

[DesertLight]

After further review, it isn't that hard to find. I wonder what Media Matters had an issue about it for? Anyone know?

The most troubling part to me is the land seizure through eminent domain.

[ErnestineBass]

That troubles me, too, DesertLight. Always has.

Using Eminent Domain to seize public AND private land for use by a foreign corporation is wrong, no matter how you slice it.

[Soule23]

Public. Highway.

[lungfish]

Geez, you would think that Lulu would be able to back up his commentary­... He could have dug up some good info in response and should have been prepared to back up his claims.... that is what credibility is. Statements grounded in fact.
I think that the Texas TransCorridor route is what he was referring to but he didn't know enough about it to mention it... so he was just adopting someone else's commentary but failed to do his own homework.
And the CNN edit of the show to remove the discussion altogether is pure censorship­....

[ErnestineBass]

OMG!!!

A MSM "journalist" failed to do his homework?

SHOCKING! lol

[CubFanHere]

What really gets me is when he takes on the Southern Poverty Law Center and he calls them a left-wing organization. This guy has absolutely know clue as to what he's talking about when it comes to the SPLC. Their "left-wing" outfit is largely responsible for things like completely dismantling and destroying the Ku Klux Klan by winning a case against the United Klans of America in 1987. They routinely monitor the activities of hate groups and keep track of hate crimes (including the 1998 murder of my cousin Steven Goedereis, a gay man) and bring attention to this subject. They promote tolerance and civil rights for all peoples. In 1990 they won a judgement against Tom Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance for beating an Ethiopian immigrant to death. If this is what the likes of Lou Dobbs call "left wing" then I'm happy to put on my black beret and act the part because these people on the right are friggin' nuts!

[CubFanHere]

God Lou Dobbs is such a Piece of Sh**! I can take about 2 minute of his blathering before I just have to turn the channel. I've never seen such a bigot of a commentator in my life (and no I don't give a rip if he is married to a Mexican-American, there are lots of people that are bigots towards their own family members).

Up until about 6 years ago CNN was the only network I would watch because it seemed to be the last bastion of non-right-winged news commentary. Boy has that changed dramatically. They employ more right wing hacks today and they're slowly catching up with FAUX News in that department. Between this guy and Wolfie Blitzer, I don't know who is worse on CNN.

[AC500]

Glad to see someone's writing about CNN's loony bin of news commentators. Gas bag Dobbs and whining, wringing hands Beck are two examples (there are more) of what's gone unhinged at CNN. They used to be a credible source of information and thoughtful analogy (Aaron Brown) now they're a channel of narcissistic, zealots and authors pushing their own agendas. They've made themselves the news rather than just reporting it a then shutting up. Can't stand CNN. Even Larry King has stooped to interviews of Dancing with the Stars and American Idols! Huh?

[DesertLight]

I must admit, it was a real deLIGHT to see Dobbs get flustered.

[giantsteps]

The NAFTA super highway is a bloody metaphor. There are highways from Mexico to Canada.

Lou Dobbs is the Einstein of our generation, NOT.

[Screengem]

Go to spp.gov for a start. Do not stop there for the site is filled with equivocations and half-truths if you check news accounts of the same events described so cheerfully on this site. This is no mere discussion for a simple "superhighway" it's a massive pork-barrel of grants, rights, priveleges given under the table for an enclosed mile wide strip --- a giveaway of Federal land and assets dwarfing the land grab by railroad robber-barons in the 19th century.
The lack of awareness and misperceptions ("we already have highways running from Canada to Mexico," points up the extent to which the media misinforms by neglecting to inform. By the way, the critical distinction ignored consistently is between legal and illegal immigration. Dobbs is for legal immigration and against illegal immigration. Legal immigration done properly, (remember little Vito Corleone at Ellis Island in the Godfather) costs money. Like NAFTA, this is part of the gradual devolution of our Federal Goverrnment that will lead to the North American Union. Like global warming, when it is too obvious to ignore it will be too late.

[ErnestineBass]

Thank heavens somebody else can read a DOT proposal, Screengem.

When this private corridor becomes a reality, I wonder if we'll get an apology from the likes of CandaceInCanada or BlueOnBlue?

Not that I'm gonna hold my breath...

[sparkey]

If you drive on some of the local roads in Arkansas, you will see signs promoting this highway. I don't remember exactly what it said on the sign, but it was definitely for the nafta highway. It was just listed under a different name. Maybe someone in central Arkansas has seen one of these signs.

[DesertLight]

I must admit that my research on this one is limited, but I thought that Super Highway was going on the West Side of the Continental divide. Am I wrong?

Q: Let's just say it is true, what is the big deal? We already have roads that can take you from Mexico to Canada through the US anyway/

[GoodbyeKitty]

Try googling " Trans-corridor or Trans-texas corridor

[NewArtz]

Illegal immigration has been an issue ever since the first illegals arrived from Europe in the Nina, the Pinto and the Santa Maria, and decided to make it an issue. These were ships commissioned by the Spanish monarchy looking for riches. OK, so now, centuries later, the Latins still insist on moving about on the two continents. Why is this a problems to these WASPs? Are they the only illegals with a pedigree to "land rights"?

There are certain of us who think we belong here because we were born here. There are certain of us who think we belong here because we can get here. Given a few more generations the birthrate of an indigenous people will provide population sufficient to mobilize democracy to establish a strong resident base in any country.

What Dobbs is afraid of is democracy and its ever fluid ability to transform the cultural roots of a nation. Freedom allows the races to blend, to mix the genetic soup of humanity into a more homogenous concoction. But we will always need to fear democracy, because through it someone we don't like can reciprocate to us the animosity we expressed.

When we learn to stop hating one another, then we will have the opportunity to love our country.

[dadw5boys]

All immigants need to leave give the land back to the Native Americans then apply for visa's from them to live here.

[bagfed]

Look! Congress in S.D. passed a resolution this year opposing the MYTH! What a bunch of fools! LOL!
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2008/Bills/SCR13ENR.htm
(Don't they know its teh conspiracy?)