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

[Viper]

DOBBs has become somewhat unhinged over the last six months. Being in a country "Governed by BUSH" will do that to you! Many here sound somewhat unhinged.

Nevertheless, the last 2 presidents of Mexico have said they support the North American Union.

Lou also was disgusted with the large raids on illegals, but no word on actions being taken against their employers.

Lou is against outsourcing, free trade agreements such as NAFTA, the BUSH tax cuts and the lowering of the wages of current Hispanics in this country by a fresh never ending stream of new cheap labor. He wants the minimum wage raised. He wants farm workers paid higher wages for the hard work they do (and he did), just as Hugo Chaves did who also was against an open border since that cant happen with an unlimited labor supply. He is against are loss of our MFG base and the trade deficts that are killing our country from within. The higher paying jobs Immigrants use to work their way up in , in factories are now largely gone. He deplores our not spending enough on education, teachers and strongly supports Public schools, not vouchers. He supports unions. These are the many things they have in common including Lou's hate of the current administrations incompetance, trade polices and corruption.

OBAMA and DOBBs have many issues they can agree on and need to have a meeting of the minds if OBAMA wants to win the working class/ Independent vote.

OBAMA08

[GoodbyeKitty]

http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc_2007/CW00000092.htm

Could be just tinfoil hat stuff here:

http://www.naftasuperhighway.info/

[eXcommunicate]

While Lou Dobbs is a douchebag, the NAFTA Super Highway is not a "myth", and it is something all Progressives should fight against. Look it up. It is a corporatist's dream come true. It will not only undercut unionized American workers on the West coast, but could potentially allow cheap, less safe products to flood into our country (the entire plan involves giving deference to Mexican trucking companies and Mexican inspection practices).

Don't let your hatred of Lou Dobbs (and there is plenty to criticize him for) obscure the fact that the NAFTA Super Highway is not a "myth". It is real. We should fight against it.

[morbie5]

Lou Dobbs didn't crumble. That fool on his show didn't even ask Dobb's staff for their proof about the NAFTA Superhighway. What is so hard to believe about such a highway? Do you really think the transtexas corridor is going to stop at the northern Texas border? They'll eventually add on to it state by state. Mexico's former president Fox has already said he wants NAFTA to turn into a EU like union!

Look at the EU almost none of the EU citizens want Turkey in the union but the european elites are pushing ahead with plans to let Turkey in. They are hoping they can get away with it in due time.

[GoodbyeKitty]

I'm not quite convinced its a myth. Here in Texas it's already becoming a reality

[TurgidCaterwauling]

Dobbs is the only talking head who consistently addresses the coming economic collapse of America's middle class. Unfortunately his ranting and raving about immigration has obscured the more important concern.

All of these guys use the same tactic when they are proven wrong or cannot answer a question:
they yell, steam, scream, name-call, and overtalk their opponent.

[darthdarcy]

All those meetings for The SPP Security and Prosperity Partnership mean nothing, everyone knows G.W. Bush and those around him would never agree to anything that wasn't in Americas best interest....We can trust G.W. Bush and those involved in The SPP to be as faithful and loyal to America and it's sovereignty as his family has always been...especially his grandfather Prescott Bush.. !

[BlueOnBlue]

The NAFTA superhighway is a bogeyman used by Dobbs, Ron Paul and others to invoke a fear of brown-skinned people moving in hordes through our country. To hear tell, it will be 10 lanes wide, have rail lines, high speed cable and an iPod port every 100 feet.

While there are proposals to extend I-69, which now ends in Indiana, this would not do much more to create a "NAFTA highway" than the current network of interstates. In fact there are many interstates with their northern terminus at the Canadian border and a number of others with their southern terminus at the Mexican border. It doesn't take a very bright trucker to figure out how to get from one to the other, should he want.

Yes, Lou Dobbs is one of the worst people in the country. Every day.

[Viper]

The NAFTA super Highway is NO MYTH. Land is being bought for a several mile WIDE corridor. It is being protested by many groups including farmers down here in Texas whose farms will be cut in half and they are being forced to sell or have their property condemned. This will also have a rail in its wide corridor.. its not like any interstate plan ever conceived given its width.

It is foolish to question its existance/plan when its in every paper down here in Texas and is being protested with the Governor threatening to proceed inspite of the protest.. Search Wikapedia.

Right now much of the imported goods come from China come into LA Docks. Those DOCKs are under union control/teamsters. Large ports are being built in Mexico in the gulf and pacific side side so that goods can enter there bypassing the Port of LA and the Unions. This also does tie into low wage Mexican truck drivers now being allowed on U.S. highways in spite of Congress voting to stop that and again gnored by the WH.

This is Union busting and another attack on higher American wages. But maybe the Democratic party is now against the Unions also in America.

BY the way he has had proponents of this North American Union on his show who work on its establishment. They only declare thats its no secret.


Obama is going lose the Independent vote over this type of attack.
OBAMA08
.

[BlueOnBlue]

You might want to take a look at the current intestate superhighway map. It is really quite easy to drive north and south in this country and to connect Mexico and Canada. The main reason the NAFTA superhighway is a myth is that it is not needed. The necessary roads already exist.

As usual with such myths, there are little bits of true facts and news thrown together to help the illusion. For instance, there have been plans for a Trans-Texas Corridor, consisting of a road, rail lines and utilities. Lying within Texas, it of course does not extend to Canada but the people pushing the myth of the NAFTA Superhighway go ahead and make the connections.

Heck, you could as easily argue that the street in front of my house is part of some international highway system, because starting from here, you can get anywhere in North America. Yep, that's it. It's a BlueOnBlue international conspiracy. I won't charge much for the service.

[GunnyJ]

Dobbs and O'Reilly are both yesterday's news. It is time for fresh young faces. News TV has a bad habit of trying to find the next Cronkite, but the mold was broken when he left. Further, news TV is misinformed for thinking an older face is a reliable face. These old men have old and bad views that no longer have a place in American news TV.

[Sparty1]

My husband an I used to watch Lou faithfully, but in the past couple of years I've sorta backed off due to the fact that he only talks about the Mexicans. He says the name like it's killing him. I asked my husband if maybe his daughter has an illegitimate child by a Mexican and he's not taking care of the kid or maybe beating the daughter. You know something that could piss a father off about his daughter. It's gotta be something b/c he really becomes unhinged when it comes time to mention the ILLEGAL ALIENS.

The funniest thing was when my husband told me that his wife was Mexican. If he's carrying on like this about her people, I know she gave up on her race along time ago. She's one of those card carrying VIVA BUSH folks. That is if she still know how to speak Spanish. Coconut.

[sanang]

I used to watch Lou as well and found he presented news I didn't hear on any other programs. I've noticed he has changed and is a very angry man now, I don't watch him rant and rave anymore. He is right about illegal immigration for the most part. We are already overcrowded as it is, we don't need more people!

Lou's wife is not Mexican. I don't know if it is true but I read Lou's daughter who has horses/stables has Mexican illegals who clean out the stables.

[HatingTheGame]

"We are already overcrowded "

That's just the white folk's fear of crowds speaking. America is one of the lowest density of population on the planet. There is plenty of room for more people. Its just that white folk have this fear of crowds, preferring the wide open spaces, with no people, no sounds, no botheration.

That's why we kilt them Injuns, you know? We needed their space.

[millions]

How do you make the case that the US is overcrowded? This list of countries by population density (data from the United Nations World Prospects Report ) shows that the US has a lower population density than a multitude of countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density

[Scarllatti]

Sanang, I watched a program about Lou Dobb's family on CNN. His wife is a Mexican-American. It is one of the ironies that faces Lou. That you are an American does not extinguish your Irish heritage (if you are originally Irish). You get what I mean?

[vschicago]

Saw the video. If Lou Dobbs felt very confident and sure of his position, he wouldn't have to constantly call the man names, yell at him and constantly interrupt him when he tried to respond. Dobbs is either getting too old or too incompetent to continue to have his own show.

[talkingclock]

This is a "Gotcha Lou," moment, because of his behavior, seemed to get a little irritated did he not? Talking over the hosts that he has is nothing new, he does this quite frequently, especially when hosts speak the truth. Rude, rude and I am glad that it is just his opinion, and only his.

[kevinw]

This cut is way into the interview. It is not the complete interview. I agree with most of Waldman's position, but he was irritating to watch and did not have his facts together. I was ready to yell at him for being a waste as a proxy for this issue.

[wm1066]

Whenever I find myself watching Lou lately I have notice he has lied about some point then he uses that lie to further his goofy argument. And he has his usual poodles to echo his lie.

[kellygrrrl]

another one jumps the shark

[KarateKid]

Lou Dobbs was not always like this. I was taken aback at his anger when he returned to CNN after a few years away, so different from his Money Matters show.

He is having one hell of a doozie of a mid life crisis. I thought only women went through menopause, but I guess it happens to some men also.

I always looked at the concept of a superhighway in abstract terms, not as an actual highway.

[Scarllatti]

Lou needs medical evaluation. Something must have gone wrong between these years. Poor Lou.

[scottarino]

I think Lou went nuts when corporate America took over the government while everyone was watching American Idol and sucking back beers nightly and in turn incompetant career politicians were more able to fleece the public in front of everyone and get away with it. I dunno though, I guess you're right with your logical menopause theory. It makes as much sense as democrats voting for slogans and not policy.

[TuffPosh]

What's funny/sad is that if you read the actual MMFA report, they first call the highway a myth, then they admit that it exists as a current set of highways. And, if you look at the comments on the ThinkProgress thread, you'll see that several people have called ThinkProgress on trying to fool them. That's one of the dangers of the HuffPost having someone from TP working for them and the dangers of linking to TP: almost everyone is smarter than TP.

And, here's a quote from BHO:

"the fact that there's this highway being built in Texas that will facilitate more transportation and travel between Mexico and the intercontinental United States, on up to Canada"

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007602.html

Those who support things like the highway are playing with your minds: they know that many people on the left will simply do what they're told and reflexively support something if the people they're told they should dislike oppose it.

[nanotubz]

And the construction is being supervised by the Illuminati.

[Quaoar]

Even if it exists, so what? What is so evil about a highway from Mexico to Canada?

[guajiro]

The bill would demolish property rights and suck the life out of rural communities. All adjoining communities would have to provide infrastructure at their own cost to the corridor inhabitants, who for the most part would be foreigners such as Cintras, while the profits of the toll monies, of the hotels and of the truck maintenance facilities would go to private companies, including foreign conglomerates. All electricity, water, etc. would be paid by U.S. citizens while profits are OUTSOURCED. Then there's the issue of paying your way. In what way is it fair for foreign companies that pay no taxes or fees here, be allowed to use our roadways, benefit from the security our tax-paid policemen offer?