Obama: Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs Responsible For Rise In Hate Crimes Against Hispanics

At a fundraiser in Florida Thursday night, Barack Obama accused anti-immigrant crusaders Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh of "ginning things up" to such an extent that there was a rise in hate crimes against Hispanics last year.

"A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There's a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year," Obama said. "If you have people like Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh ginning things up, it's not surprising that would happen."

Politico's Jonathan Martin writes that Limbaugh addressed Obama's remarks on his radio show today and said that the remarks hurt his feelings.

"I actually don't believe this. Barack Obama, in my own state, raising money for his presidential campaign called me xenophobic at a fundraiser," Limbaugh said. "I thought this guy was the unity candidate? Calling me a Xenophobe? Responsible for hate crimes? My feelings are hurt here."

Earlier this year, promoting his book "His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S.," Geraldo Rivera called Dobbs a "hate-monger" and said "I would not shake his hand because this is a man that's done more damage to the cause of sensible, comprehensive reform than anyone with a microphone."

Comments

[Raymondf]

Simple, if you don't have a work visa, or student visa, our tourist visa you don't get in this country.

[sf94127]

Wow, for a guy who claims to be on top of solving problems, this one is up there with some of Mike Huckabees statements at the NRA.

Another example of how clueless Obama is about the problems we have. He is just a Chicago machine politician. He maxed out at Alderman.

[reshas1]

WHAAAAAAAA WHAAAAAAAAA The Dems have the whining down... Operation Chaos is the funnies thing that has come down the pike in a LONG time.... Keep it up Rush...

[Tiredofallthis]

Yeah laugh it up funny man. There's nothing funnier than screwing with
the voting system which is the very foundation of democracy.
Who needs bin laden when you have rush.

[kingofscotts]

So I assume you were equally upset when so called "progressive" groups called on Dems to vote in the Repub primaries to string out the battle?

Suddenly when it happens to your party you are shocked, just shocked.

Surely you have a post condemning the Dems for doing the same thing right?

Ah you feel pretty sillly right now don't you?

[Raymondf]

You put California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas National Guardsmen on the border to suppliment the Border Patrol, With orders If Illigals don't stop to be arrested, shoot to kill.

[tecpatl]

Amazing - we don't shoot child rapists or even keep them in prison for more than a handful of years, but you believe that we should kill human beings for violating immigration laws?

[Raymondf]

We should shoot child rapists.

[prverde]

Raymondf you are another hate monger, sinful creep. You should go to Cancun so maybe they could do to you what you wish they do to the poor immigrants....

[Hope42]

@donkat from Colorado:
Do you think those "small growers, restaurants and more" have tried paying more money...like a living wage??? Nah, much easier to pay slave wages. Most Americans would pay more money at a restaurant or for a remodeling of their house if they knew it went to AMERICAN workers and American workers would be glad to work for a higher salary...something they could survive on, maybe, huh?

[Raymondf]

Instead of the hate crime against Hispanics, we need to worry more about the Hispanic gangs, like Ms13, and a few others, that are in all large cities, and some smaller cities that are killing by murder, and selling drugs on our streets to school age children as well as adults. It doesn't do any good to deport them, they will just come back again. We need to put them in prison for about 10 years, maybe they will get killed in prison. Thats what the Mexicans would do if the shoe was on the other foot.

[Sparty1]

Wow. I'm assuming that you know so many gang members of all races and so you'd know about them selling to kids. I'm sure that you are speaking of everyone that goes to prison would get killed while locked up. Not just the dreaded Mexicans.

[liseworks]

OBSESSION : Without self-control, ya just start looking crazy.
Lou Dobbs can have his point of view & enjoys free speech to state it, that's America.
Sean Hannity, same thing.

But these 2 need to get psychiatric help.
Sean Hannity is so obsessed that I almost think he's got a latent "thing" for Obama & "small peepee" syndrome.
I turn to Fox during commercial breaks & EVERY TIME I DO, he's talking about Obama & REPEATING what he's been saying for 4-5 months now.
I really do think he's obsessed -

Lou Dobbs has now joined the Hannity ranks of Obsessed Looney-tunes on TV -

[donkat]

I used to watch Lou Dobbs but found I could not longer do so. He does incite hatred as he gives groups like the Minute Men Militia credibility. Unfortunately, most of those who follow him are, most likely racist. I mean, what if a bunch of Swedes were coming across the border. I suspect there would be no problem with that.

Small growers, restaurants and more rely on the willingness of these hard working immigrant (legal and illegal) people to do a job. I live in Colorado where it is very difficult to find anyone who wants to work at all! I know, shocking. But I know this, most of them wouldn't never pick fruit or bus tables to make a living. Our world would be a very different and more difficult place to live without immigrant contribution.

Yes, something must be done. But fanning the fire as Lou does against illegals, does not help. I wish he would address those special visas used to hire computer techs, paying them a slave wage, and putting Americans out of those jobs.

[Raymondf]

The minute men are a good orgization, they do mre than our border patrol does.

[randyjet]

As a member of the MCDC, I can say that I wish more people would join us. It is funny to hear idiots say we are anti-HIspanic since two out of three of our major leaders are Hispanic. Also it overlooks the fact that many if not most of us live along the border for the simple reason we LOVE Hispanic culture. You don't move to the border if you hate Hispanics folks As for Lou Dobbs he is too modest to point out to the liars about him that he is married to a Mexican American woman. Not only that, but growing up, he worked in the fields as a farm worker doing the jobs that supposedly Americans won't do, right alongside the Mexican workers. He is pissed off that the illegals drive down the wages for ALL Americans and are used as scabs by unscrupulous employers to make more money at their expense. He has the same position on that as Ceasar Chavez by the way.
Dobbs HAS been protesting the misuse of visas to undercut American workers too.

[prverde]

Yes donkat....
Lou Dobbs's hatred for the immigrants (I think he hates all Latinos but is afraid to mention it) is horrendous. None ever talks about the millions of immigrants that are here who do not cross a border but come here on Jetlines, on cruisers as tourist and stay in the USA. But since most of them are Europeans they mingle with the crows and no one sees them. The immigrants crossing the border are mostly brown faced and poor so they are easy to see they do not mingle with the white population.

By the way, BillO'reilly also hates immigrants and latinos period. O'reilly showed his hatred when he had Geraldo Rivera on his show and he almost hit Geraldo over the immigration saga.

[McPander]

Lou is married to a Hispanic woman so I doubt if he hares all Hispanics.

The issue of illegal immigration is a legal issue. We have borders for a reason.

I have no problem with the U.S. absorbing Mexico as a hole. The corruption of the Mexican Govt. is well known and it seems that the Mexican population would rather leave than fight for their own country.

[tgood]

The FBI stats show that once again, Obama is quoting facts straight out of LaRaza, the racist group that pretends it's about Hispanic issues when actually it is amnesty and open borders they're after. The hate crimes against Hispanics is actually at the bottom of the list so if Obama wants to crucify anyone who doesn't endorse his open border stance, he really needs to stop the lies and use real facts. He states a few months ago he had heard Lou Dobbs rant about immigrants. Wrong. Illegal aliens and legal immigrants being mixed together is what an Obama or LaRaza does to distort the picture. When they are presented with the facts, their prejudice for illegal aliens and bias against U.S. citizens is glaring.

[liseworks]

2 points :
1. Yes, Immigration reform needs to happen - borders need to be better-secured, esp. in this age of terrorism.
2. Personally, my life is much richer for the wonderful, hard-working Latinos that I know & work with.
Ask yourself : How many Latinos do you see with (stolen) shopping carts at Freeway exits or street corners ? None. Ever. Zilch. They work !! & they often do work that your brother & mine wouldn't want to do - I say, legalize the ones that are here & thriving & start on bettering our border security -

[Gingerously]

Once again, hypocrisy. Obama, like Clinton and McCain, voted for that awful border fence. Now he's backtracking. Like I said, had he been in the Senate in the 2002, he would have voted for the war.

[peacebro]

Obama knows....every thought we have throughout the day either helps unite us or devides us in some way.

We are all in one lifeboat here in this world and throwing rocks at those across from us has no useful purpose. For Obama to call someone out on what they are doing is clearly appropriate.

How are you helping us work together today?

What can you do right now?


.

[EricArthurBlair]

It's impossible to hurt the feelings of someone who hasn't any.

[ibsteve2u]

Illegal is illegal. See: http://www.mexico-trade.com/citizen.html

Oh, wait...those are Mexico's laws - and they enforce them.

[Raymondf]

Very true, and we need to enforce ours.

[JAMES GORMAN]

LOU DOBBS HAS JUST BECOME A BIGOTTED Loudmouth--and has laid aside every decent
principle of compassion for immigrants trapped here. He ridiculed the Cardinal in Los Angelos
who has done reasonable programs for the relief of Mexican Mom's with kids and no healthcare
plus bad food. The guy from Oklahoma who collects five dollar bills for potatos to feed the children
does more good than all of Lou Dobbs and his middle class--he is just Lou Loud and as obnoxious
as O'Reilly--I turned him off along with CNN a year ago--still like their weather tho!! Gorman12

[crossoverwriter]

Again, Obama calls it as it really is.
Lay off Lou Dobbs, turn off Limbaugh, route out the last crusty pockets of racism in this country.
Go Obama!

[Raymondf]

You ,or no one else will ever rute out racism in this country, Blacks hate Whites, and Whites are affraid of Blacks. but God will get rid of all this very soon.

[VARIT00L]

The Fact is ...Black's are affraid of Black's