Dobbs Sort Of Sorry For Saying Dean Could Be Stopped With "Stake Through His Heart"

CNN host Lou Dobbs is expressing some regret for referring to former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean as a "bloodsucking leftist" who could only be stopped if one "put a stake through his heart."

In a statement to the Huffington Post on Tuesday, Dobbs made a quasi-apology, wrapped in a dig at his critics.

"I'm sorry if a Bram Stoker allusion is too literary for some, and for those who could not make what was seemingly an obvious connection, my deepest apologies and I'll gladly withdraw the latter part of my remark," Dobbs said.

The partial retreat came a day after Dobbs, appearing not on CNN but his syndicated United Stations Radio show, declared that Dean was hitting the airwaves to advance his cause of "liberal fascism."

"I thought we had gotten rid of this left-wing pest for a while," Dobbs said. "But I guess he is just resurgent. He is a blood-sucking leftist. You have got to put a stake through his heart to stop this guy. So you have to give him credit for resilience even if he is a lefty."

The progressive watchdog group Media Matters jumped all over the comment, and like-minded bloggers followed suit. In private, Dean allies are fuming at Dobbs for a comment that not only equates the former Vermont Governor to a vampire, but raises the specter of violence during an emotionally charged health care debate.

UPDATE: It looks like Dobbs' pseudo-apology won't suffice. Jim Dean, the brother of Howard and chair of the progressive group Democracy for America has penned a letter calling for CNN and the United States Radio Network to fire the host. The letter, which was sent to DFA's email list, is below.

It's time to get Lou Dobbs and his hate speech off the air.

Story continues below

advertisement

Yesterday, our friends at Media Matters for America, who are dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media, caught Lou Dobbs promoting hate and inciting violence towards Governor Howard Dean.

With violence from right-wing extremist groups on the rise and Republican backed mobs hanging cardboard versions of members of congress in effigy, Lou Dobbs' statement is dangerous. Enough is enough.

It's time for CNN and the United Stations Radio Network to fire Lou Dobbs.

Call Now and demand Lou Dobbs be taken off the air

WATCH THE CLIP AND GET THE NUMBERS TO CALL NOW

This isn't the first time Lou Dobbs has used the air waves to promote hate and embarrass CNN.

His relentless promotion of debunked, racially charged conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate have already seriously damaged CNN's credibility. Yet, Lou Dobbs remains on the air.

Now, he's gone too far. He's not just making CNN look bad, he's inciting violence to stop Governor Dean from fighting for President Obama's health insurance option. That's not just un-American, it's irresponsible and dangerous.

It's up to us to make sure CNN and the United Stations Radio Network know we've had enough.

CALL NOW AND DEMAND LOU DOBBS BE TAKEN OFF THE AIR

This isn't just about my brother Howard; this is about the America we all want to live in.

Thank you for everything you do,

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[jlib]

He just got called out on it on his own show by Karen Finney and Erroll Louis

[Mozart123]

". . . faith, that faculty which enables us to believe things which we know to be untrue.”

Bram Stoker, "Dracula", Chapt. 14

[ranthny]

Lou is at it again now on his ignorant-slanted spew on his show. I just love how he slants and causally offers his opinion with emphasis on certain words that he knows with be inflammatory. Like for now, he led his show today with planning to reveal all the groups who are representing both sides on this health care debate, both right and left. Funny, he just now is worried about who is backing who, when he previously felt it was all grass roots and that’s why they were venting against the DEMs. Now, one of his sycophant female reporter starts into the story about listing off about 4 or 5 left wing backers and then offers even fewer right wing backers of the extremists. I might as well be watching FOX NEWS, where Lou belongs!

[jackson1015]

Just when I think I can't get any more disgusted by Lou Dobbs---and CNN---they continue to surprise me. And disgust me even further. I will never watch CNN as long as Dobbs stays on their payroll.

[JazzyJim]

Lou has lost it...now he'll have to drink the Kool-aide of the rightwingextremists for work - it's sad that CNN bowed to the pressure to "be like Fox" for ratings as opposed to "being true to whom they WERE, "trusted".

[chomedey]

Dobbs should be ashame and cnn should tell him to go

[Shashi0224]

Lou Dobbs is destroying what is left of the credibility of CNN. When will they take him off the air?

[huffingt]

We don't want our country to be like Russia but we will follow Russian Or ly"
"We are informed citizens but would follow Pa li n because she is the only one who can see Russia from her porch"
"We don't want socialist medicine but want social security, unemployment insurance and medicare"
"We want our country back -back from intellectual people"
"We don't want govt.bureacrates- we can elect govt. Mo rans "
"We don't need a birth certificate to show any where, for any thing but want others to show theirs"
"We want States Right to governance and succession but could use your stimulus money"
"We don't want Govt control but I want them to stand by me at every crises & Katrina in my life"
"We are Americans so we excercise our rights over others"
"We are unique in our own stu pi dity ,so, America is the only place for me"
"We go for meetings to say hands off me when I put my foot in my mouth"
"We can repeat the words -constitution, first ,& second amendment , further than that -we would simply say Our Fore Fathers and Spouses --"

[WernerPatels]

Yeah, sure, Dobbs is "dangerous". Yeah, sure, call for his being taking off the air – because in the world of fascists like the Dean brothers, only lefties should be allowed to have radio shows and spread their (malignant) views.

Lefties only care about their own freedom of speech, but never about that of others.

[roch20]

Huffington PLEASE; STOP ADVERTISING THE LOU "Doolittle" DOBBS SHOW!!!!!

[Tulka2]

Here is a clear contact list of Lou Dobbs sponsors. Take a minute.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6205632

[Tulka2]

P.S. someone back on page five gave this to me. Think about doing your part and pasting this address every page or so....?

[n5ifi]

I'm Hillary Clintonnn
I'm Hillary Clintonnnnn

[Tulka2]

Did that really bug you? I don't know a woman who it bugged, but it really bothered men. H. Clinton looked hot and tired. She was sick of the question. The translator is the one who got it wrong taht one time, but it was not the first time she got that question in the Congo. Hey, i supported Obama in Iowa before most people even knew his name, but H. Clinton is doing a GREAT job.

No one even thinks to ask who arranged it so Bill could go play the knight in white satin. I am irritated for her sake.

[hearmeloudandclear]

List the sponsors for Lou Dogs

[RockiesRiter]

Could Dobbs' "apology" be more half-a**ed?

[DestinationsUnknown]

juat like country first apology for not watching their spending

like that is enough

not

never

[Observer963]

To call that an appology at all ... the damage is done and it was calculated and he knows it ... it is and has been a pattern, it is not like it was a mistake and it slipped his tounge

[michael429]

i don't understand why the HP (which i am very fond of) will run quotes like this but when i refer to John Bolton or Lou Dobbs as lower than pigs**t....they always refuse to post the comment. will someone please explain?

[roch20]

Duh! I'm having the exact same issue with the HuffPost; perhaps hypocrisy is the name of the game!

[Observer963]

You just did!!! I think they are just trying to make folks become more creative here!

[michael429]

nothing creative about the garbage that comes out of the mouths of O'reilly, Hannity, Beck and the rest of them......why should we be held to a higher standard....also, Bill Maher and others routinely use profanity and are published without censorship­....althou­gh this makes me happy it is still frustrating when i want to vent.