UPDATE: Lou Dobbs responds to his critics...
For a little while now, the CNN anchor Lou Dobbs has been claiming that illegal immigrants bring a host of problems into the United States, including leprosy.
Evidently, illegal immigrants were one of the main causes of the soaring leprosy rate, which went from only a hundred-odd cases a year to 7000 in the last three years. Seven thousand! That's an awful lot of lepers! The only problem is that the figure isn't true at all. A few weeks back, during a piece on 60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl questioned the statistic, pointing out that it seems to be entirely untrue, in the sense that there is absolutely no proof for it, and that the available information seems to point in the opposite direction.
Dobbs admitted that the statistic was misleading if not entirely false. Then, the very next night, he hopped back on the air at CNN to reiterate and emphasize the immigrant-related leprosy rate. As David Leonhardt of the New York Times wrote, Dobbs "has never acknowledged on the air that his program presented false information twice. Instead, he lambasted the officials from the law center for saying he had."
This kind of behavior can really make someone unpopular in the news business. It can even make a guy a leper. So what gives? How can someone have such flagrant disregard for the truth? Is it an isolated incident or part of a pattern? Should he be permitted slips now and again? Should everyone? What standard should he be held to?
Here's a good piece on Dobbs from my magazine, the New Yorker. Below are the videos addressed above.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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Posted May 30th 2007 10:29AM by Ben Greenman
Filed under: Politics, Media, Illegal Immigration
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Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 7)
46. The use of distorted numbers in not uncommon as we all know and many times go unquestioned.The number I keep hearing of deaths of iraq civilians is 650,000 in 4 yrs of war in Iraq.No doubts? HMMM Where did that number come from that many use? Look closer-that is about 1600 days into 650,000 deaths=406 deaths per day. When did anyone hear of that kind of number of civilians dieing each and every day in Iraq? 406 a day??? When one needs to use lies to prop up an opinion they have a weak arguement. How stupid to use that number and how stupid many believe it without questioning it.
robert okane at 5:48AM on May 31st 2007
47. This opinion stated as fact is the prime example of bogus rogue journalism. Dobbs addressed this claim complete with clips when he had the dupp liars from the southern poverty law center on his show. Dobbs went back frame by frame on each of their claims and they sat there and tried to spin his words and were left with their peckers in their hands ! what a crock of journalistic crap this is to claim something that was proven an out and out lie on Dobbs show ! Do these types of story book writers actually believe what they read by others and pen so fast to mirror false account believe they will not be subject to an eraser of fact think they can blot out the truth ? Better to appear the fool in silence than be the fool in opinion of false reporting ! This is one career where one should not read between the lines ! As for the SPLC, they are one of the worst NFP special interest pandering slimey orgs there is IMO check their track record !
Liz at 9:25PM on May 30th 2007
48. Look at all the neocons defending Dobb's persistent deceit. Lovely.
D at 9:18PM on May 30th 2007
49. Lou Dobbs is the only news person in America reporting the truth on outsourcing of American jobs and the invasion by Illegal Aliens. Without Lou, Mr. Bush and corporate America would continue to pull the wool over the eyes of legal American citizens. Your "Bush" job on Lou will not stop him or true Americans who believe in our country and our way of life.
rseog at 9:32PM on May 30th 2007
50. It seems to me that Lou spends a great deal of time "hating" and perhaps should spend more time on corporate welfare and the Iraq war.Also, the question of immigration reminds me of the Hiatian refugges of the 80's and the Chinese Exclusionary Acts of the 1800's.
Pure hate.
Louie at 9:35PM on May 30th 2007
51. Dobbs is one of the best newsmen on television, and usually right on. But he's human. He was wrong on the errant border patrol men who were arrested and convicted, and he might be wrong on the leprosy story too. But he is right on when it comes to telling it like it is regarding Bush and the GOP Criminal Element, the Bush/Chalabi Iraq War, and the planned elimination of the middle class in our country. I'm sure he will correct his errors on both the border patrolmen and leprosy when he has the facts.
Keith Haugen at 10:05PM on May 30th 2007
52. Fire the bastard! We have much-too-much of his kind of rhetoric taking place and it is time we begin to exact a toll.
PJK at 10:06PM on May 30th 2007
53. Ben GreenmanReports
Ben Greenman is the author of several works of fiction...
I think the above words from Benny's own "Blog" says more about him than anything else. Apparently he's added to his works of fiction here again - by misquoting what Mr. Dobbs has already cleared up, and has made PERFECTLY CLEAR.
C'mon Benny - get a REAL job beyond your little "blogworld".
Tony at 10:06PM on May 30th 2007
54. I knew it would be a matter of time before 'they' went after him. He's touched on far too many sensitive subjects that are unheard of these days ...that are the days of the patriots oppression.
He takes a stand, a serious stand that is against the hypocrisy of our government and is for the citizens of AMERICA.
Our own is selling us out (ports, outsourcing, etc), and selling us short (over taxing of the middle class, the recent bill for amnesty), yesm that's exactly what it is. The selling out of America
Let me say this, if we crucify this man, who will we have left?
George Bush?
Dick Cheney?
Haliburton?
Who started all of these lies that you can't stand anyway? Would we even be at war right now had it not been for the...lies?
Where's the cross for those responsible for where we are as a country?
Leave Dobbs alone. He tells the truth.
It is 'they' who simply hate it, and will do anything to shut him up.
Like they did with Dan Rather.
A concerned citizen at 10:23PM on May 30th 2007
55. why not give lou dobbs a pass on his disseminating completely false information designed to invoke fear and hate in our country? george w. bush has been getting away with it for six years now. also, on the subject of amputees remaining on active duty in iraq, why not again? american has had a (p)resident without a brain since 2000. just thought i'd share.
gus at 11:14PM on May 30th 2007
56. LOU DOBBS IS ONE OF MOST ARROGANT NEWS ANCHOR ON THE AIRWAVES TODAY. SURLY, LOU DOBBS GOT SOME ISSUES RIGHT AND OTHER WRONG. BUT YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HE IS WRONG WITHOUT CHECKING THE FACTS. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT COMPUTER GENERATED FLAG BEHIND LOU? DOES THAT MEAN LOU DOBBS IS A UNTOUCHBLE?
plans at 1:05AM on May 31st 2007
57. Pat Buchanan said on TV tonight that Lou Dobbs was correct with his statement on leprosy and that he, Pat Buchanan has that in his book.
ns at 2:09AM on May 31st 2007
58. Lou tells it like it is! He might get one wrong every once in a while - but look at Congress / Senate / Whitehouse / Local politicians/ etc., I will still watch hime!
Katy at 1:40AM on May 31st 2007
59. I am surprised they waited so long before they begin attacking him. I want to know "where is the Washington madam's list?" That is a real issue that simply disappeared! HUM!
Katy at 1:43AM on May 31st 2007
60. For all you hot shots that think that the illegal immigration issue is not real. Why don't you take a nice walk to downtown Mexico city, Los Angeles. I guess none of you liberals have walked down seventh street to alvarado or broadway.I have not meet one democrat or republican that likes what he or she see's in Los Angeles. Where illegals vote and run for political office. Americans of all ethnicities need to start thinking of how they are going to survive in a country without laws, democracy,and capitalicism. The american culture as we know it has been destroyed by the abused of the first and second amendments of our great constitution. You do not have to belief in Dobbs, you can experience it first hand.
Loneranger at 5:14AM on Jun 20th 2007