Subject: Obama's birth certificate

email from moveon.org | July 29, 2009 | Justin Ruben

[Jim Robinson]

Dear MoveOn member,

Why is CNN promoting right-wing paranoid conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate?

The fringe ideas of the so-called "birthers" have been thoroughly debunked.1 But CNN host Lou Dobbs perpetuates these myths by constantly talking about them on his shows and asserting that Obama still needs to "produce a birth certificate."

This is not responsible journalism. Our friends at Media Matters have launched a campaign calling on CNN to address its Lou Dobbs problem—but a lot of us are going to have to speak out in order to get CNN's attention. Clicking here will add your name to their petition:

http://civ.moveon.org/stopdobbs/o.pl?id=16683-3642389-BTxzaSx&t=3

The petition reads:

Dobbs' relentless promotion of outlandish conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama's birth certificate seriously damages CNN's credibility. It is time for "The Most Trusted Name in News" to prove it deserves viewers' trust. We the undersigned demand CNN address its Lou Dobbs problem in a credible manner. Numerous reporters, including CNN's own hosts, have debunked the idea that Obama wasn't really born in the U.S.2

Nevertheless, Dobbs has repeatedly claimed on both his television and radio shows that the birth certificate the president posted online more than a year ago has "some issues"3—and lashed out at "lily-livered lefties" who criticized him.

CNN's reputation is on the line. Their president, Jon Klein, has admitted that anyone who "is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef"—but he has refused to correct the situation.4

CNN needs to hear that allowing Dobbs' to promote "birther" conspiracy theories is simply irresponsible. Please sign the petition by clicking here:

http://civ.moveon.org/stopdobbs/o.pl?id=16683-3642389-BTxzaSx&t=4

Thank you for your help in holding CNN accountable.

–Justin, Eli, Lenore, Michael and the rest of the team

Sources:

1, 2. "As Dobbs digs in, CNN rebuts, ridicules, distances itself from birth certificate claims." Media Matters for America, July 22, 2009. http://mediamatters.org/research/200907220035

"Born in the USA." FactCheck.org. November 1, 2009. http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

3. "Dobbs repeatedly makes Obama birth certificate claims his CNN colleagues call 'total bull'." Media Matters for America, July 17, 2009. http://mediamatters.org/research/200907170039

4. "Dobbs 2, CNN 0: CNN president Klein reportedly calls Dobbs' birther coverage 'legitimate'." Media Matters for America, July 25, 2009. http://mediamatters.org/blog/200907250009

[Jim Robinson]

Woo hoo!! CNN has finally given up on communism and has gone right-wing!!

[Lurker]

SNORT! They used “CNN” and “credibility” in the same sentence. Silly MO.

[Jim Robinson]

Where’s the REAL birth certificate?

[Tublecane]

“This is not responsible journal”

SInce when was Lou Dobbs a journalist?

[pennboricua]

I believe they have made a mistake taking on Lou, I would be very surprised if he does not do a show from Hawaii, pointing out all the facts on what is available on obama.

[Tennessee Nana]

seriously damages CNN’s credibility.
________________________________________________

Huh ???? What credibility ????

[corlorde]

It’s hidden safely in Bill O’reilly’s closet ;-)

[Frantzie]

I love the line that the whining lib writer screans about CNN and lou “this is not responsible journalism!”

I guess they think Olberman, maddow and matthews are “responsible journalism” or the O knee pads the WA Post and NY Times wear.

[silverleaf]

MoveOn .... forced to spend precious Soros loot pursuing the birthers

It will only get better

[HiTech RedNeck]

The lapdog nipped a finger or two? Awwwww.

[a fool in paradise]

This is not responsible journalism. Our friends at Media Matters

Ah yes, the utterly shameless Soros front group who maliciously redact quotes read by conservatives and falsely attribute passages they are reading to the one doing the speaking, omitting the reader's immediate rebuttal of the passages.

[bareford101]

Where is the real birth certificate of the Counterfeit pres. Not the counterfeit one, but the real records??

obamanation is a provable liar. What is wrong with vetting a person who is running for office? That is just good business.

Lou Dobbs is brave enough to stop swallowing the lies which rush out of this administration with the speed that only lies can. Alinksi playbook is the bible of the Counterfeit pres.

[antceecee]

LOL!!

[Jim Robinson]

Oooh, I feel a tingle going up my leg.

[saganite]

I watched Lou last night just to see if he’s still talking about the birth certificate and indeed he is but he claims he believes Obama is legitimate. AFAIK he’s the only one on CNN bringing it up so I wouldn’t say CNN has changed. They’ll probably have to fire Lou to shut him up because he’s very opinionated and not likely to back down. I believe they already ran him off once.

[joejm65]

If CNN has decided to spend a few minutes of their daily programming on issues that lean to the right, then congratulations. Someone at the top may have finally realized that being a distant #2 in the ratings is a situation that can be addressed by - gasp - appealing to a broader audience. We’ll see.

[Baladas]

Naturally, moveon’s first reply is to sqeich free speech, them being the communists that they are.

CNN’s president contradicts that woman in Hawaii.

[STARWISE]

[PennsylvaniaMom]

The BC issue has legs because EVERYONE can understand the need to produce one when asked (by an employer; a school district; a sports league). We (the little people) routinely have to ID ourselves...why can’t he? Its so simple.

Dr. Orly Taitz, who has been at the forefront of the BC cause, has found discrepancies that lead to the use of fake ID (multiple Social Security numbers) by The One. Her work (the Sgt. Cooke lawsuit) has gone ‘mainstream.’

My new taggy kinda says it all...right now, I think we are in ‘the fight.’

Thanks for letting us discuss this issue here Mr. R.!!!

[lonewacko_dot_com]

The way to push back against MoveOn is a) tell the truth and only the truth about this issue, and b) point out *to their core audience* that those against Dobbs aren’t telling the truth.

I tried and failed to get that point across here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2302987/posts

For tangible examples, see my comments here and at many other places across the web:

mediamatters.org/columns/200907270015#533764
mediamatters.org/columns/200907270015#533704
mediamatters.org/research/200907230036#530464
mediamatters.org/research/200907230036#530190
mediamatters.org/columns/200907230005#530114
mediamatters.org/research/200907220035#529626
mediamatters.org/research/200907220051#529066