Truth, Fiction and Lou Dobbs [David Leonhardt/New York Times smear job]

New York Times ^ | 5/30/07 | David Leonhardt

[middie]

With the exception of Paula Zhan, whom I consider consistently uninformed and is a dunce at questioning on a difficult issue, CNN is a terrific source of news and commentary. It is obvious each day that the ranting radio fools, Limbaugh, Savage, Hannity, et al., blindly and unrelentingly attack CNN; it’s part of their doctrinal mantra. While Fox claims that it is ‘’fair and balanced,’’ an egregiously false claim at best, CNN digs deep into issues and performs well the classic role of a news delivery outlet.

[Mr. Know It All]

I think that with 20 million Mexicans who have recently come to this country illegally who hide in the shadows there is a lot we donÂ’t know about the diseases that they are bringing into this country.

That's an excellent point, and I think it's the point that Dobbs was trying to make. This point is, however, entirely speculative. With the "7000 cases in the last three years" statistic, I think he (and his guest) were trying to substantiate this claim, and they failed — badly. Dobbs then made things worse by getting all huffy about it.

It's too bad, because good data supporting the epidemiological cost of illegal immigration would have furthered the national debate. Instead, Dobbs militantly defended bad data and made the story about what an arrogant jerk he was being. I generally like Lou Dobbs, but I think he was his own worst enemy here.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

I posted a discussion about the wider issue of online advocacy against such smear pieces here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1842609/posts

[jpsb]

Well I would not go that far. CNN is best at breaking news, no one can touch them at breaking news. And it appears they are attempting to stop being a propaganda arm of the socialist left, trying to be good journalists. So I rate them even with Fox. O’Reily being the best on Fox and Lou Dobbs being the best on CNN. Both are excellent. CNN seems to have turned things around and I will give them credit for that. CNN is now watchable where as a year ago it was not.Both Fox and CNN leave ABC/NBC/CBS in the dust.

[middie]

It’s merely a matter of degree, not substantive kind