Spitzer On Dobbs: "He Spews Venom, Hate and Misinformation"

[marmar]

from AlterNet's PEEK:



Spitzer On Dobbs: "He Spews Venom, Hate and Misinformation"

Posted by Jane Hamsher at 5:05 AM on October 31, 2007.


Jane Hamsher: Elliot Spitzer rightly called out Lou Dobbs for his race baiting in the New York drivers' license controversy.


This post, written by Jane Hamsher, originally appeared on FireDogLake


Elliot Spitzer rightly called out Lou Dobbs for his race baiting in the New York drivers' license controversy yesterday morning (the video is to your right):


SPITZER: Look, I'm not going to demean myself by getting into a back and forth with somebody who on TV spews venom, hate and fundamental misinformation. Of course not. He knows it.

As I said, it's beneath me, it's beneath my office, to, in any way, involve myself with Lou Dobbs. And I think his knowing spread of venom is beneath CNN as well.


Lou, of course, just flipped his shit:


The governor should know better than to inject racism into a debate about giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens or any other debate of public policy.


Well, Lou, that is of course the appropriate thing to do when that's what someone is engaging in.

Dobbs then went on to put up this poll:


Do you believe it is racist to enforce US immigration laws to secure our ports and borders?


I'm sure Lou feels mightily vindicated that the vote is 98% "no" but that isn't what Spitzer claimed, not by a long shot. The chiron then flashed "Fears of Massive Voter Fraud," and I'm waiting for somebody to say there's a risk with these drivers' licenses of massive voter fraud, but it turns out the person who's worried about that is...Lou Dobbs.

Let's remember that Richard Clarke has said that Spitzer's plan will make the country more secure because "it is far preferable for the state to know who is living in it and driving on its roads." And according to AAA, Spitzer's plan will reduce accidents. Spitzer also says it will save New York drivers' $120 million a year in insurance costs.

But Dobbs isn't interested in a serious discussion of the matter -- he's engaging in straw men and throwing red meat to his racist base. While there are many good reasons to support immigration reform, there are also quite a few bad ones and Dobbs takes no responsibility for the fact that his inflammatory rhetoric and long-winded dissembling make him a propagandist and not a journalist who appeals to the worst elements within the immigration reform crowd.

Anyway, watch Spitzer. It's priceless. Haven't enjoyed watching anyone nail Dobbs quite so much since Laura Flanders took her best shot.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=389

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Lou Dobbs is a dangerous xenophobe and racist

Don't bother telling me about his Mexican wife. It's not a defense for the misery he is causing among his fellow human beings currently living in our shared space. He's a destructive asshole.

[Saturday]

2. Lou Dobbs speaks for me.

To call him a racist makes me think you have no more arguements for illegal rights.

[Romulox]

7. Exactly. No serious debate required; we'll just call anyone who disagrees with us a RACIST!

WOLF!!!!

:sarcasm:

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. GOOD! Spitzer has been taking his shit since the Immigrant Driving License issue started! Xenophobe,

Dobbs, called Spitzer a rich, spoiled brat one night. He's been dishing his hatred, venom and misinformation for months on this issue and he deserves to have the crap thrown right back in his face. I cannot stand that man. All he's doing is working up his fellow racists into a frenzy and and now they're all foaming at the mouth with their RABID hatred of "THE MEXICANS!!!!@#$$%" and when his rabid racist viewers start hurting or killing Hispanics because of this issue.....LOU DOBBS CAN STAND UP AND TAKE THE FUCKING BLAME! He's a racist PIG and CNN needs to get rid of his ass.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Spitzer is my Governor and right now I am very pissed with him. He is okaying Real ID which

is another step in the death of our freedom.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

5. Dobbs has gone off the deep end, totally. He borders on the bizarre.

Spitzer prolly pissed off some more corporacrats. He sure did so as AG.

His licensing policy appears to have a protectionist/security objective.

[Romulox]

9. Ummm, amnesty is the #1 priority of the Chamber of Commerce, W, ConAgra foods, etc.

Amnesty is a right wing position that a few corporate Democrats have glommed onto (Hillary et al.)

[Romulox]

6. This is a pretty transparent example of deflection

Spitzer is under fire from all sides for what is, on its face, a nonsensical plan.

So he starts calling anyone who opposes him a racist. What a powerful argument.:eyes:

[Cha]

8. I like Spitzer..he's a smart dude..

and I know lou dobbs is one of the corporatemediawhores..it's about time someone called him on his slop. However, I don't think dobbs in beneath cnn..they're runnin' neck and neck.

[UTUSN]

10. DOBBS actually believes undocumented immigrants VOTE!1

He said so on the SCARBOROUGH circus this A.M. He said that the driver's license would facilitate MASSIVE voting by the undocumenteds, that this would overwhelm our voting procedures. Haha, like we don't have SCOTUS for THAT purpose!1 The ignorant xenophobe (how does his Mexican wife put up with him?!1) actually believes that uneducated, laboring, scared-shitless immigrants have the luxury and motivation and knowledge-of-procedures to VOTE!1 Heck, our home grown natives DON'T VOTE!1 Pul-leeze.