Lou Dobbs on 60 Minutes



Lou Dobbs had a nickname when The Corsair was an editor at Silicon Alley Reporter. Back in the late 90s, when he was CEO of the quixotic Space.com -- ?! -- every few weeks or so, another story about his, ehr, tantrums, would surface. Some of the editors came up with the sobriquet "Lou Dobbs Does Not Play Well With Others," the others being. of course, other players in that NYC fin-de-siecle playgound known as Silicon Alley (The Corsair sips an unctuous 1982 Chateau Latour).

Nearly a decade later, he has reinvented himself as a Populist Patriot, neither too Democrat nor too Republican. Not only that, but Dobbs moderation in articulating this uncomfortable debate has earned him the respect of the Chattering Class Arbiters -- both Ken Auletta and Kurt Andersen -- and, presently, a spot on CBS's beleagured "Early Show" (The CBS-CNN connection, however vague, oozes Amanpourish journo street cred). And don't forget his usual space at The Grill Room at The Four Season (his favorite haunt), an unlikely spot for a Populist, but there you go. Dobbs is bringing his tough immigration talk to CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday, interviewed by Leslie Stahl. Says CBSNews (link via Drudgie-poo):

"Dobbs is against amnesty programs for illegal immigrants and the president's guest worker proposal, so Stahl wonders whether Dobbs thinks the government could deport all illegal immigrants. "I've never called for their deportation," says Dobbs. "But at the same time, when this president and open-borders, illegal-alien-amnesty advocates say, 'You can't deport them,' my answer is, 'You want to bet?' because this is the United States. I think this country can do anything it sets its mind to," he tells Stahl.

"... The debate is often about illegal immigration. He is a believer in curtailing illegal immigrants' access to some social services. 'I happen to think that it is necessary, given the fact that the federal government won't control immigration and won't control our borders,' Dobbs tells Stahl. Dobbs says he's not for shutting off medical services, but illegal immigrants' use of other entitlements and the public schools is problematic. 'Going to food stamps — should taxpayers be paying for food stamps? Should taxpayers be burdened with schools that are overcrowded?' Dobbs asks. '[Taxpayers'] children, therefore, are being denied education. Those are very serious issues,' he says."

Oh, it's on; it's on like Gray Poupon!

(CBSNews)