Dobbs responds to criticism of his comments on Howard Dean

So says the man who threw an on-air multi-day hissy-fit because it was mentioned that his wife got booted from a plane for having a loaded gun. "I'm sorry if the police report is too factual for you, Lou."

Lou Dobbs, Shame on you.
You are behaving so badly i thought you had Contracted the Swine Flu.
You should be careful and learn from Glen Beck.
All his Sponsors are jumping overboard like their Fleeing a Hulking Ship Wreak.

Speak truth to power.


Mr. News

That's an apology? That he's sorry the allusion went over the head of his mouth-breathing listeners?

The only thing worse than someone making a half-a$$ed apology is when that person makes a half-a$$ed literary reference as an attempt to belittle someone.

Bram Stoker never used the word "bloodsucker" in "Dracula".

I just reread the book on vacation and a certain person on CNN reminds me of the Count. I'm waiting for him to show a clip of the birfirs or astroturfers and say, ""Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"

Just because you can claim it's a "literary reference" doesn't mean it isn't violent.

Pathetic. How can one be that old and that childish at once?

Next time I'm at a GOP event, I'll ask around.

Like all big-mouth right-wing hacks, Dobbs gets brittle and angry when he gets called out for his aggressive idiocy. And like all brittle and angry wing-nuts he telegraphs his contempt for his critics with a condescending non-apology.
In this particular case Dobbs' conceit (or pretense) is that his critics are too stupid to appreciate his "allusion". Dobbs thinks he's smarter than us. Some of what follows may seem like nitpicking, but I hate to be condescended to, especially by someone who isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is. So let's break down Dobbs' statement and apology and see if his condescension has merit. Here's his initial statement:

"I thought we had gotten rid of this left-wing pest for a while," Dobbs said. "But I guess he is just resurgent. He is a blood-sucking leftist. You have got to put a stake through his heart to stop this guy. So you have to get him credit for resilience even if he is a lefty."

Now his apology:

"I'm sorry if a Bram Stoker allusion is too literary for some, and for those who could not make what was seemingly an obvious connection, my deepest apologies and I'll gladly withdraw the latter part of my remark,"

First of all if it had been an allusion it wouldn't have been an allusion to Bram Stoker but to the vampire, a creature of folklore. Using Stoker's name after the fact in order to elevate a common cultural reference to the realm of "literary" in an attempt at diminishing his critics is pathetic and falls completely flat. Stoker's novel is a literary work and may even be considered literature, but references such as "blood-sucking" and "put a stake through his heart" don't allude to Stoker or his particular book but to the general vampire, regardless of its originations. It's a cultural reference, not a literary one. On top of that, if it were a literary reference it would allude to the book, not to the author.
Second, there's no allusion to be found, simply a metaphor. Howard Dean is a vampire.
Third, Dobbs, in his initial statement, mixes his metaphors. "Pest", ("I thought we had gotten rid of this left-wing pest...") used with "blood-sucking" doesn't connote a vampire but rather an insect. One wouldn't consider a vampire a "pest". Dobbs then moves on to the obvious (and cliched) vampire reference "put a stake through his heart", which, along with "blood-sucking", does connote a vampire, but his full statement is clearly a mixed metaphor.
Fourth, Dobbs complains that some "could not make what was seemingly an obvious connection." But the connection was crystal clear to his critics. It was the connection between his aggressive tone, his intent to silence Dean, and his implied metaphorical violence, all during this time of intense right-wing agitation.
Fifth, the proper characterization of what comes out of Dobbs' mouth in any given moment would be "illusion" regardless of any attempt he might make at "allusion".

Thats our Lou, taking a wooden stake to a fight that could use a good insect repellent.
Or maybe a fish, they consider mosquito larva prime fillete.

Let's see: "stake through his heart":

A) I know what that means because I am well versed in Stoker lore

B) I know what that means because I've bumped into one of the several million available non-Stoker vampire references at some point in my life

C) I don't know what that means.

According to Dobbs, if not A then C. Something is missing...

It is incredible that Dobbs and his Fox News cronies can make public threats to public people and not be held accountable by the same laws that other Americans are held to if they were to make threats to their neighbors. Lock the entire right wing "entertainers" up! Take them to court for their threats so that they have to pay restitution for slander and threatening, instead of allowing these bald faced "apologies" and the crazy remarks to continue. Also, make sure you contact the "news" organizations that allow this and boycott their advertisers!

Poor Lou, Just can't take the truth. It was his wife and she did have a loaded gun. At least no one called her Bride of Frankenstein or a non truthtelling rightest! Poor Lou!

Gee, I'm impressed. You know, Dobbs, that time we called your mother a Jezebel who spread more disease than Typhoid Mary and should die of her own viruses? We're sorry if a Biblical and Irish-American historical reference are too literary for some, and for those who could not make what was a seemingly obvious connection, our deepest apologies and we will then (and only then) withdraw the latter part of our remark.

With apologies like this, who needs a putdown? Now you've added condescention to your recent mean spiritedness. Kindly keep your apologies to yourself, because frankly, I share Rhett Butler's opinion about you and why don't you go "Lady Chatterly's Lover" yourself.

Lou is doing his job. He creates ratings. He does not deliver anything worth tuning in for. I would like to see him point out the facts of the existing health care the population has. He knows this fact would crush him so he chooses to ignore the facts. A common theme in the new industry.

I would also like to see the democratic supporter put advertising to work. Take a British citizen or Canadian that needs a hip replacement. Show the cost to the insured and the cost to the under insured, than the cost if you have no insurance