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Lou Dobbs is seeing things (i.e. union beatings)

August 13, 2009 11:03 am ET by Eric Boehlert

The CNN host recently welcomed Kenneth Gladney, the conservative who claims he was savagely beaten by union thugs after a St. Louis town hall forum last week where a GOP mini-mob raised a ruckus.

We wrote about Gladney over the weekend and how the YouTube clip of his "beating" actually shows him being pulled to ground for approximately two seconds before he jumped back up to his feet, apparently unharmed. In TV interviews Gladney's attorney seems to claim the real beating happened before the YouTube clip began. But none of the severe injuries Gladney later claimed he suffered were visible on the video which definitely captured the end of the scuffle.

Anyway, Dobbs hosted Gladney and his attorney, and while the attorney went on and on about how union thugs had kicked Gladney in the head and the side, Dobbs helpfully announced [emphasis added]:

Yeah, this video is pretty declarative as to the points that you're making that we're watching right now. I don't know whether you can see it. But obviously we and the audience are seeing it.

We in the audience were seeing Gladney get kicked in the head and side? Oh brother. Maybe that's what Dobbs saw in his fertile imagination. But what CNN viewers actually saw at that moment on their TV screens was tape of Gladney walking around looking relatively unharmed.

(h/t Crooks & Liars)

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    • Author by bintx (August 13, 2009 11:21 am ET)
      4  
      I saw a man trying hard not to trip over Gladney.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by BurceCarson2008 (August 13, 2009 3:54 pm ET)
        1 2
        This is media matters, lets be fair. It's not clear in the video what happened or how injured he was. Obviously, he was not immediatly injured enough to be writhing on the ground in pain, but last I checked you can't diagnose injuries by how someone is walking immediatly following the event. So, maybe he was injured, maybe not. Either way it doesn't make a difference to the actual health care debatge any more than what some tea bagger has on their sign.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by ForTheLoveOfEllipsis... (August 14, 2009 9:38 am ET)
          1 1
          last I checked you can't diagnose injuries by how someone is walking immediatly following the event.

          Which of course is why Bill Frist could diagnose Terri Schiavo froma few minutes of highly edited videotape. Of course Gladney could get up and walk after a vicous beating--can't everyone? Sheesh?...
          Report Abuse
    • Author by rwmacdonald2091 (August 13, 2009 11:24 am ET)
      4  
      Wonder why the right wing crackpots aren't screaming about ambulance chasing lawyers?

      Ya know just a thought
      Report Abuse
    • Author by IRONY 101 (August 13, 2009 11:31 am ET)
      3  
      Lou, have you checked Gladney's birth certificate?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (August 13, 2009 11:39 am ET)
        1
      Gladney's lawyer also claims whiplash in 3... 2... 1...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by mk3872 (August 13, 2009 11:44 am ET)
      4  
      Amazing how Lou Dobbs in one breath will crucify people playing victim and then brings on loons like this claiming themselves to be victims when they were there to disrupt the meeting. Real nice.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by seeryer (August 13, 2009 11:49 am ET)
      3  
      Ths whole Gladney thing is absolutely blown out of proportion to make it seem as though it is "union thugs" creating the hateful atmosphere. I saw the clip when it first came out and I was thinking, "beaten? The guy doesn't even seem shaken up!". Also, at first Gladney said he was passing out flags, then the story turned into he is a capitalist and was trying to make a little money off of the flags. There have been similar inconsistencies as this has played out. Why can't anyone besides Gladney and his attorney appear anyone to give their side of the story?
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Limit Corp. Ownership (August 13, 2009 4:47 pm ET)
      3  
      Lou's main problem at this point is not that he's seeing things...

      It's that he's hearing things. This is a dangerous problem. This is the beginning psychosis Lou. You're losing it, pal.

      ...The only cure is to get your head outa yer ass.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Slimpic (August 14, 2009 7:59 am ET)
           
        As Jackie Gleason used to say "HOW SWEET IT IS". Lou Dobbs is there to stay because CNN needs all the ratings help they can get!
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    • Author by Deano (August 13, 2009 11:49 pm ET)
         
      The poetic justice of course is that Gladney had lot his job so he didn't have health insurance and was asking for donations to pay for his brief (fake) hospital say! HA HA HA!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by LORISNJ (August 14, 2009 8:34 am ET)
         
      What we have here is a fairy tale...Once upon a time there was a TV guy, called "Mr. Potato Head"; who tried to get the heroes of the story, called "Average American Citizens" to believe that mean old nasty union guys, he called them "Union Thugs", used violence to stop Average American Citizens, from voicing their opinions.

      Mr. Potato Head wanted to convince Average American Citizens that this poor pathetic fellow, called Mr. Boo Boo got the crap beat out of him by the Union Thugs just because Mr. Boo Boo had a different point of view. Mr. Boo Boo came on Mr. Potato Head's TV show with his lawyer, Mr. Sharky, and claimed he was brutally beaten. Mr. Sharky confirmed the many injuries suffered at the hands of these Union Thugs. Mr. Sharky and Mr. Boo Boo are hoping that Mr. or Mrs. Future Juror will be watching and will have their calculators out.

      Mr. Potato Head was very sympathetic and looked directly at the camera and told the Average American Citizens that they could be next. Mr. Potato Head also claimed that the sky was falling, that he could take you across the pond without eating you, and that you would be safe in his straw house.

      But don't worry, be happy - just put Mr. Potato Head's ear where his mouth should be and put his nose where his eye should be and switch his feet with his hat and then have a great big laugh!!!

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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    • Author by Tbone Slickens (August 16, 2009 10:26 am ET)
         
      Attack the victim. Nice MMfA. I wouldn't expect anything less of the "compassionate" dems!

      Let's look at the facts here. Six UNION THUGS were ARRESTED for this. Make fun of the poor victim...yuk it up. I mean, how bloody does he have to be for you to care.

      Projection on my part, but, I can guarantee that had an AA democrat/ACORN member been bruised during a dem rally, we'd still be under the fallout.

      Hypocrite thy name is liberal.
      Report Abuse

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