Dobbs vs. CNN
How will network solve serious problem with its premier host?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, July 23, 2009

CONTACT Jessica Levin (202) 772-8162 jlevin@mediamatters.org

Washington, DC -- Today, Media Matters for America called further attention to Lou Dobbs' continued use of his CNN show and his radio show to legitimize conspiracy theories about President Obama's birth certificate. Dobbs' mainstreaming of such claims comes even as other CNN figures -- including his stand-in, Kitty Pilgrim -- have repeatedly and resoundingly debunked them, calling them "nutty" and "ludicrous."

"CNN has a very serious Lou Dobbs problem on its hands," said Eric Burns, President of Media Matters. "All eyes are on CNN to see how the network will handle a host who has clearly become a stain on its journalistic credibility."

Media Matters released the following web video today on Dobbs' undermining the network's credibility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXmqTmRPAng

BACKGROUND

Dobbs has repeatedly claimed on both his television and radio shows that President Obama has failed to address the claims of "birther" conspiracy theorists. He has said that Obama needs to "produce a birth certificate" and that the birth certificate the president posted online more than a year ago has "some issues."

However, several of Dobbs' CNN colleagues have distanced themselves from these claims:

• On the July 17 edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight, guest host Kitty Pilgrim said that CNN "found no basis" for the birth certificate claims and cited "overwhelming evidence that proves that his birth certificate is real, and that he was born in Honolulu," including Obama's birth certificate posted online by FactCheck.org.

• Later on the July 17 Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN contributor Errol Louis stated of the theory's proponents, "I think what we have here is a case where under the guise of saying, well, we can't trust whether or not he should be president because we don't have the evidence, it's actually the reverse."

• On the July 21 edition of CNN Newsroom, host Rick Sanchez held up a printed copy of Obama's birth certificate and then said, "To a large and vocal group of Americans, this paper that I just showed you might as well be bathroom tissue. Factual? Maybe. Enough to stop the speculation? Absolutely not." He later added: "[W]e certainly hope that there are people out there who do their own fact-checking, see for themselves what's on the record, and see that this seems to be more conspiratorial than factual."

• On the July 21 edition of Larry King Live, CNN political contributor James Carville said of those who don't believe Obama is a natural-born American citizen: "These people are poor -- these poor pathetic people are believing stuff, just like -- just like [Liz] Cheney tonight. She refuses to say this is ludicrous, because she actually wants to encourage these people to believe this. It's just a simple thing. This is a nutty thing. There's nothing to this. I disagree with this president's policies."

• On the July 22 edition of CNN Newsroom, CNN contributor Roland S. Martin said: "This is a small group of nutty people." He also discussed a video clip in which Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) is challenged by a woman who claims Obama has not produced a birth certificate. Martin said the woman's "I want my country back" comment means, "How is this black guy all of the sudden running the country?"

Despite the fact that his colleagues have rejected the "birther" claims, Dobbs has continued to repeat them on both CNN and his radio show. As Comedy Central's Jon Stewart asked, referring to Dobbs on the July 22 edition of The Daily Show, "Do you even watch CNN?"

• On the July 22 broadcast of his radio show, Dobbs said that Obama could "make the whole...controversy disappear...by simply releasing his original birth certificate."

• On the July 22 broadcast of his radio show, Dobbs responded to Martin's suggestion that race was fueling the controversy: "I can't believe Roland would say something that stupid -- that it's racist." Dobbs also called Martin's July 22 CNN.com commentary dismissing the claims "a hoot."

• Dobbs stated on the July 20 edition of his CNN program that the birth certificate questions offered by "passionate supporters" "won't go away because they haven't been dealt with, it seems possible to, straightforwardly and quickly."

• On the July 21 edition of his CNN show, Dobbs said: "We had people, including reporters from the LA Times, calling up because I referred to this. ... Instead of calling the White House to ask why they didn't do it, they're calling me to ask why I said I don't know what the reality is. No one does."

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