Mr. Independent Becomes Mr. Opposition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, August 7, 2009

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

Dobbs claims he's moving from being an independent to "being absolutely opposed" to "any policy" of Obama's

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Media Matters for America called attention to CNN prime-time host Lou Dobbs, who, while addressing President Obama on his radio show, declared that he was "moving from being an independent, sir, to being absolutely opposed to ... any policy you could conceive of."

"While Lou Dobbs' role as Mr. Independent may not have been believable to those watching his show, it certainly was embraced by CNN," said Eric Burns, President of Media Matters. "Now that Dobbs has publicly announced his opposition to the president's agenda, will Jon Klein still continue to pretend his most opinionated host isn't carrying water for the right wing?"

BACKGROUND

On the August 6 edition of his radio show, Dobbs shouted: "What do you think you're doing, Barack Obama? What kind of mindless, churlish, un-American nonsense are you ginning up this time? I'm moving from being an independent, sir, to being absolutely opposed to ... any policy you could conceive of." As Media Matters has noted, the Associated Press reported in an August 1 article that CNN President Jon Klein believes that "Dobbs has been doing a relatively straight newscast. 'He brings more than three decades of experience reporting and broadcasting the news,' Klein said, 'and that's very valuable to a news network.' "

Dobbs' announcement that he is no longer an "independent" begs the question of whether he ever was one in the first place. As Media Matters has noted, Dobbs frequently smears progressives, the president, and health care reform efforts:

Lou Dobbs' right-wing war on health care reform
http://mediamatters.org/research/200908060043

"Mr. Independent" Dobbs repeatedly smears Obama, progressives as "socialist"

http://mediamatters.org/research/200908060012

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