Media Matters: Right-Wing Rodeo

Erick Erickson: "The minimum wage is for people who have failed at life." Lou Dobbs: Drunk women pretty much get what's coming to them. Phil Robertson: "Convert them or kill them."

Lou Dobbs Vs Rep. Louie Gohmert

We don't often see a Fox anchor going after a GOP rep this way.

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) was just one of 199 Republicans who voted against raising the debt ceiling yesterday, in open defiance of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). But when Gohmert appeared on Fox Business Network with Lou Dobbs, he received what seemed like 100% of the blame for what the host called pure “political theater” by the ultra-conservative wing of the GOP. “How in the world do you expect the Republican Party to not find itself in the same strategic blind and bind that it was in last year when you guys shut down the federal government?” Dobbs demanded of Gohmert. “There comes a time where there just has to be some pragmatism. Go out an win an election, get 400 members, get 100 senators, get a presidency.”

Mount Obamamore

If you only read teabagger sites, you'll believe that the above massive sand sculpture is the official work of the Democratic National Committee. In fact, and as you can easily see, the sculpture is the project of a PR firm trying to drum up tourism-related news items about Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. But oh, how the spittle is flying on Twitter.NOTE: I took the above photo on Sunday. It was slightly damaged by yesterday afternoon's downpour, causing teabagger cartwheels across the web.

Who Are You And What Have You Done With The REAL Lou Dobbs?

Just-resigned CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, who endeared himself to the right-wing with his regular rants against the brown hordes pouring across our southern border, says he's had a change of heart and now supports amnesty for undocumented residents.

Resentment has been burbling across the wingnut blogosphere ever since Dobbs told Spanish-language network Telemundo late last month that he wants a "pathway to legalize the illegals." Yesterday the American Family Association's OneNewsNow site reported that Dobbs has now lost the endorsement of a major anti-immigrant group that had been urging him to run for president.

William Gheen, president of ALIPAC, explains why the organization is appalled by his words. "Lou Dobbs went on Telemundo Network on November 20th, and the full copy of the interview we got had him talking about a form of amnesty or path to citizenship for illegal aliens on several occasions," Gheen explains. "He also apologized for not speaking Spanish to the audience and a bunch of other stuff that we saw as surrender and capitulation, especially considering that the La Raza pro-amnesty groups are now celebrating his departure from CNN. He also went on to say he doesn't support deportation. He didn't say he didn't support mass deportations, he said he doesn't support deportation at all."

Has Dobbs really changed? Or is this just a transparently insincere ploy to move him up on the list of 2012 contenders?

Lou Dobbs Mulls White House Bid

Well, you knew he wasn't quitting CNN for no damn reason.

Less than two weeks after announcing his departure from the cable network—and following a series of interviews in which Dobbs encouraged speculation about his political plans—the anchorman known to fans as "Mr. Independent" finally made his presidential ambitions explicit on former Sen. Fred Thompson's radio show Monday. Asked if he might make a run at the White House in 2012, Dobbs answered flatly: "Yes is the answer." "I'm going to be talking some more with some folks who want me to listen in the next few weeks," Dobbs told Thompson. "Right now I'm fortunate to have a number of wonderful options." Dobbs's political future, however, remains shrouded in question marks. He has left open a variety of paths to public office—in addition to toying with a presidential campaign, Dobbs hasn't ruled out a bid for Senate in 2012 in New Jersey—and also left his party affiliation a mystery.

Fellow blowhard Pat Buchanan thinks Dobbs will run as an independent. And thinks he could win. Of course, the left will have no shortage of Dobbs' anti-immigrant rants to throw in his face.

Lou Dobbs Resigns From CNN

How many seconds until he takes his racist, anti-immigrant, birther ass over to Faux News?

CNN: Maggie Gallagher Vs. Tobias Wolff On DOMA Repeal

Despite his recent foray into birther wingnuttery, CNN moderator Lou Dobbs actually says some sensible things here, demanding that Maggie Gallagher explain how opposite marriage is damaged by gay marriage. "You're blaming homosexuals for an institution that's under assault by just about everything BUT gays!" Tobias Wolff is typically great here.

CNN's Lou Dobbs: Rachel Maddow Is A "Tea Bagging Queen"