Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lou Dobbs Leaves CNN Again, but Wolf Blitzer Lets the Opinions Fly



For the second time in his career (if I'm keeping count correctly), Lou Dobbs is high-tailing it out of CNN-land. The TV host has been under increasing fire for his unending crusade on immigration policy -- bordering on racism, in some people's eyes -- and more recently for apparently pushing the lunatic birther movement.

Whether he's headed to Fox News or some other warren of media wolves (just go with me here) is unknown at this time. But it does mark one more feather in CNN's cap that they let him out of his contract and didn't try to keep him.

Now, what the heck was going through CNN's mind earlier today, when Wolf Blitzer unleashed some incredibly amatuerish bile at the lawyer defending the man who shot those soldiers at Fort Hood? Look, nobody I know of is thinking kind thoughts about that clearly deluded murderer. But when the lawyer said it was his job to see that the defendent got a fair trial, Blitzer tried to end the conversation by saying that that was at least more than the people who were gunned down received. Is Blitzer angling for a Fox News invitation? An MSNBC timeslot?

Try doing the news, sir, and leave the opinion to others. The lawyer -- a retired military lawyer, in fact -- was not making wild or ridiculous statements that deserved rudeness. He said nothing to disrespect the murdered soldiers or their loved ones. He was simply stating the obvious and answering Blitzer's earlier question about whether he had qualms defending this man. If Blitzer has a better idea about how military justice should work, I look forward to reading his learned treatise on the topic. But this was embarrassing, and from CNN, no less.

To Blitzer's minimal credit, he did let the lawyer respond, after it became apparent that the lawyer was taken aback by Blitzer's grandstanding. But I lost quite a bit of respect for a news host today.

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