Left rises to squash CNN's Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs

CNN anchor Lou Dobbs has come under fire for having the audacity to question on air why President Barack Obama hasn't released his long-form birth certificate.

Now members of the Daily Kos website, which bills itself as "the largest progressive community blog in the United States," have turned up the heat even more by listing CNN executives' email addresses in a campaign to get Dobbs fired from the network.

"Lou Dobbs is an idiot and he should be booted off CNN for his obsession with President Obama's birth certificate," writes Daily Kos diarist kerouacforobama. "We need to get these far-right haters off the air."

Join in WND's Fedex campaign and tell Obama you don't buy his state-run media coverup!

The piece, titled "CNN should be pressured to discipline/fire Lou Dobbs," then lists the following as email addresses for the "top brass" at the network, so people can voice their displeasure with Dobbs:

• Jim.Walton@turner.com (president of CNN Worldwide)


• Susan.Grant@turner.com (executive vice president of CNN News Services)


• Jon.Klein@turner.com (president of CNN/US)


• Rena.Golden@turner.com (senior vice president and executive producer of CNN.com)


• David.Payne@turner.com (senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com)


• Mitch.Gelman@turner.com (senior vice president and senior executive producer of CNN.com)

"Wouldn't it be nice if the blogosphere could get this stupid, overpaid, racist, xenophobic wingnut off the air once and for all ?" asks kerouacforobama. "Dobbs belongs at Fox – he would make a great toilet cleaner for Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity."

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As WND reported, Dobbs has stated he already believes Obama is a U.S. citizen, and all he wants is for the president to produce a copy of his birth certificate, but even that request has generated a full-scale attack on several fronts.

According to the Los Angeles Times, CNN President Jon Klein wrote an email to staffers of "Lou Dobbs Tonight" addressing the issue of the legitimacy of President Obama's birth certificate.

"It seems this story is dead," Klein wrote, according to the Times, "because anyone who still is not convinced doesn't really have a legitimate beef."

J. Richard Cohen, chief of the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center, went even further. He wrote a letter to CNN suggesting, "Respectable news organizations should not employ reporters willing to peddle racist conspiracy theories and false propaganda. It's time for CNN to remove Mr. Dobbs from the airwaves."

Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly, however, has come to Dobbs' defense against those that want the CNN host fired. Though O'Reilly called the questions around Obama's birth certificate "bogus" and "patently absurd," he nonetheless invited Cohen onto his show and suggested the SPLC, in calling for Dobbs' termination, was "overreacting":

"I don't understand why you want his head," O'Reilly argued, pointedly implying that the SPLC was "paying [Dobbs] back" for his statements on illegal immigration that run counter to the SPLC's objectives, not just his recent questions about Obama's birth certificate.

Dobbs has raised the issue several times, qualifying his requests with a multitude of affirmations that Obama is a U.S. citizen, but he believes the proof should be available to the nation.

Dobbs has raised the issue several times, qualifying his requests with a multitude of affirmations that Obama is a U.S. citizen, but he believes the proof should be available to the nation.

Want to turn up the pressure to learn the facts? Get your signs and postcards asking for the president's birth certificate documentation here.

WND has produced hundreds of stories reporting on dozens of legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen" and other issues. The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Some of the challenges question whether he was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born.

Additionally, questions have been raised about Obama's move to Indonesia as a child and the passort he used to travel to Pakistan as a young man.

Complicating the situation is Obama's decision to spend sums estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to avoid releasing a state birth certificate and other documentation. Obama's birth certificate is not the only document at issue. WND has reported that among the documentation not yet available for Obama includes his kindergarten records, his Punahou school records, his Occidental College records, his Columbia University records, his Columbia thesis, his Harvard Law School records, his Harvard Law Review articles, his scholarly articles from the University of Chicago, his passport, his medical records, his files from his years as an Illinois state senator, his Illinois State Bar Association records, any baptism records and his adoption records.

Dobbs' questioning has been straightforward: Where's the birth certificate?

"When this could be dispelled so quickly, and simply by producing it, why not do it?" he has asked.

He's pursued the query even though on a day when he was absent, his staff wrote a script that called the questions about Obama's birth "the discredited rumor that won't go away."

On that day, guest host Kitty Pilgrim said CNN had investigated, and there was "no basis for questions about the president's birthplace."

In an interview cited by the Los Angeles Times, Klein appeared to back off somewhat. He said Dobbs has 30 years experience, and he would trust his judgment.

But the Southern Poverty Law Center's Cohen, in a letter to Klein, took a hard line.

"We have written to you before about our concern that Lou Dobbs repeatedly fails to live up to this standard in his reporting on immigration. Now, Mr. Dobbs is again trading in falsehoods and racist conspiracy theories, questioning President Obama's American citizenship," he claimed.

The SLPC asserted the online Factcheck.org and "many other serious news organizations" had resolved the issue. 

Dobbs' questioning, Cohen wrote, "is both deplorable and an embarrassment to all serious journalists."

Cohen claimed the "conspiracy theory" was started by "an [unidentified] open anti-Semite and circulated by right-wing extremists."

WND reported earlier when Dobbs started raising the questions. At that time, longtime New York radio talker Lynn Samuels did the same.

"We don't even know where he was born," she said. "I absolutely believe he was not born in this country."

Reports also have been done by Sean Hannity's show on the Fox News Channel and in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The question over Obama's eligibility now also is being raised on billboards nationwide.

"Where's The Birth Certificate?" billboard in Pennsylvania

The billboard campaign follows an ongoing petition campaign launched several months ago by WND Editor and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Farah.

The billboards are intended to raise public awareness of the fact that Obama has never released the standard "long-form" birth certificate that would show which hospital he was born in, the attending physician and establish that he truly was born in Hawaii, as his autobiography maintains.

Send a contribution to support the national billboard campaign that asks a simple question: "Where's the birth certificate?"

The "Certification of Live Birth" posted online and widely touted as "Obama's birth certificate" does not in any way prove he was born in Hawaii, since the same "short-form" document is easily obtainable for children not born in Hawaii. The true "long-form" birth certificate – which includes information such as the name of the birth hospital and attending physician – is the only document that can prove Obama was born in Hawaii, but to date he has not permitted its release for public or press scrutiny.

Oddly, though congressional hearings were held to determine whether Sen. John McCain was constitutionally eligible to be president as a "natural born citizen," no controlling legal authority ever sought to verify Obama's claim to a Hawaiian birth.

Although Obama officials have told WND all such allegations are "garbage," here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility:

• New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president.


• Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg has three cases pending, including Berg vs. Obama in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a separate Berg vs. Obama case alleging he wasn't qualified even to be U.S. senator and Hollister vs. Soetoro a/k/a Obama, (now dismissed) brought on behalf of a retired military member who could be facing recall to active duty by Obama.
  
  
• Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.


• Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.


• Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.


• Chicago lawyer Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
  
  
• Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
  
  
• In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
  
  
• Also in Ohio, there was the Greenberg v. Brunner case which ended when the judge threatened to assess all case costs against the plaintiff.
  
  
• In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
  
  
• In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.


• California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters. She also has brought forward several other cases and has conducted several public campaigns to generate awareness of the issue.
  

• In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
  
  
• In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
  
  
• In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
  
  
• In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama.
  
  
• In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

• In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
  
  
• In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
  
  
• In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
  
  
• In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama.
  

WND has reported that among the documentation not yet available for Obama includes his kindergarten records, his Punahou school records, his Occidental College records, his Columbia University records, his Columbia thesis, his Harvard Law School records, his Harvard Law Review articles, his scholarly articles from the University of Chicago, his passport, his medical records, his files from his years as an Illinois state senator, his Illinois State Bar Association records, any baptism records, and his adoption records.

Note: Members of the news media wishing to interview Drew Zahn, Jerome Corsi, Joseph Farah, Joe Kovacs, Chelsea Schilling, Les Kinsolving or Bob Unruh on this issue, please contact WND.

Related offers:

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Want to turn up the pressure to learn the facts? Get your signs and postcards asking for the president's birth certificate documentation from the Birth Certificate Store!

Send a contribution to support the national billboard campaign that asks the simple question, "Where's the birth certificate?"

Get your yard signs and rally signs that ask the same question – and make sure it's in time for the next tea party rally

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Get the most comprehensive special report ever produced on the Obama eligibility issue.

Previous stories:

Hawaiian newspapers don't prove birthplace

Mr. President, we have a problem

'Birth hospital': Letter for real

Lib talker, Lou Dobbs now asking eligibility questions

Pentagon orders soldier fired for challenging prez

Bombshell: Orders revoked for soldier challenging prez

Now White House joins 'birth hospital' cover-up

Soldier won't serve without proof Obama eligible

Wikipedia says Obama born in Kenya

Just who delivered baby Barack Obama?

Obama's 'birth hospital' in astonishing cover-up

New reports cite Obama's African 'home'

Obama's birth letter: Is this thing for real?

U.S. hospitals 'wouldn't have to disclose Hitler'

News sites swap Obama's birthplace like magic

Obama birth mystery: More than 1 hospital

Hospital won't back Obama birth claim

THE FULL STORY: See listing of more than 200 exclusive WND reports on the eligibility issue