Dobbs misrepresents immigrant protest demands

It's starting to appear that a day doesn't pass in which CNN anchor, and resident immigration "expert", Lou Dobbs doesn’t blatantly misrepresent, or misconstrue, some fact, statistic or opinion about his signature issue. With today's immigration-rights protests throughout the country, it was expected that he would devote a large portion of his nightly show to the topic.

With correspondents stationed throughout the country to report into Dobbs, the anchor played his usual role as ringmaster in the circus of the absurd.

Tonight, one of Dobbs' chief aims appeared to be to inform his audience about the demands of the "pro-illegal alien lobby" who were taking to the streets.

The only problem ….in what has become a usual practice on Dobbs' nightly show, he repeatedly misrepresented those demands to fit his own personal agenda.

The very first interview of the night by Dobbs's crack correspondent, Christine Romans, started the tone for the rest of the evening.

Romans, reporting from Phoenix, stated that the protester's message today was "consistent and careful" – they want amnesty for the people who are already here illegally, and they want an expanded guest worker program."

The "amnesty and guest worker" theme then proceeded throughout the night with both Dobbs and various correspondents repeating it. This in spite of the fact the march organizers clearly stated not only in statements and manifestos, but in flyers and posters that they were protesting AGAINST GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS.

But since guest worker programs are the glue that bind the "Broken Borders" crowd with the "Exporting American" and ""War on the Middle Class" adherents, Dobbs was not about to tell his loyal viewers that those "Illegal Mexicans" and their "Open Borders Allies" were actually taking to the streets to denounce the programs.

So instead, Dobbs created an alternative reality and presented it as fact:



CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, the Phoenix Police Department is officially estimating how many people were here today, 15,000 to 20,000. It is quiet here now, but the message was consistent and careful. They want amnesty for the people who are already here illegally, and they want an expanded guest worker program for those who want to come here to work -- Lou.

DOBBS: Christine, the idea that they not only want a guest worker program, but they want amnesty, is there anything else being sought here?

But the organizers of the May 1st protests said this about their goals in their official announcement of the marches.

On May Day 2007, National Immigrant Solidarity Network is calling for a multi-ethnic, decentralized, multi-topic and multi-tactic national day of mobilization to support immigrant workers rights.

National Immigrant Solidarity Network

Our ten points of unity (based on our Jan 29, 2007 open letter to the Congress):

1) No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.

2) No to militarization of the border.

3) No to the immigrant detention and deportation.

4) No to the guest worker program.

5) No to employer sanction and "no match" letters.

6) Yes to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

7) Yes to speedy family reunification.

8) Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.

9) Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.

10) Yes to the education and LGBT immigrant legislation.

DOBBS: Thousands of demonstrators, far fewer than last year, took to the streets across the nation, demanding amnesty and a path to citizenship for illegal aliens.... Supporters and advocates calling for amnesty, guest worker programs, an end to immigration raids, and an end to deportations.

Protest leader, Nativo Lopez, had this to say about guest worker programs recently.

The Mexican American Political Association and Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana

PRESS STATEMENT

Monday, March 26, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Nativo V. Lopez

…a massive new temporary guest-worker program (“new worker visa”) will only undermine the prevailing wage and the social situation of U.S. workers; current practice demonstrates that such contract workers are not protected under federal and state statues; the labor certification process established in current law would be weakened under this program;

“If this is the starting point in the legislative process of negotiating and haggling for a ‘comprehensive’ immigration bill this year, it bodes very poorly for the immigrant communities of America,” ended Lopez. “You don’t need to be a weatherman to see this tsunami of injustice coming down on our heads.” “We expected much better from Congressman Luis Gutierrez, and we feel let down.

“We absolutely are not for accepting just anything as a way to turn to our constituency and declare some vague victory on immigration reform. This would be a major sell-out to the legitimate and reasonable aspirations of our community.”

Nativo V. Lopez is currently the National Director of Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana (HML) and the National President of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA).

Link

DOBBS: Also surprising to me, Casey, and I'd like your thought on this, last year there was a considerable backlash. I think most of the organizers of those marches last year would agree with this. It was not helpful to the cause of illegal aliens or their cries for amnesty or open borders.

This year, it seems like even though there are far fewer numbers, there's a greater revelation of the agenda here. Talking about not only amnesty, but expanding guest worker programs, now also wanting no deportations, and stopping raids on the employers of illegal aliens.

The agenda seems to be broadening, and rather substantially.

Protest leaders had this to say about guest workers and the marches earlier last month.

Upcoming Actions

4/18 - 4/20: National Call-In Days To Oppose the President Bush's Immigrant Proposal/STRIVE Act

We are organizing White House and Congressional call-in days (Wednesday, April 18 - Friday, April 20) to express your concern about their proposed immigrant legislative bills to the President Bush and the STRIVE co-sponsors Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ):

White House Comment Line: (202)456-1111

Representatives Luis Gutierrez: (202)225-8203 (Washington D.C.)

Representatives Jeff Flake: (202)225-2635 (Washington D.C.)

And tell them about the following statement:

"We would like express our concern about your recent immigration proposals that require undocumented immigrants to pay large fines, excess background checks, and to leave the country in order to apply legal immigratnt status is unacceptable.

We also cannot accept the militarization of the U.S-Mexico border and building a new border fence.

We want to support the immigration bill that includes the following propose by National Immigrant Solidarity Network:

1) No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.
2) No to militarization of the border.
3) No to the immigrant detention and deportation.
4) No to the guest worker program.
5) No to employer sanction and "no match" letters.
6) Yes to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
7) Yes to speedy family reunification.
8) Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.
9) Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.
10) Yes to the education and LGBT immigrant legislation.

MayDay2007.org

DOBBS: You just heard one fellow in Lisa's report saying not only should there be amnesty, it should be general amnesty, it should be general amnesty and now there should be no conditions on it whatsoever. We've heard reports around the country. Now it is not just amnesty, it is also an enlarged guest worker program.

Throughout the course of the show Dobbs continually hammered away on the "illegal aliens" call for expanded guest worker programs theme. With each recounting of the theme, Dobbs became more and more flabbergasted by the "audacity" of the protesters.

Dobbs concluded one segment by saying, "We're just a world without borders. I mean this agenda is expanding, isn't it?" ….

Well no not really Mr Dobbs, despite all your attempts to make your viewers believe to the contrary.

tags: immigration, Lou Dobbs , guest worker, May 1 Protests, Great American Boycott