The anti-immigrant group Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) announced today that it’s dropping its support for former CNN anchor and xenophobe champion Lou Dobbs. The group is also disabling its website, www.LouDobbsforPresident.org and its Facebook page, “Draft Lou Dobbs for President or US Senate.” In a statement released by ALIPAC, president William Gheen said:
While Mr. Dobbs claims his positions have not changed, however, that is not the perception of many of our mutual supporters. His recent comments on Telemundo and his national radio show supporting some kind of path to citizenship for illegal immigrants is inconsistent with positions of ALIPAC. … Dobbs created shock waves last week when news broke about his pro-Amnesty comments on Telemundo that appear to be a departure from his prior support for existing immigration laws. […]
Lou Dobbs has deeply offended his base of supporters and ALIPAC is going to remain loyal to those Americans who support our existing immigration laws instead of Amnesty disguised as reform.
Gheen is referring to Dobbs’ interview with Telemundo’s Maria Celeste in late November, during which he proclaimed that he is a “great friend” of the Latino community who supports a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants “under certain conditions.” On his radio show this Monday, Dobbs repeatedly insisted that his Telemundo interview was not a flip-flop, but rather the re-articulation of the same views he has always expressed. However, Gheen and his nativist friends aren’t the only ones challenging Dobbs’ integrity. Latinos aren’t buying it, and Dobbs would probably still have his job at CNN if that were the case.
Before leaving CNN, Dobbs accused President Obama of “pandering to the pro-amnesty open-borders lobby,” despite the fact that Obama indicated that there cannot be immigration reform with a path to legalization until the government shows that it is capable of enforcing the laws which are currently in place. Now that Dobbs is considering running for President himself, he’s onboard with legalizing undocumented immigrants under similar conditions.