no, it doesn't raise any questions: we already know the answer.

more broadly, any questions you have should be answered by the material that dan rather is turning up in his lawsuit aimed at CBS.

"A responsible outlet is supposed to report the truth, not present viewers with contradictory messages, leaving them to go elsewhere to sort out reality."

Fine sentiment, Steve. I actually agree with you on this, but CNN doesn't, does it. So, what would appear to follow from that?

Maybe howard above has a point?

The CNN president said he wants to let viewers "make up their own minds."
~~~
Seriously? After he himself has reviewed the FACTS, after other sane people have already reached the same conclusion, he is going to let Dobbs continue this garbage? Is he not worried about advertisers, ratings, etc.?

So much of America is misinformed already because of this kind of misinformation/let everyone make up their own minds stuff; well, that and inadequate education, particularly in the field of science. Look at how many people doubt that global warming is human caused. All because the media insists on permitting the ignorant doubters and those who stand to lose vast wealth to have their say on the big stage, all so "viewers can make up their own minds". It's extremely harmful, when we need to find solutions. Now.

Then we have some idiotic legislators spouting off, none in command of the facts, but have "made up their minds" and decided it's the truth and to govern with their own truths. Irresponsible!!!

A responsible outlet is supposed to report the truth, not present viewers with contradictory messages, leaving them to go elsewhere to sort out reality.

Really? I thought presenting two contradictory opinions and then bailing out was pretty much the standard MO for all of what passes for journalism today. It's called "he said she said," and was lampooned by Paul Krugman in his "Shape of the Earth: Opinions Differ" story. Except with this birther nonsense, Krugman's example looks less like hyperbole and more like straight reportage.

"Controversies" that provoke shouting matches or angry e-mail responses are good entertainment. Entertainment value sells ads. QED.

CNN has had no integrity regarding the news since Ted Turner left it in other people's hands. It's just trying to ride on the laurels it achieved too many years ago when Turner made it a viable station. I never watch CNN; and, Lou Dobbs is one of my least favorite of their people.

CNN hasn't been a 'responsible' outlet for a long time, has it?

CNN is saying in effect that whatever Lou Dobbs says on his show is his business, and that the network apparently has no control over the editorial content of his program. This isn't all that unusual - back in the day, they used to run disclaimers to the effect of "Opinions expressed on this program are not necessarily those of management". If this is indeed CNN's relationship with Dobbs, they have an obligation to inform the public of it. A disclaimer wouldn't solve the main problem, but at least the monkey would be off CNN's back.

So if Dobbs perpetuates a lie that the CNN president himself says isn't newsworthy then we've established that Dobbs is a propagandist, a provocateur masquerading as a newsman.

Put him on the Comedy Channel (Fox?).

Can someone please let me know how I can get paid huge bucks to spout any insane shit that just comes to me? Seriously, I want to know.

As someone smarter than me put it: "Shape of Earth: Views Differ."

Newest Lou Dobbs show-Is the world flat? Conflicting opinions explored on tonight's show.

Lou's complexion is awfully florid and he's looking increasingly jowly. Is his health OK?

You may delete this comment out of fear like you have all the others but the issue will not go away. Your case, built solely upon blind trust in the word of government bureaucrats and "official" documents, has crumbled into dust. YOU are the crackpots, not me.

Elizabeth, I know this is hard to accept, but the diagnosis that you are suffering from a compulsive disorder is really hard to avoid. My reading why the moderator deleted your posts in a previous thread was that it was pretty much for that reason. He just was a little bit more polite than I am here.

...clowns like Dobbs...

Steve! I am shocked, shocked! Such emotion.

Tho I do think Lou Dobbs is a traitor to his country -- like so many of these clowns, you opt for celebrity over loyalty to the country.

It's racist clowns like Lou Dobbs who subtly raise the insanity level of this country in the direction of right wing violence.

I miss Ted Turner. For all of his eccentricities he should still be leading CNN.

Yeeegghhh...
that "you" in the earlier post is wrong: it should be "he" ie, Dobbs...

ROFL.... Did Elizabeth actually post that tripe on this thread? That's hilarious, particularly in light of her faux-reasonableness in the other thread where she insisted that she wasn't making assertions and was just seeking information.

I really loved the "fear" that we're supposed to have of her, despite the fact that she presented not one shred of evidence to support her assertions. Even better is the fact that she stated on that other thread that she would accept as evidence the original, long form of Obama's birth certificate, which would mean that she would be ... wait for it ... "blindly trusting in the word of government bureaucrats and 'official' documents."

You can go back to your Stalinist/Alinskyite tactics of hurling accusations of racism and mental illness, but when it comes to the facts, you got nothing.

ROFL.... Oh, the irony.... Dear heart, given your complete lack of facts, you are hardly one to talk. You are funny, though, and even funnier now that you're no longer pretending to be sane. I particularly love the "Stalinist/Alinskyite" reference. Keep 'em coming, darlin'.

Aw, did I miss seeing a Birther post before it got deleted? Too bad. The mods really should leave that stuff in place, as they are frequently amusing and always do more damage to their own side than anything else.

"The issue will not go away"? That's for sure. Facts have nothing to do with "issues" like this so they rarely do go away. Can't think of many examples where they have. "Paul is dead" maybe. So take up your proud position alongside the Moon Landing Hoaxers, Creationists and Flat Earthers. Lotta guys desperate to ensure that those "issues" just "won't go away!!!" either. You're in good company with a whole slew of geniuses out there.

As dr. sardonicus (and just how do we know you're a doctor? we want the long form, damn it!) said, it isn't and probably shouldn't be unusual for management to leave editorial control up to the show's producers, writers and host. The dear Lou is simply trying to boost ratings. That horse farm in New Jersey is expensive to maintain. He needs the money.
I hope the story keeps getting air time, it's hilarious and best of all, the story is stuck to Republicans. As if the G W Bush legacy alone wouldn't be enough to ruin the brand for decades, stories like this, and people like the dear Lou Dobbs keep showing how ludicrous the party has become.
The story isn't a "game changer" but it could help lead to a name changer. I'd like to suggest the new name be the Know-Nothing party albeit it was used before. But it was so long ago, maybe the fact that it is so apropos, theyy won't notice.

The CNN president said he wants to let viewers "make up their own minds."

Boy, that is pathetic. He's saying it's perfectly OK for his network to present a wholly false, discredited theory as if it deserves equal weight with the facts? He calls that journalism? He ought to be shamed out of his job along with Dobbs.

So every story coming from the National Enquirer merits full viewing?

I would like to see Jon Klein air the contention that he and Wolf Blitzer may be homosexual lovers of Osama bin Laden.

Inquiring minds want to know.

The CNN president said he wants to let viewers "make up their own minds."

So why not have an alternate Sports segment to cover the "opposing views" as to who won ball games? Also in reports of rapes and burglaries, the perp should have his side of the story expressed, so that the viewer's can reach their own conclusions. We could hear endless variations of "she was comin' on to me."

I believe doogle should contact Mr. Klein to apply for a position as CNN anchor. He has the opposition viewpoint down pat and would probably rate better than Dobbs.

i applaud cnn for allowing a diversity of opinion among its staff. that said, dobbs has no business on the air. he is a clown, not a journalist, and not an entertaining one. his first run on the air back in the 90's proved that. the birther episode just reinforces his incompetence. covering the nut-wing conspiracy might be legitimate but fueling it isn't.

"This raised the troubling question of who is really calling the shots at CNN."

Dobbs is plainly well hooked up with the upper crust fantasy crowd.

Firing him would be a problem at the country club.

As long as Dobbs pulls down the right ratings number with his show, CNN will let him say anything he wants. The top on-air talent, like him, or say, Larry King, are close to autonomous, unfortunately.

As for the birth certificate saga -- the best evidence Obama was born in Hawaii is not some official document, which could always somehow be concocted. It's the fact that both Honolulu daily newspapers ran a birth notice at the time. Game, set, match, etc.

CNN is little more than FOX lite. Why on earth anyone continues to tune it in (aside from out of bad habit) is beyond me.

coming in late, i see that some upthread comments were removed..makes the conversation a bit choppy....i'm of two minds about this...trolls hijacking threads and/or generally defacing the site is one thing...but the scrubbing strikes me as censoring...i'd rather see idiots make idiots of themselves...it's helpful

as for cnn...perhaps they should consider dueling weather reports.."might be sunny"...."might have monsoons"..."let the viewer make up their own mind...."

The problems was believing Klein's words were anything more than political coverage for Dobbs in the first place. Do you think Dobb's show isn't approved of by CNN executives (i.e. corporate propagandists with an agenda)?

Um, could somebody help me out here? Klein says that any criticism of Dobbs, who is promoting--nay, peddling--an unsubstantiated rumor that the POTUS is an illegal alien who is knowingly perpetrating fraud on the people of the United States, is "politically motivated?"

I guess in Bizarro World, Dobbs is Edward R. Murrow, and Klein is Thomas Paine.

This isn't news, it's classic scandal-mongering, plain and simple. If CNN and MSNBC were truly interested in setting the record straight conclusively, they would be interviewing Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and her state health director, Dr. Chiyose Fukino, both of whom have vouched repeatedly and personally for the Obama birth certificate's authenticity.

Instead, Chris Matthews invited peroxide addict Orley Taitz, perrenial wackadoodle Alan Keyes and the increasingly bizarre G. Gordon Liddy to appear on Hardball to flog this dead horse, while Liz Cheney makes the rounds on CNN and Morning Joe, refusing to repudiate the Birthers and proving herself to be a chip off the ol' crackpot.

This wouldn't be a problem if, when discussing "the phenomenon", Dobbs would mention that it is grounded in nothing more than a desire to find a reason to dislike and distrust Obama, and nothing else. Instead, he chuckles indulgently and implies that, since there's so much interest in it, it must have a loose fact in there somewhere.