Lou Dobbs on the wrong kind of Wedge

Perhaps best known around dKos for his strong stance on illegal immigration, which many Kosmopolites consider to be a right-wing wedge issue, Lou Dobbs called out a wedge of his own on his CNN program tonight: the latest  attempts by Republicans to capitalize on attempts to ban gay marriage.

Lou:
"What in the world is the threat to heterosexual marriage posed, Michael Goodwin, by a gay union?"

Goodwin, from the NY Daily News, starts parsing...

Lou, semi-playing, interrupts him:
"Thank you 'senator,'  but I'm just curious, what is the threat? Empirically, independently, what is the reality?"

Dobbs' show had much to interest progressives this evening.
He did a short straightforward piece noting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s accusations of voter fraud in the presidential election of 2004.

Next came his Driving A Wedge story, complete with dual rainbow-colored rings graphic, on one of the wondrous maneuvers Bush and the Republicans are up to this time.

::

With no shortage of his trademark head shaking, exasperated sighing, and good-natured chortling at what he perceives to be absurdities, Lou addressed his panel of guests.

Turning to Bill Schneider, CNN Senior News Analyst,
Lou begins with  "Wedge Issues. Ah, (egh,) is this really going to work?"

::

Bill hides none of his disgust and irritation as he blurts out
"No."

The slight pause after this was just long enough to underscore the situational idiocy upon which both men were in silent agreement.

"It's not gonna pass the house, it's not gonna pass the senate;
it's not gonna become a constitutional amendment,
it's all political posturing, the worst form of cynicism.

What they want to do is get a vote on the record to show the Republican base 'we're there fighting for you, even if we can't win,' and to be able to use the issue against Democrats who vote against it.

It's the worst form of cynicism. People want to hear about immigration, they want to hear about Iraq, they want to hear about the deficit, they want to hear about gas prices.

People aren't concerned about the
the "looooming threat" (says it mockingly) of same-sex marriage."

::
( insert Lou's chat with Goodwin which I quote in the intro. to this diary...)
::

After hearing more of Goodwin's explanation of what is supposedly so threatening, involving strict interpretations of the Bible, moral downslide, ad nauseum, Lou is really getting irked.

"Follks watching this broadcast know what the issues are that are grabbing them by the throat right now in this country.

And you start to talk about pro-family? When the median family income for a family of four is declining in this country? What's pro-family about that?"

::

Democratic Strategist Robert Zimmerman steps in:

"it is an obscenity to call this pro-family.
All this does is play upon the fears and hates that people have, and the ignorance.

"And let's also be fair about it, this is not just a partisan tactic-"
- he cites Clinton Administration's unveiling "Defense of marriage" act -
"that was a precursor to this tactic"

::

Dobbs: "My God!"
Lou's hands are up in the air at this point, his eyes wide with wonderment)
"Michael Goodwin, Bill Scneider:
Robert Zimmerman has ..made an objective statement irrespective of partisanship!"

"You - ( waves power fist in his direction)-  are an example to all political strategists!" chuckles with open delight.

"Well good for you for being that straightforward, because we've gotta have some honesty here. My God!"

::

This diary is essentially a transcript, I realize, and am open to criticism and suggestions on that. Also, I apologize for not making better use of bold, italics, etc.- my html is severely lacking.

What I want to get across here is that this old white guy has a surprising lot in common with the values of most Kosmopolites. He may not focus enough on healthcare or other specialty issues, and he does need to do a piece on the 2 Mexicans - the total of unskilled legal immigrants we accepted through legal immigration channels during the most recently recorded year - mentioned in recent diaries such as duke 1676's Broken borders & the myth of "the line" I would have liked a piece on the ridiculously tired old flag-burning nonsense the right is also trying to recycle, among other things.

For me, nonetheless, while Lou is neither a Xenophobe nor an all-encompassing soothsayer, he does manage to catch issues early and has a ballsiness that can and does refresh. He's the only reporter left from CNN's original starting days - you've got to admit that's Old School. And if you will pardon my whiteness, I applaud him for 'keepin' it real.'