Video: Lou Dobbs disorts facts to cheerlead Glenn Beck on Van Jones resignation

September 8, 9:09 PMPolitical Buzz ExaminerRyan Witt

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Glenn Beck has a big fan in Lou Dobbs.  AP Photo Evan Agostini

It seems that Lou Dobbs has a new hero and his name is Glenn Beck.  Both men have been at the center of campaigns by left-leaning organizations to have the two men reprimanded for their controversial coverage.  Dobbs admires Beck's ability to seemingly withstand the campaign against him by forcing Van Jones' resignation.  The problem is Dobbs completely distorts the facts in his defense of Beck in the clip below.

Color of Change was the organization that targeted after Beck called President Obama a racist.  Color of Change was relatively successful in getting over thirty-six sponsors to stop advertising with Glenn Beck's show.  This has left Beck with a relatively small and partisan sponsor list even with his soaring ratings.

According to Lou Dobbs this campaign against Beck constitutes a violation of the first amendment.  In addition Dobbs argues that Van Jones was behind the Color of Change campaign and that Jones' resignation was some form of revenge for Beck.  Both of these arguments do not coincide with the facts.

The first amendment protects the first amendment rights of citizens primarily from government interference.  There is absolutely nothing in the first amendment which prevents private citizens or organizations (i.e. Color of Change) from using their influence to keep sponsors from advertising on a show.  Quite simply if people want to use their pocketbooks, or influence others to use their pocketbooks, in protest to what they view as offensive speech they can.  Had the Color of Change campaign succeeded in getting Glenn Beck fired from Fox News it would not have been a violation of free speech.  The first amendment protects each person from the government restricting their free speech.  It does not prohibit any of us losing our private industry jobs because of somethings stupid we say.

Dobbs second distortion comes in his assumption that Van Jones was behind the Color of Change boycott of Glenn Beck.  Van Jones ended his association with Color of Change long before Glenn Beck made his "racist" accusation toward President Obama that started the boycott.  Van Jones resignation will have effect on the Color of Change effort to remove Glenn Beck's sponsors.  So the idea that Beck somehow "got revenge" by unseating Van Jones is a fictional tale to say the least.

I can understand why Dobbs admires Beck so much.  Both men rely on half-truths and playing on the fear of average citizens to gain influence which makes them the media targets of liberals.  In Beck's case he makes everyone unrealistically fear a government takeover by fictional organizations like the "civilian national security force."  In Dobbs case he makes many fear that an illegal immigrant is going to take their job, their home, and then proceed to steal the next election through voter fraud.  Dobbs may understandably want to sign outloud the lyrics "Did I ever tell you you're my hero" to Beck but in doing so he should not distort the facts above.