As we reported in the May Catalyst, Lou Dobbs criticized the pope during his recent visit to the United States. In a turn of events, right before our journal hit the press, Dobbs praised the pope on his CNN show. After blasting the pope for a few days, Dobbs had finally come to grips that the pope’s message was one to be heard.
On the April 21 “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Dobbs hosted a panel discussion about the pope’s visit that had ended the day before. While the panelists Robert Zimmerman and Ed Rollins were fair to the Holy Father, the biggest surprise came from Dobbs himself. The following is an excerpt from the discussion:
Rollins: “I thought the pope saying illegals should be treated in a humane way is not saying that they should stay here. I think he’s basically saying you shouldn’t mistreat them when they are here. Send them home, but don’t mistreat them.”
Dobbs: “You know, I could sign on with that…. We’re going to have to take all this in. I like Pope Benedict XVI, is what [the conversation] just taught me here…. By the way, I can close this out with one thing. He [the pope] changed the minds of a lot of priests around the country I believe.”
Needless to say, we were extremely pleased with this outcome. In a news release the following day, Bill Donohue had this to say:
“To his credit, last night Lou Dobbs pivoted away from his previous remarks about the pope and conducted himself in a most professional manner. What cannot be picked up from the transcript was the sincerity of his comments. In doing so, he put to rest any concerns we may have had. This case is closed.”
A few days later Donohue was a guest on Dobbs’ radio show where the two discussed the overall success of the papal visit. Donohue clarified the illegal immigration issue that had come under fire. Donohue noted that during his visit, Pope Benedict XVI never mentioned illegal immigration, but addressed immigration in general. In the end, the interview proved to be a fruitful exchange.
Once again our persistence paid off. By hitting Dobbs hard, we helped him realize that the pope was preaching a peaceful message during his visit.
