A discharge petition is a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from a Committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership. Discharge petitions are most often associated with the U.S. House of Representatives, though many state legislatures have similar procedures. They are used when the chair of a committee refuses to place a bill or resolution on the Committee's agenda; by never reporting a bill, the matter will never leave the committee and the full House will not be able to consider it. A successful petition "discharges" the committee from further consideration of a bill or resolution and brings it directly to the floor. The discharge petition, and the threat of one, gives more power to individual members of the House and usurps a small amount of power from the leadership and committee chairs. The modern discharge petition requires the signature of an absolute majority of House members (218 members).

History and process[link]

Imperious Speaker Joseph G. Cannon faced a revolt from his own party, which curtailed the Speaker's powers via the discharge petition and stripping him of direct leadership of the Rules Committee.

An early form of the discharge petition was introduced into House rules in 1910 as part of a series of measures intended to check the power of the disliked Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon. The modern version, however, was adopted in 1931 by the 71st House. In 1935, the rules were changed so the number of signatures required to force a vote went from one-third of the chamber (145 votes) to an absolute majority (218 votes).^[1]

Originally, signatories to a discharge petition were secret. Only once the petition acquired a majority would the clerk announce who signed. In 1993, the procedure was changed to make it public at every step of the process, with signers published in the Congressional Record. This change was spearheaded by Jim Inhofe (R-OK).^[2]

There are three basic forms of discharge petition:^[1]

• Directly on an unreported measure. This makes it difficult to amend, which may be considered a benefit or a drawback. The committee to be discharged can circumvent this to a degree by reporting the measure.
• To make a special rule providing that the unreported measure be recalled from committee and considered. This is the most common variety in modern times; as of the 107th Congress, all discharge petitions have been of this variety.
• To make a special rule providing that a reported measure that was never called for floor consideration be considered.

Once the House acts on a discharge motion, any further discharge petitions on the same subject are precluded for the remainder of the session of Congress (until the calendar year's close, normally). This is only relevant if the petition succeeds but the bill is rejected anyway, despite a majority of the House apparently wishing to bypass the Committee. If the motion is budget-related, then the Committee of the Whole is convened to amend it.^[1]

A discharge petition may only be brought after a measure has sat in committee for at least 30 legislative days^[3] without being reported; if the matter is considered as a special rule to the Rules Committee, then the period is 7 days instead. Once the requisite number of signatures is reached, the petition is placed on the Discharge Calendar, which is privileged business on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. This layover is waived during the last six days of a session before sine die adjournment.^[4] At the end of each session of Congress, any discharge petitions remaining unresolved or lacking the required number of signatures are removed from consideration.^[1]

563 discharge petitions were filed between 1931 and 2003, of which only 47 obtained the required majority of signatures. The House voted for discharge 26 times and passed 19 of the measures, but only two have become law.^[1][5] However, the threat of a discharge petition has caused the leadership to relent several times; such petitions are dropped only because the leadership allowed the bill to move forward, rendering the petition moot. Overall, either the petition was completed or else the measure made it to the floor by other means in 16 percent of cases.^[1]

Usage[link]

Discharge petitions are rare. A successful discharge petition embarrasses the leadership; as such, members of the majority party are hesitant to support something that would make the Speaker and their own leaders look bad. (Naturally, the minority party will often support discharge petitions precisely to embarrass the leadership.) Furthermore, since the signers of a petition are not private, majority party members are pressured not to sign, and open themselves up to retribution from the leadership should they disobey.^[6]

When signing of a petition was secret – or, more specifically, confirmation that it was signed was secret, as a Representative could claim whatever they liked – petitions were generally only used for serious discontent in the majority. The secrecy also meant that members could claim to be for a piece of legislation while at the same time taking no action to force a vote on such legislation. With this secrecy removed, it became more difficult to dissemble in such a way; it also opened signers to more direct retribution from the leadership. Under the old system, if a petition was unsuccessful, the leadership would never know if a particular Representative signed the petition. If it was successful, all the "defectors" would at least be in the same boat. With open signing, the leadership can exert maximum pressure on stopping the last few signatures. Those who make the last few signatures open themselves to especially severe payback, as early signers could argue privately that they were only posturing, and didn't think the petition would ever pass. A strong counter-campaign from the leadership helped stop the proposal of William Zeliff (R-NH) and Rob Andrews (D-NJ) of "A-Z spending cuts," for example; the proposal received 204 signatures, but could not muster the last 14.^[1]

The removal of secrecy also encourages discharge petitions that exist merely to take a public stand on an issue. Since secrecy was removed in the U.S. House, thirty petitions have attained 60 signatures or fewer.^[1]

A notable situation where the threat of a discharge petition is extremely relevant is if the majority party in the House loses its majority for some reason, such as due to defections or deaths. If the old majority leadership refused to stand aside, the new majority could file a discharge petition to elect a new Speaker. This situation has not yet occurred.

Uses since 1985[link]

The most recent successful discharge petition was the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, known as McCain-Feingold in the Senate and Shays-Meehan in the House. Starting in 1997, several attempts were made to bring it to the floor via the discharge petition. It finally passed in 2002, and the Senate passed it 60–40, narrowly avoiding a filibuster.

1993 saw the Discharge Petition Disclosure Bill passed. The bill, which made the rule change requiring public disclosure of signers, was itself filed with a discharge petition. The Balanced Budget Amendment received 218 signatures twice, in 1992 and 1993; however, it did not pass the Senate.

Prior to 1993, one must go back to 1985 to find another successful discharge petition in which the process was carried to its conclusion, rather than the bill dying or the leadership allowing the bill out of committee (since as noted above, some bills with pending petitions the leadership has simply relented on). This was the Firearm Owners Protection Act, known as McClure-Volkmer. The Act was a scaling back of gun control legislation that made it easier for gun shows to operate without government interference. The Senate passed the bill, but House Judiciary chair Peter W. Rodino, Jr. (D-NJ) declared it "dead on arrival."^[7] In response, the National Rifle Association launched a strong campaign to pass the bill in the House via discharge petition. Rather than let the Senate version of the bill out of committee, Rodino instead proffered a compromise piece of legislation with William J. Hughes (D-NJ). However, the discharge petition succeeded and the Senate version was passed after minor amendments were added.^[7]

Versions other than the U.S. House[link]

Versions of the discharge petition vary widely in state legislatures. Some use petitions like the House, though others allow a motion to be made to discharge the committee, forcing legislators to vote. The threshold for discharge also varies. For instance, Wisconsin has similar rules to the House; a simple majority is required to succeed, though a motion or a petition are both acceptable.^[6] The Kansas Legislature requires 56 percent approval (70 members). Pennsylvania allowed only 30% of its members to recall a measure from committee for a time. This was changed in 1925 to a majority of the Legislature, drastically curtailing the number of recalls; still, only 25 (about 10 percent) petition-signers are required to force a motion to be voted on by the floor. Though technically a vote on whether the bill can proceed, the bill's supporters usually claimed that the vote was a vote on the bill itself, providing opportunities to the minority party to, at the least, force the majority party to be put on record as opposing a popular bill.^[6]

Both the House and the Senate have created an expedited process for Congressional review of executive branch regulations (often used against "midnight regulations"), providing an especially quick timetable for consideration of a joint resolution to overturn a particular regulation. As part of this process, Senators may use a "discharge petition" to discharge a Senate committee from consideration of the disapproval resolution. While using the same term as the House process, its use in the United States Senate has few similarities to the House process described above and is limited only to disapproval resolutions created under the conditions of this congressional review process.^{[citation needed]} There also exists a "discharge resolution" in which non-controversial measures do not have to go through committee and are submitted to a voice vote.^[8] Discharge resolutions, however, must be unanimous and are related loosely at best to discharge petitions.

Analogs to the discharge petition in parliamentary systems are rare. In such systems the Prime Minister often has even more control over the agenda than the Speaker of the House does in the United States. The closest may be a "conscience vote" (sometimes referred to as a "free vote"), in which members are released from party ties and allowed to vote as they wish on especially controversial issues.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official House Rules on Discharge Petition
• The Discharge Rule in the House: Principal Features and Uses, an official Congerssional Research Service paper (dated 2003) and overview
  • The Discharge Rule in the House: Recent Use in Historical Context, a more detailed analysis of recent discharge petitions
• Discharge Petition Bargaining in the House, 1995–2000, a paper on discharge petitions and information cascades

John Hostettler
Hostettler campaigning in Evansville, Indiana in March 2010.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 8th district
In office January 3, 1995–January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Frank McCloskey
Succeeded by	Brad Ellsworth
Personal details
Born	(1961-06-19) June 19, 1961 (age 51) Evansville, Indiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Hostettler
Children	Matthew, Amanda, Jaclyn, and Jared
Residence	Blairsville, Indiana
Alma mater	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Profession	Engineer
Religion	General Baptist
Website	http://www.johnhostettler.com

John Nathan Hostettler (born June 19, 1961), served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 2007, representing the 8th District of Indiana (map). He lost his reelection bid for a seventh term to Democratic challenger Brad Ellsworth in the 2006 midterm election, ending a twelve-year Congressional career.

He was a Republican candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat in the state of Indiana held by retiring Senator Evan Bayh. On December 3, 2009, Hostettler announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, but lost the primary to former Senator Dan Coats.^[1][2][3][4]

Early life[link]

Hostettler (pronounced HOH-stet-luhr) was born in Evansville, as the eighth of ten children. He is of Swiss German descent. He grew up in rural Posey County near the Ohio and Wabash rivers.

After graduating from North Posey High School in 1979, he enrolled in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) in 1983.

Later that year, Hostettler married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Ann Hamman. They live in Blairsville, an unincorporated suburban community near Evansville, and have four children. He is a member of Twelfth General Baptist Church in Evansville.

Prior to his service in Congress, Hostettler was a power plant performance engineer with Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Company (SIGECO, now part of Vectren); he had received his PE license during his tenure.

Congressional service[link]

Hostettler became part of the 104th Congress, the first Republican majority in the House in 40 years. In subsequent years, Hostettler depended on his base of fellow social and fiscal conservatives to keep him in office. While southern Indiana has been traditionally Democratic, the 8th has always had a strong social conservative tint.

Hostettler's campaign was distinctive in several respects. One of Hostettler's assets in his run for Congress was his distinctive "Red Army" or "Army of Red Volunteers." Parades and similar events would typically feature people of varying backgrounds wearing red t-shirts with white lettering that simply stated "Hostettler for Congress". Hostettler family members were particularly involved in campaign efforts. Karen Hammonds, Hostettler's sister, was also his office manager and a campaign coordinator. Being only one of ten children, his brothers and sisters have assisted in campaign efforts. Media has attributed this as an area of success and influence that helped Hostettler achieve six straight victories.^[5]

Hostettler signed the Contract with America,^[6] but he told an Evansville Courier & Press reporter the day he signed it he did not support two provisions: a balanced budget amendment and term limits.^[7] He was one of 40 Republicans in the House to vote in March 1995 against a constitutional amendment to set 12-year term limits for Representatives.^[8]

Committee participation[link]

Hostettler served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

In 1999, Hostettler was appointed vice-chairman of the Armed Services Research and Development Subcommittee for the 106th Congress.

In 2003, Hostettler was appointed the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. He previously served as chairman of the Congressional Family Caucus, and was a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee.

Legislative activity[link]

In late 1995, Hostettler was the sponsor of a bill passed by the House to repeal a District of Columbia law that allowed city workers to register domestic partners for health benefits.^[9]

In January 1996, Hostettler was one of 17 Republicans who voted against a legislation supported by House Speaker Newt Gingrich that ended a federal government shutdown. After the vote, Gingrich canceled plans to visit Evansville for a fund-raising event for Hostettler. Gingrich offered to reschedule, but Hostettler turned him down, saying "I cannot allow my fund raising to be tied in any way to specific votes."^[10] That November would be Hostettler's closest re-election, against future Evansville Mayor Jon Weinzapfel.

In June 2000, Hostettler was one of 10 Republicans voting against a prescription drug bill that passed the House 217-214. (The bill failed in the Senate.)^[11]

In June 2001, Hostettler and Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina (another member of the Republican class of 1995) co-authored a bill, H.R. 2357, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns^[12] without losing their tax-exempt status. In October 2002 the bill was defeated in a 178 to 239 vote in the House.^[13]

On July 10, 2002, Hostettler introduced House Amendment 523 to House Resolution 4635, which would have removed the 2% cap on the number of pilots who could be deputized as federal flight deck officers and thus permitted to carry firearms to as well as requiring the Transportation Security Administration to train 20% of all pilots who volunteer for the program within six months of enactment and train 80% by the end of the two-year pilot program. There were no cosponsors to his amendment and it failed in a roll call vote.

On October 10, 2002, U.S. Congressman John Hostettler was one of six House Republicans who voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that authorized the invasion of Iraq.^[14] In a speech to the U.S. House on October 8, 2002, invoking St. Augustine's Just War Thesis, the Minutemen, and the Framers of the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Hostettler revealed his conclusion that:

"...Iraq indeed poses a threat, but it does not pose an imminent threat that justifies a pre-emptive military strike at this time."

^[15]

On July 15, 2003, the House voted 226-198 on a Hostettler-sponsored amendment to the State Departments's "Foreign Relations Authorization Act" reauthorization bill for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005, requiring tighter regulation of consular cards of foreign nations within the United States, including Mexico's "matricula consular" cards. The Senate did pass corresponding legislation in the 108th Congress.^[16]

Also in 2003, he amended the Commerce, State, and Justice appropriation bill to restrict any funding for a ruling calling by the Court of Appeals 11th Circuit for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama State Supreme Court House. Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was removed from office later in 2003, had placed a 5-ton granite monument that included the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building on July 31, 2001.^[17]

In 2004, the House passed the Hostettler-sponsored Marriage Protection Act (MPA). This kept federal courts from ruling on same-sex marriage licenses, as a result of Massachusetts' Supreme Court ruling on February 3, 2004 on the Massachusetts ban on same-sex marriage.^[18]

In September 2005, Hostettler was one of 11 Representatives who voted against the $51.8 billion aid package for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina.^[19] Spokesman Matt Faraci said Hostettler voted against the hurricane measure because it included a provision making it easy for supposed do-gooders to pilfer federal funds. Faraci said that Hostettler would like to see federal funds spent helping victims of natural disasters so long as those dollars are not squandered. "He was very supportive of giving assistance to people affected by Rita and Katrina," Faraci said. "He was concerned that there were provisions in the bill that were open to abuse."^[20]

Hostettler had introduced legislation in five consecutive Congress' to prevent organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union from collecting attorneys’ fees when they win lawsuits challenging religious symbols on public land or religious groups’ use of government property. Hostletter said in a speech in February 2006 that his bill would "restore legal balance in this country, and it will protect us from being the victims of this assault on our religious liberties".^[21] At least one columnist claimed that this change would allow teachers to force students to pray to their specific deity with no possibility of damages or attorney's fees. In other words, only those who could afford to hire an attorney to challenge the practice would be able to object in court. Since monetary damages were precluded, the only remedy would be an injunction.^[22]

In 2006, Hostettler voted against a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.^[23]

Congressional campaigns[link]

1994 election[link]

Prior to the early 1990s, Hostettler had little interest in politics; his only political activity had been primary and general election voting.

However, in January 1994 Hostettler announced that he would run against Democrat Frank McCloskey, a six-term incumbent, in the November election, who Hostettler claimed was among the House's biggest-spending liberals. Hostettler also claimed McCloskey was too loyal to President Bill Clinton.^[24]

Hostettler was also inspired to enter politics after watching a television program by Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, interviewing Rev. Peter Marshall (son of the late Senate Chaplain Rev. Dr. Peter Marshall), whereby Rev. Marshall, historian and author, recounted a Christian Heritage of the United States of America.^[25]

Hostettler won 52%-48%, becoming the sixth challenger to oust an incumbent in the 8th since 1966. In part due to its volatile nature, the district is often called "the Bloody Eighth."

1996 election[link]

In 1996, Hostettler defeated Democratic challenger Jonathan Weinzapfel 50%-48%. This was the narrowest win of his six Congressional victories. Weinzapfel later became mayor of Evansville.

1998 election[link]

In 1998, with a total of 92,785 votes, he defeated his Democratic challenger, Evansville City Councilwoman Gail Riecken, with 52% to Riecken's 46% of the vote.^[26]

2000 election[link]

In 2000, with 116,879 votes, Hostettler defeated Democratic challenger Paul Perry, a surgeon, with 53% of the vote to Perry's 45%.

Doctors for Hostettler, a group of 82 physicians operating in tandem with the Hostettler campaign, organized against the healthcare issues raised by the Perry campaign, a campaign that was healthcare-oriented almost exclusively.

Some attributed this organization as one of the critical factor in the 2000 election, as the subsequently inactive group's statements played a role in the 2006 campaign.^[27]

2002 election[link]

Redistricting after the 2000 census theoretically made the 8th friendlier to Hostettler. Heavily Democratic Bloomington was cut out of the district and replaced with more conservative-leaning Terre Haute. However, he defeated Democratic challenger Bryan Hartke by only five points—a narrower margin than 2000. He took 51% to Hartke's 46% percentage of the vote.

Hartke was the nephew of former Senator Vance Hartke.^[28]

2004 election[link]

In 2004, he defeated Democratic challenger Jon Jennings with 53% of the vote.^[29]

2006 election[link]

In 2006 Hostettler's Democratic opponent was Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth. Ellsworth also identified as a social conservative. Some saw very little difference between the two candidates, and speculation arose from others that Democrats had to run a clone of John Hostettler to win the district.^[30]

The National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $163,000 in his district as of mid-July 2006. (The DCCC, its counterpart, had spent $166,000 for Ellsworth as of that date.)^[31][32] He had never been a strong fundraiser; he never raised more than $800,000 in any campaign. Some attributed Hostettler's refusal to accept any Political action committee money to his relatively low funding levels during campaigns.^{[33][34][35][36][37]} In part because of this, he was on somewhat less secure footing than conventional wisdom would suggest for a six-term incumbent.

As of early September, the Rothenberg Political Report called Hostettler one of the three most endangered House incumbents in the country; Chris Cillizza, political analyst for The Washington Post, ranked Hostettler as the most vulnerable House incumbent in the nation; and Robert D. Novak, a syndicated columnist and editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report, also rated Hostettler's seat a likely win for Ellsworth.^[38]

In mid-October, an opinion poll commissioned by the Evansville Courier & Press showed Ellsworth leading Hostettler, 55% to 32%.^[39]

Hostettler debated Ellsworth on October 23, 2006. The debate was at public television station WVUT at Vincennes University, and involved the League of Women Voters.^[40]

In the November election, Hostettler was soundly defeated, taking 39 percent of the vote to Ellsworth's 61 percent. His defeat was the first announced that night.^{[citation needed]} The 22-point margin was the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent in the 2006 cycle, and the second-biggest margin of a defeat in a Republican-held district. Hostettler was the only incumbent in either party who did not receive 40% of the vote, although a few Senators such as Rick Santorum and Mike DeWine came close. The 8th district vote tally for Ellsworth was only 1% shy of the same district's tally for President Bush in 2004.^[41]

Post-congressional career[link]

Book[link]

In 2007, Hostettler decided to begin a book publishing company called Publius House Publius House. Nothing for the Nation - Who Got What Out of Iraq examines the true motives of American political leaders behind the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.^[42]

Hostettler said of the book that it "...reveals why political leaders and their subordinates sought to remove Saddam Hussein from power" and that there was an underlying and unapparent "motivation of those who sold America on the idea of ousting the Butcher of Baghdad."^[43]

Presidential election[link]

Hostettler endorsed Chuck Baldwin, nominee of the Constitution Party in the 2008 presidential election. He spoke at the Constitution Party's national committee meeting in Orlando, Florida, on December 12–13, 2008.^[44] Prior to his announcement on December 3, 2009, Hostettler was highly mentioned as a possible candidate to run against Evan Bayh.

2010 U.S. Senate election[link]

Hostettler officially announced in a video posted by the campaign on December 3, 2009, that he would seek the office held by retiring United States Senator Evan Bayh in the 2010 election, following much speculation.^[45]

Hostettler had been widely reported to be the leading Republican in the race even after former Senator and Lobbyist Dan Coats announced in February that he would relocate to Indiana and attempt to challenge Hostettler for the open seat, but ultimately placed third in the primary.^[2]

Political positions[link]

Hostettler was one of the "true believers" in the Republican freshman class of 1995. He believed the U.S. Constitution should be strictly interpreted^[46] and was very critical of government actions—especially those of judges—that he felt overstepped their constitutional limits. Even those who disagreed with Hostettler felt that they knew where he stood and would likely give him the benefit of the doubt that he regularly voted in principle and not for political ends.^[47]

He identifies as strongly pro-life and opposes gun control. He favors the dissolution of the Department of Education, and voted against the No Child Left Behind Act because he felt education was a state matter.^[48] He also voted against most federal health care bills with the view that health care is a private or state matter. He maintains that many federal environmental laws and regulations infringed on individuals' property rights.

Hostettler was very active on issues of religious freedom and expression. For example, during his last term, he was the chief sponsor of the Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006, which would have prevented attorneys who successfully challenge violations of the Establishment Clause from collecting attorneys' fees.

On economic issues, he supported repeal of the estate tax, the capital gains tax and the "marriage tax penalty."

Hostettler was a hawk by inclination (he strongly supported the Strategic Defense Initiative). However, he was one of the leading Republican opponents of the Iraq War. He felt that preemptive military strikes were improper, and also felt that the military should not go into action unless there was an "imminent threat" to national security.

Hostettler was a hardliner on immigration issues:^[49]

"...the Constitution ... is very clear. These are violations of our immigration law, and those that violate our immigration law should be dealt with, and should be punished, and should be ultimately deported."^[50]

He supported building a fence at the Mexican border and opposed benefits of any sort to illegal immigrants. During his last two terms in Congress, he was Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. He has been called a "leader of the patriotic immigration reform movement".^[51]

Awards and commendations[link]

• The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) bestowed upon Hostettler the Guardian of Small Business Award in 2000 because of attaining a 94% favorable rating with their organization, markedly above the 70% requirement for the award.^[52]

• In 2001, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) presented to Hostettler the Taxpayers' Friend Award which he shared with 41 other Congressional Members that year.^[53]

• The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) gave, for second consecutive year, the Taxpayers' Friend Award to John Hostettler along with 35 other lawmakers in 2002.^[54]

• In 2004, Hostettler received the Distinguished Christian Statesman Award from the Center for Christian Statesmanship, an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries and Dr. D. James Kennedy.^[55]

• He received a perfect 100% rating from the American Conservative Union in 2005.^[56]

• In 2006, 9/11 Families for a Secure America gave Hostettler the Homeland Defender Award^[57]

Controversies[link]

Direct loan program[link]

On October 30, 1995, the Bloomington Herald-Times reported that 700 Indiana University students and faculty, as well as the entire Bloomington City Council, signed a petition to oppose Hostettler's proposed changes in federal financial aid. According to the article, Hostettler had proposed abolishing the U.S. Department of Education as well as the Direct Loan program.

The Indiana University Student Association, acting on student sentiment as evidenced in the 1995 petition, voted in February 1996 to oppose Hostettler's drive to abolish the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. The resolution passed 38-3, with one abstention. (IUSA Resolution 2-8-1996)

Breast cancer[link]

On April 30, 2002, Hostettler met in Washington with eleven breast cancer survivors from Indiana who were seeking support for more research funding. In a subsequent campaign letter, Hostettler said Diane Gregory, who set up the meeting, "had expressed interest in reading more about [studies on the link between abortion and breast cancer] and had asked Congressman Hostettler to send her a copy of the reports." Gregory denied that, saying "The materials on abortion (two brochures) came to me totally unsolicited. I must admit I was disturbed and surprised to receive the brochures."

According to the women, at the meeting Hostettler "brought up the topic of abortion as the cause of breast cancer" and "made many (of the women) feel he was insinuating that they had had an abortion." Hostettler's campaign letter described the women as being on a smear campaign and said their accusations "never happened."^[58]

In early 2003, the National Cancer Institute concluded that it was well established from all available scientific evidence that "induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk."^[59]

Airport firearm possession[link]

On April 20, 2004, Hostettler was briefly detained at the Louisville International Airport when he attempted to board a flight for Washington, D.C., with a loaded 9 mm Glock pistol in his briefcase^[60] The congressman explained he "completely forgot" the gun was there, and called it a rather stupid mistake. His spokesman said Hostettler never brought the gun, registered to the Congressman, to Washington, where handguns are illegal. Hostettler did have a house or apartment in D.C., but slept in his office.^[61]

In August, Hostettler pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon. He agreed to a plea-bargained sentence of 60 days in jail, with the jail time to be conditionally discharged rather than served if he had no more legal problems in the next two years.^[62] On October 4, 2004, a Kentucky judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest after Hostettler failed to pay court costs, but it was recalled the same day after his attorney paid the $122.50.^[63]

Hostettler received strong support over the gun incident from an aviation security expert, Joseph Gutheinz, a retired NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Senior Special Agent and a former Special Agent with both U.S. Department of Transportation OIG and FAA Civil Aviation Security. In his Op/Ed appearing in the Courier Journal, Gutheinz said that rather than charging Hostettler for an obvious mistake, law enforcement "could have...and should have exercised discretion...by not charging him for bringing his weapon through security at Louisville International Airport." Gutheinz is a well known critic of letting pilots fly armed.^[64][65]

Christian Democrats[link]

In June 2005, Democratic Representative David Obey introduced a measure to declare Congressional opposition to "coercive proselytizing" at the United States Air Force Academy after cadets complained that some of their evangelical Christian superior officers had pressured them about their religious beliefs. During debate on the measure on the House floor on June 20, 2005, Hostettler said: "Like a moth to a flame the Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians." Democrats objected and threatened to censure Hostettler for his comment. Debate did not resume until Hostettler withdrew his statement 20 minutes later.^[66]

Islamic extremism in Canada[link]

In the aftermath of the June 2006 arrests of 17 alleged terrorist bomb-plotters in and around Toronto, Canada, Hostettler said that "South Toronto, like those parts of London that are host to the radical imams who influenced the 9/11 terrorists and the shoe bomber, has people who adhere to a militant understanding of Islam".^[67] Asked later by reporters to describe "South Toronto" in greater detail, Congressman Hostettler characterized the area as "a location which I understand is the type of enclave that allows for this radical type of discussion to go on."^[68] A University of Toronto map reveals that the former "City of Toronto" located in the south of Toronto is also known by the name "South Toronto."^[69] Hostettler's remarks garnered controversy in Canada as he opposes Canadian requests to delay the impending requirement for the use of passports by both Canadian and American citizens at the Canada-U.S. border.^[70]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq official book site
• Publius House, Hostettler's Publishing Company Website
  • John Hostettler Bio
• The Official John Hostettler Website
• Marlin Stutzman for U.S. Senate campaign site
• Associated Press profile

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• 2010 Senate campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Works by or about John Hostettler in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Brian Bilbray
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th district
Incumbent
Assumed office June 6, 2006
Preceded by	Duke Cunningham
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 49th district
In office January 4, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Lynn Schenk
Succeeded by	Susan Davis
Personal details
Born	(1951-01-28) January 28, 1951 (age 61) Coronado, California
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Karen Bilbray
Residence	Imperial Beach, California (1995-2006) Carlsbad, California (2006-2010) San Diego, California (2010-present)
Alma mater	Southwestern College
Occupation	Tax consultant
Religion	Roman Catholic

Brian Phillip Bilbray (born January 28, 1951) is the U.S. Representative for California's 50th congressional district, serving since 2006, and previously for the 49th district from 1995 to 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. Bilbray is Chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus and a member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee.^[1] His subcommittee assignments on the Energy and Commerce Committee are as follows: Oversight and Investigations, Communication and Technology, and Energy and Power.

On June 6, 2006, Bilbray won a special election as representative for California's 50th congressional district to serve out the remaining seven months of the term of fellow Republican former Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who resigned after pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes. Bilbray won re-election in the November 2006 general election and has been representing the 50th district ever since. Due to district realignment he is running as the incumbent in the 52nd district in 2012.

Personal life[link]

Bilbray was born in Coronado, California, and grew up in Imperial Beach, California. He graduated from Mar Vista High School and attended Southwestern College, a community college in Chula Vista, California. He worked as a tax consultant before entering politics. He is a Roman Catholic.

He and his wife, Karen Walker Bilbray, have five children. One of his sons, Brian Jr., is a current member of the Imperial Beach city council. He is a cousin of former Nevada Democratic Representative James Bilbray.

Bilbray is an avid surfer, who compares surfing to politics.^[2][3][4]

Mayor and supervisor[link]

Bilbray became interested in politics when an extensive program of eminent domain was proposed for Imperial Beach. He ran successfully for the city council as a populist, serving during 1976–1978, and was mayor during 1978–1985.

As mayor, Bilbray attempted to build a yacht marina in the Tijuana Estuary and to build a 1.5 mile breakwater off the beach of Imperial Beach.^[5] Both projects were stopped by the opposition of local surfers and environmentalists. The Tijuana River Estuary is now a National Estuarine Research Reserve and California State Park. The breakwater project was halted with the help of the then fledgling Surfrider Foundation.

From 1985 to 1995, Bilbray was a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Member of Congress, 1995–2001[link]

In 1994, Bilbray won the Republican nomination for the 49th district, now the 53rd district, which included most of San Diego, and defeated freshman Democrat Lynn Schenk in the Republican landslide of that year. The 53rd was one of several marginal districts to go Republican in that cycle.

Bilbray was reelected in 1996 and 1998. In 2000, he was defeated by State Assemblywoman Susan Davis.

Lobbyist activities[link]

In 2001, Bilbray registered as a federal lobbyist. His clients included San Diego Gas and Electric Company; the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians; the San Diego Regional Airport Authority; Conquer Cancer and Alzheimer's Now; Los Angeles County; and Federation for American Immigration Reform.

From May 2002 until July 2005, Bilbray was a consultant for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a conservative anti-immigration lobbying group founded by John Tanton. He is currently on the federation's board of advisers. In 2006, Bilbray received nearly $10,000 in campaign contributions from members of the federation's board of directors: Nancy Anthony, Sharon Barnes, General Douglas E. Caton, Sarah Epstein, Stephen Swensrud and Alan Weeden.^[6]

Elections[link]

2006 special congressional election[link]

Bilbray ran in the 2006 special election to fill the vacancy in California's 50th congressional district caused by the resignation in December 2005 of fellow Republican Duke Cunningham, who pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy and tax evasion, and subsequently went to jail. In March 2005, Bilbray moved to Carlsbad, California, to take care of his mother, who owns a home there.^[7]

The race to assume Cunningham's seat was highly contested, especially on the Republican side, with 14 Republicans (compared with only 2 Democrats) officially running for the position. Leading up to the initial all-candidate election that would determine the parties' candidates in a runoff election, Bilbray was in a virtual tie with Republican businessman Eric Roach,^[8] slightly ahead of former State Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian. Four days prior to the election, businessman Alan Uke, one of the major Republican candidates, ran an attack ad accusing Roach of outsourcing thousands of jobs at the expense of American workers.^[9] In the initial all-party special election on April 11, 2006, Bilbray was the Republican candidate with the most votes, receiving 15.26% of the total vote to Roach's 14.50%. He then faced the top vote getters of all the other parties in a runoff election on June 6, 2006: Democrat Francine Busby, Libertarian Paul King, and William Griffith, an independent.

During the campaign, Arizona Senator John McCain canceled a planned fundraiser for Bilbray at the last minute, after Bilbray called McCain's immigration bill "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.^[10] McCain later contributed money to Bilbray's campaign and voiced a radio commercial for the National Republican Congressional Committee in support of Bilbray's race against Busby.^[11]

Bilbray won the runoff with 49% of the vote, and was sworn in on June 13, 2006 as a member of the Congress. The Republican Party considered this a bellwether race because this district had "the perfect storm in favor of the Democrats" according to Ken Mehlman, the RNC Chairman at the time of the special election. The Democratic National Committee's Voting Rights Institute raised several concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the vote count.^[12] An election contest lawsuit sought a hand recount. However, Bilbray was sworn in before the vote count was official.^[13] The court dismissed the suit on the basis that, once the House of Representatives had sworn in Bilbray, the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the challenge.^[14]

2006 general election[link]

Bilbray and Busby each won their party's primary, and faced each other again in the November general election. Bilbray defeated Busby by a margin of 54.2%-43.5%. Bilbray ran as an opponent of illegal immigration.

With the advantage of incumbency and the Republican edge in registrations in the district, Bilbray was initially a clear favorite to win in November. Both the Cook Political Report and CQPolitics first rated the race as Republican Favored. But Busby gained in October, with a late-October poll by SurveyUSA showed Bilbray ahead by just 3 points, for a number of reasons: the general political climate seen as disadvantageous to the GOP, Busby's outraising Bilbray, and Bilbray's low profile campaign. On October 23, CQPolitics changed their rating to Leans Republican.^[15]

2008 general election[link]

Running unopposed in the June primary, Bilbray overcame a strong challenge from Democrat Nick Leibham in the November 2008 general election. With help from the DCCC^[16] and $1 million in donations,^[17] Leibham ran a string of TV attack ads against Bilbray. Democrats thought they had a chance at winning the district due to the hostile environment plaguing Republicans in general, and shifting demographics locally. Bilbray won, 50% to 46%, with 4% of the vote going to Libertarian candidate Wayne Dunlap.

2012 general election[link]

Due to district realignment after the 2010 census, Bilbray is running as the incumbent in the 52nd congressional district in 2012. There will be an all-parties primary on June 5, followed by a runoff between the two top vote-getters regardless of party on November 6.

Residency[link]

Since his loss to Congresswoman Susan Davis in 2001, Bilbray has maintained residences and properties in Imperial Beach, California; Alexandria, Virginia; and Carlsbad, California. In response to requests to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, by the local Democratic Party and neighbors of the congressman, a San Diego County grand jury was convened to investigate claims against Bilbray's declared residency for the special and general elections in 2006.^[18] The investigation was dropped in May 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Questions about Bilbray's residency again arose after his reelection on November 6, 2010, when he personally, as well as his children Briana and Patrick, claimed to not live in California and not qualify for in-state tuition in a class-action lawsuit against the University of California. Brian Bilbray appeared as a named plaintiff residing in Virginia.^[19]

Political positions[link]

This section requires expansion.

During the 109th Congress Bilbray served on the House Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Government Reform Committees. During his first term Bilbray co-authored legislation that led to the transfer of the Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial from the City of San Diego to the federal government. He also authored legislation that would have reformed the federal budget process.

Bilbray positioned himself as moderate on some social issues while conservative on immigration and fiscal matters.^[20][21] He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge.^[22]

During his second run for Congress in the 50th district, Bilbray won over many of the district's most conservative voters with his hard line stance on illegal immigration. Since then Bilbray's voting record has been considerably more conservative than it was during his first term. He is a member of both the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership and the conservative Republican Study Committee, two groups with conflicting positions on policy. For example, the RMSP supports embryonic stem cell research and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment, while the RSC opposes embryonic stem cell research and supports the FMA. He is also a member of Republicans for Choice.

Bilbray voted in agreement with President George W. Bush 93% of the time, and as a result was given a 93% Presidential Support Score by CQ Politics in 2006.^[23]

In October 2011, Bilbray voted for a bill that would prohibit public funding for abortions. It passed 251-172 in the House. Bilbray almost always has voted for free trade agreements in the past years, specifically with Korea, Columbia, and Panama, all of which passed. He is also a strong believer in pro-life policy, as well is the traditional American family.^[24][25]

Bilbray in November 2011 introduced a new bill which would benefit veterans. It provides job training and internships paid for by federal grants.^[26]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Power
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

References[link]

External links[link]

• U.S. Congressman Brian Bilbray official U.S. House site
• Bilbray for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Surfing Congressmen Gut Environmental Laws Swing magazine, March 1996
• http://www.republicansforchoice.com/
• http://www.republicanmainstreet.org/index.php/ElectedMembers

Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs^[1] (born September 24, 1945) is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.^[2][3]

He was born in Texas and lived there and in Idaho during his childhood. After graduating from Harvard University, Dobbs worked in government and banking before becoming a news reporter for several local media outlets. He had worked with CNN since its founding in 1980, serving as a reporter and vice president. He was the host and managing editor for CNN's Moneyline, which premiered in 1980 and was renamed Lou Dobbs Tonight in 2003. Dobbs resigned from CNN in 1999, rejoined in 2000, and resigned again in November 2009. He also hosts a syndicated radio show, Lou Dobbs Radio and has written several books since 2001.

Dobbs describes himself as an "independent populist" and is known for his opposition to NAFTA and support for immigration enforcement. For his reporting, he has won Emmy, Peabody, and Cable ACE awards.

After Dobbs left CNN in 2009, he gave an interview where he did not rule out the possibility of running for President of the United States in 2012, saying the final decision would rest with his wife, although former Senator Dean Barkley has encouraged Dobbs to run.^[4][5][6] Dobbs also acknowledged, via a spokesperson, that he is also considering a run for the United States Senate in New Jersey in 2012.^[7]

Background and family life[link]

Born in Childress County, Texas, Dobbs is the son of Frank Dobbs, a co-owner of a propane business, and Lydia Mae (née Hensley), a bookkeeper.^[1] When Dobbs was 12, his father's propane business failed and the family moved to Rupert, Idaho.^[8] He attended Minico High School in Minidoka County, where he played tackle on the football team and served as student body president and played the souzaphone in the band.^[9] Although accepted at the University of Idaho and Idaho State University, he was persuaded by the staff at Minico High to apply to Harvard University, where he was accepted and later graduated from with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1967.^[9]

After graduating, Dobbs worked for federal anti-poverty programs in Boston and Washington, D.C. He briefly attended law school at the University of Idaho in Moscow, then worked as a cash-management specialist for Union Bank in Los Angeles. He married his high school sweetheart in 1969, and in 1970 their first son was born. Dobbs moved to Yuma, Arizona and got a job as a police and fire reporter for KBLU-AM. By the mid-1970s he was a television anchor and reporter in Phoenix, and he later joined Seattle's KING-TV. In 1979, he was contacted by a recruiter for Ted Turner, who was in the process of forming CNN.^[8] He is married to his second wife, Debi Lee Segura, a Mexican-American who was, at one time, a CNN sports anchor. The couple has had four children together.^[10] Dobbs resides on a 300-acre (1.2 km²) horse farm in Sussex County, New Jersey.^[10]

Career[link]

CNN[link]

Dobbs joined CNN when it launched in 1980, serving as its chief economics correspondent and as host of the business news program Moneyline on CNN. Dobbs also served as a corporate executive for CNN, as its executive vice president and as a member of CNN's executive committee. He founded CNN fn (CNN financial news), serving as its president and anchoring the program Business Unusual, which examined business creativity and leadership.^[11]

Departure and founding of Space.com[link]

Dobbs repeatedly clashed with Rick Kaplan, who became president of CNN in 1997. Dobbs said Kaplan, noted friend of then president Bill Clinton, was "clearly partisan" and "was pushing Clinton stories," while Kaplan said Dobbs was "a very difficult person to work with."^[8]

On April 20, 1999, CNN was covering Clinton's speech in Littleton, Colorado, following the Columbine High School massacre. Dobbs ordered the producer to cut away from the speech and return to broadcast Moneyline.^[8] Dobbs was countermanded by Kaplan, who ordered CNN to return to the speech. Kaplan later said, "Tell me what journalistic reason there was not to cover the president at Columbine soon after the shootings? Everyone else was doing it." Dobbs announced on the air that "CNN President Rick Kaplan wants us to return to Littleton." A few days later, Dobbs announced that he was leaving the network to start Space.com, a website devoted to astronautical news.^[8] Dobbs was subsequently replaced as host of Moneyline by Willow Bay and Stuart Varney.^[12]

Return to CNN[link]

Kaplan left CNN in August 2000, and Dobbs returned the following year, at the behest of his friend and CNN founder Ted Turner, becoming host and managing editor of the new and initially more general news program Lou Dobbs Reporting, which later became CNN News Sunday Morning. He also regained the helm of the newly renamed Lou Dobbs Moneyline (which became Lou Dobbs Tonight in June 2003).^[13]

Radio[link]

From 2009 to 2012, Dobbs hosted Lou Dobbs Radio on United Stations Radio Networks. The three hour daily show had affiliates in several major markets, including its flagship station (WOR) in New York City, Washington D.C. (WHFS), Miami (WZAB-AM) and the San Francisco Bay Area (KDOW), as well as stations such as WGNY-AM in Newburgh, New York. The show was guest-centered and featured political discussion and listener calls. It aired from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern, directly competing with The Sean Hannity Show and The Dave Ramsey Show. Dobbs also hosts the financially themed Lou Dobbs Minute on the same network.

In June 2008, Dobbs reached an agreement with Business TalkRadio Network to carry a rebroadcast of the show from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, displacing Bruce Williams. Dobbs's show is also carried live on CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, on CRN4.

Dobbs was among the hosts who tried out for the position vacated by the cancellation of Imus in the Morning on WFAN, a position that was eventually filled by Boomer and Carton in the Morning. Dobbs mentioned on his radio show that he is currently seeking a position in the US Department of Treasury during the economic crisis. He stated that he believed he could "do more good than the clowns currently in position."

Dobbs also is a regular columnist in Money magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and the New York Daily News.^[8]

Exit from CNN[link]

On the November 11, 2009 edition of his nightly broadcast Lou Dobbs Tonight, Dobbs announced his immediate departure from CNN, ending a nearly thirty year career at the network, citing plans to "pursue new opportunities."^[2][3] CNN President Jon Klein said that Dobbs' departure was not a result of organized opposition to Dobbs' viewpoints.^[14][15] His departure came less than two weeks after an incident in which a shot was fired at his home.^[16]

In July 2009, controversy around Dobbs began when he was the only mainstream news anchor to give airtime to the birther conspiracy theory.^[17] Several liberal advocacy groups, including Media Matters, and the Southern Poverty Law Center criticized Dobbs for his reporting. The controversy eventually caused CNN President Jon Klein to rein Dobbs in via an internal memorandum.^[18] In September, advocates challenged Dobbs for appearing at a FAIR conference (Federation for American Immigration Reform), a leading anti-illegal immigration group. Multiple campaigns were launched, including Drop Dobbs (NDN, Media Matters), and Basta Dobbs (Presente.org).^[19]

The campaigns also attacked CNN for alleged hypocrisy towards Latinos, citing CNN's "Latino in America" special as incompatible with their continued support of Dobbs. The campaigns generated considerable anti-Dobbs press,^[20] and are credited by some^[who?] as pushing Dobbs out.

Dobbs was reportedly paid $8 million in severance pay when he left CNN prior to his contract being due for renewal.^[21]

Since his resignation from CNN, Dobbs has made regular appearances to discuss issues on other news network programs including CNBC's The Kudlow Report and Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor. Dobbs continues to broadcast his American radio show and publish his syndicated column.

Current show on Fox Business Network[link]

On November 10, 2010, Fox Business Network announced that Dobbs will host a show on the channel.^[22] The network announced on March 3, 2011 the start date, show title, and time slot of Dobbs' new show. The show is titled Lou Dobbs Tonight and began on March 14, 2011, airing at 7 PM Eastern. That is the same title and time slot that Dobbs' old CNN show had.^[23]

Cameo appearances[link]

On October 5, 2010, Dobbs made a guest appearance on an episode of The Good Wife, entitled "Double Jeopardy",^[24] in which he plays himself as a client in search of a new law firm to represent his legal interests.

Political views[link]

In his early career Dobbs was known as a fiscal conservative. He is a critic of the "excesses of capitalism," which he identifies as globalization, offshore outsourcing, runaway film production (the outsourcing of Hollywood jobs),^[25][26] illegal immigration, free trade deals, corporate/big business influence in government and the Bush administration's tax cuts. He describes himself as an advocate of economic populism, warning that outsourcing and the U.S. trade and budget deficits threaten the American middle class. Dobbs tends to oppose long-run trade deficits and outsourcing for the sake of labor arbitrage to obtain cheap labor.

In the 2000s, Dobbs has used CNN programs and columns to express his personal views on several subjects. He has become particularly noted for two positions: Dobbs is a critic of American immigration policy and expanded international trade. He is particularly wary of outsourcing and off-shoring, especially with China.^[27] He was a known political figure in New Jersey, with a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll finding that he had a 70% name recognition among New Jersey voters in January 2010. Among these voters, 22% had a favorable view of Dobbs while 22% had an unfavorable view.^[28]

Illegal immigration and border security[link]

Dobbs has been strongly opposed to both illegal immigration and such labor-outsourcing and foreign worker programs as the H-1B visa program and guest-worker programs.^[29][30] He has been a critic of the Mexican government's poverty programs, and of church leaders in Mexico for not criticizing the Mexican government's policies on border security and illegal immigration.

Lou Dobbs Tonight frequently featured themes of "Exporting America," "Broken Borders," and "War on the Middle Class". The newscast often described illegal immigration as an "invasion." Dobbs dismissed concerns about his rhetoric as "political correctness" in the segment billboarded "P.C. Nation".

In his "Broken Borders" segments, Dobbs focused primarily on the southern border with Mexico and the drugs and the people who cross it. Dobbs has lauded the Canadian government for cooperation in securing the border with their American counterparts.

In an interview with Lesley Stahl, Dobbs spoke about his meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, saying they implied that he was anti-Hispanic by asking him, "if [he had] ever eaten a taco before, for God's sake".^[31] Representative Joe Baca, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, later wrote to CBS insisting that the group did not meet with Dobbs to discuss whether he'd eaten Hispanic food, "but to respectfully recommend that he cease the negative portrayal of Hispanics...and treat the issue of immigration in a responsible manner."^[32]

Some of the reporting on the show has been criticized including a claim that illegal aliens were responsible for bringing 7,000 new cases of leprosy to the United States in a three year period, but the actual timeframe was over the last thirty years, according to James L. Krahenbuhl, the director of the National Hansen’s Disease Program.^[33]

Dobbs has criticized local officials for their approach to border security. In October 2007 he labeled then New York Governor Eliot Spitzer an "idiot" for advocating the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.^[34] Hillary Clinton labeled Dobbs' illegal immigration segments as having "all that hot air."^[35][36]

At about 10:30 a.m. on October 5, 2009, a bullet struck Dobbs's home as Dobbs and his wife stood outside it. ^[37] The bullet struck the vinyl siding of their attic without penetrating the vinyl and fell to the ground.^[38] Dobbs attributed the incident to his stance against amnesty for illegal immigrants.^[39] The New Jersey State Troopers' account of the incident attributed to a stray bullet from a hunter in the vicinity.^[38]

In December 2009, Dobbs stated in an interview with Telemundo that he now supports a plan to legalize undocumented workers.^[40]

Other views[link]

Lou Dobbs is a registered Republican. Though he made a donation of $1,000 to the Bush-Cheney campaign in January 2001,^[41] he often has described the Bush administration and the then Republican-controlled Congress as "disgraceful." He has also argued that both parties are controlled by corporate interests. Dobbs faulted Bush's 2004 presidential election opponent, Democrat John Kerry, for first criticizing outsourcing and then backing off.^[42]

Lou Dobbs is pro-choice, opposes gun control and, though he is a fiscal conservative, supports some government regulations, as revealed in a 60 Minutes interview.^[43] He has been critical of trade policies that he says encourage "sending jobs overseas".^[44]

Dobbs' stance on trade has earned plaudits from some trade union activists on the traditional political left, while his stance on immigration tends to appeal to the right.^[8] In an interview with Larry King, Dobbs revealed that he is now "an unaffiliated independent" owing to dissatisfaction with both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Dobbs has been consistently supportive of LGBT rights in the United States. In June 2006, as the U.S. Senate debated the Federal Marriage Amendment, Dobbs was critical of the action. He asserted that marriage was threatened more by financial crises perpetuated by Bush administration economic policy than by same-sex marriage.^[45]

Dobbs is the author of War on the Middle Class, in which he claims that both Democrats and Republicans are harming the middle class. In it, he comes out strongly against the Bush tax cuts, which he argues favor the wealthy, and argued for raising the U.S. minimum wage from what was then $5.15 an hour.^[46]

Dobbs criticized the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 begun by President George W. Bush and later continued by President Barack Obama. He called it originally a "Wall Street bailout", a term which became common. Dobbs described the program as the way for U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to help corporate interests instead of helping average Americans. He expresses many of his views in the documentary Generation Zero.

Controversies[link]

Dobbs' critics, including columnist James K. Glassman, author of Dow 36,000 and member of the American Enterprise Institute think tank, have accused him of inciting xenophobia.^[47] Others have accused him of Hispanophobia, a charge he denies^[48] and one which he has said offends him deeply, as his wife Debi Segura is a Mexican-American.^[49]

Dobbs has also been criticized for his journalistic ethics by liberal news journalist Amy Goodman. She accused him of flagrant errors in his reporting and his staff's association with disreputable sources, complaining that "he has a special responsibility to rely on facts and to correct misstatements of fact."^[50] According to her, he entered the undocumented immigration debate "invoking populist rhetoric and championing the cause of the middle class", a stance opposed by her Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez.^[50]

A CNN report, filed by Christine Romans for Dobbs's April 14, 2005 program, reported on the carrying of diseases across the border by illegal immigrants. Romans' report cited an article in the spring 2005 issue of the non-indexed Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, written by Madeleine Cosman, which made the statement that 7,000 cases of leprosy had emerged in the United States within the previous three years (2002–2005), an increase attributed mostly to an influx of immigrants into the country.^[51][52][53] Critics of the program argued that, in fact, the actual number of leprosy cases had reached 7,000 in the registry over 30 years, not the previous three years, with 137 cases reported in 2006.^[54][55] In addressing the leprosy issue, Dobbs in May 2007 compared his critics from the left and right political spectrums to "commies" and "fascists."^[56] On December 4, 2007, Dobbs rejected Cosman's claims as unsubstantiated, calling her "a wackjob".^[57]

On the May 23, 2006 edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight, Dobbs's program displayed a map of Aztlán sourced to the controversial Council of Conservative Citizens. CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson apologized for the graphic's use, saying: "A freelance field producer in Los Angeles searched the web for Aztlan maps and grabbed the Council of Conservative Citizens map without knowing the nature of the organization. The graphic was a late inclusion in the script and, regrettably, was missed in the vetting process."^[58] In March 2009, Dobbs thought that there shouldn't be a St. Patricks Day ^[59] In mid-2009, Dobbs was criticized by some in the media for invoking "conspiracy theories" by questioning the constitutionality of Barack Obama's presidency due to his supposedly ambiguous citizenship.^[60] His willingness to raise the "birther" issue repeatedly^[61] even though CNN itself considered it a "discredited rumor",^[62] led the Washington Post's TV critic to remark that this "explains their upcoming documentary: 'The World: Flat. We Report -- You Decide.'"^[63] The issue had come up in 2008 during the Presidential campaign, and had largely disappeared from the media spotlight until Dobbs picked up the issue again.^[64] His statements in support of these investigations were dubbed "racist" and "defamatory" by the Southern Poverty Law Center.^[65][66] The controversy led to Media Matters airing ads critical of Dobbs and of CNN,^[67] and to Jon Stewart mocking Dobbs on the satirical The Daily Show.^[68] The New York Times said that Dobbs had "become a publicity nightmare for CNN, embarrassed his boss and hosted a show that seemed to contradict the network's 'no bias' brand."^[69] As a result, he became a frequent target of MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann's Worst person in the World.^[70]

Shortly afterwards, Dobbs announced that he would broadcast two episodes of Lou Dobbs Tonight from the "Hold Their Feet to the Fire" conference in Washington, D.C., organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an anti-illegal immigration advocacy group. Media Matters also criticized this move, citing FAIR founder John Tanton's history of making racist remarks and supporting white supremacist organizations. Media Matters president Eric Burns issued an open letter to CNN vice president Jonathan Klein, asking that the network take action against Dobbs. "Mr. Dobbs represents an ongoing threat to CNN's credibility as a serious news organization, in no small part because of his polemical coverage of immigration issues and his continued use of his CNN show to lend prominence to groups such as FAIR", wrote Burns. "The attention and legitimacy he gave to the 'birther' movement — and CNN's condoning of his actions — did real damage to that credibility. His participation in the upcoming FAIR rally would do further, serious damage. We urge you to finally acknowledge that Mr. Dobbs' actions in this and other contexts are inconsistent with the reputation that CNN strives to maintain."^[71]

In October 2010, The Nation published the results of a yearlong investigation detailing undocumented workers who had worked on Dobbs' personal properties. The labor involved upkeep of Dobbs' multimillion-dollar estates in New Jersey and Florida, including the horses belonging to his daughter, Hillary, a champion show jumper. The article featured interviews with five immigrants who had worked without papers on Dobbs' properties. Dobbs and his daughter had declined to comment to The Nation as part of the story.^[72] Speaking to the Associated Press, Dobbs referred to the article as "a political assault," claiming it's a lie that he hired illegal immigrants. He said: "I have never, do not now, and never will."^[73]

Awards[link]

Dobbs has won numerous major awards for his television journalism, most notably a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award and a Cable Ace Award. He received the George Foster Peabody Award for his coverage of the 1987 stock market crash. He also has received the Luminary Award of the Business Journalism Review in 1990, the Horatio Alger Association Award for Distinguished Americans in 1999 and the National Space Club Media Award in 2000. The Wall Street Journal has named Dobbs "TV's Premier Business News Anchorman". In 2004, Dobbs was awarded the Eugene Katz Award For Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration by the Center for Immigration Studies and in 2005 he received the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution's Statesmanship Award.^[74][75] Dobbs was named "Father of the Year" by the National Father's Day Committee in 1993.^[76]

Books[link]

• Lou Dobbs, Independents Day: Awakening The American Spirit (2007). ISBN 978-0-670-01836-9.
• Lou Dobbs, Exporting America: Why Corporate Greed Is Shipping American Jobs Overseas (2004). ISBN 0-446-57744-8.
• Lou Dobbs, Space: The Next Business Frontier with HP Newquist (2001). ISBN 0-7434-2389-5
• Lou Dobbs, War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back (2006). ISBN 0-670-03792-3.
• Ron Hira and Anil Hira, with foreword by Lou Dobbs, Outsourcing America: What's behind Our National Crisis and how we can reclaim American Jobs. (AMACOM), American Management Association, (May 2005). ISBN 0-8144-0868-0.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lou Dobbs Tonight website
• Official website
• Lou Dobbs at the Internet Movie Database