Lou Dobbs abruptly quits CNN on the air -- video

CNN's outspoken and controversial anchor/commentator Lou Dobbs suddenly announced his retirement during his program today, effective immediately.

See the video below.

Dobbs, who's been particularly outspoken on the issue of illegal immigration, said the country's current problems require rigorous discussion based less on partisanship than empirical evidence. He said he'd been under pressure to take a new direction in his life (politics) and he was going to do so in an effort to help save what he called the country's beleaguered system of capitalism.

Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us.

And some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most direct and honest language possible.

CNN, which isn't doing all that well in recent ratings anyway, has also been under pressure to....

Obama campaigns for conservative Democrat

President Obama is finding a new version of bipartisanship, taking time out of his busy schedule to speak at a fundraiser for a New York congressional candidate who makes no secret of his more conservative leanings.

Obama’s appearance tonight is on behalf of Democratic candidate Bill Owens, who polls show is running slightly ahead of a more liberal Republican and an even more conservative opponent. All three are sparring in a special election for the congressional seat vacated when Obama named moderate Republican John M. McHugh to be secretary of the Army.

The congressional race has become of microcosm of the political confusions that are rumbling through the major political parties this year. Democrats are split between liberal and conservative wings that are finding it hard to fashion common ground on key issues such as healthcare reform. While Republicans, wanting to keep the energy of conservatives’ unhappiness, are having a hard time finding a place for the moderates they need for electoral success.

The 23rd Congressional District is deep in upstate New York near the Canadian border and includes Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. It has sent only Republicans to Congress since around the Civil War. Tonight, Obama is expected to speak well of Owens, who opposes a robust public option in the healthcare reform debate. He also opposes same-sex marriage, which is backed by Republican Dierdre Scozzafava, a New York assemblywoman since 1998. She is also pro-abortion rights. Among her supporters is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Complicating the picture is the Conservative Party, which has long outgrown its origin as a cat's-paw of the GOP to become the tail that often wags the feline, at least in New York politics.

On the conservative side, riding a wave of discontent with Democrats and moderate Republicans is Doug Hoffman, who opposes gay and abortion rights and sees himself as the true Republican, having gained the endorsement of the GOP right, including the Club for Growth, the Family Research Council Action PAC and even former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. How to deal with conservatives has become a key question for the national GOP after a summer of tea-party demonstrations and abrasive town hall meetings.

Because this is an off-year election, it is sure to be seized on as another straw in the wind for 2010.

– Michael Muskal

Speaker Pelosi throws cold water on resolution to honor Michael Jackson

Even in death, Michael Jackson has the power to create controversy.

During the Monday memorial service in Los Angeles, Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee told the thousands of mourners in Staples Center (and the hundreds of millions of fans around the world, eagerly watching on television) that she would introduce a resolution in the hope of honoring the King of Pop for his humanitarian efforts around the world.

The Democratic congresswoman displayed a framed copy of the resolution she was proposing and insisted it would come to the floor.

On the face this would seem to be a no-brainer: iconic singer and long-time donor to charities gets a last recognition. Besides, anyone whose death can so monopolize the public arena should be a slam-dunk for a congressional resolution.

Not so fast, as The Ticket warned Wednesday in this item.

Some Republicans, including Long Island Rep. Peter King, said they had problems with the adulation pouring over Jackson. King, in a video posted on YouTube, called the....

A James Stockdale, named for Ross Perot's VP, back on Navy duty

James B. Stockdale goes to sea again.

The Navy flier was the highest-ranking naval officer held as a POW in the Vietnam War. He was shot down over North Vietnam in 1965 and had his shoulders, arms and a leg virtually crippled during seven-plus years of torture. Though unable to fly, he was kept on active duty after his release and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his combat duty and leadership of American POWs.

In a 1992 "Saturday Night Live" skit Stockdale was brutally mocked for his televised debate performance as independent Ross Perot's running mate against Democrat Al Gore and Republican Dan Quayle.

It seems Stockdale's hearing aid had malfunctioned, but it wasn't the last time the late-night caricaturers would successfully damage a politician. The image of an ancient slow-witted bumbler stuck for the remainder of the campaign and beyond.

Stockdale died in 2005 at 81.

But this Saturday a brand new James Stockdale goes back on U.S. military duty. (Don't wait for that news on "SNL's" update.)

In Port Hueneme on California's coast, the Navy will officially commission DDG 106 Stockdale, the 56th of 62 planned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Vice Adm. Stockdale's widow, Sybil, will officiate.

Cmdr. Fred W. Kacher, of Oakton, Va., will be the guided-missile destroyer's first commanding officer, overseeing a crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Stockdale was built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics Co. She is 509 feet long with a waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 31 feet.

The ship can exceed speeds of  30 knots.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Naval pilot James Stockdale exiting his A-10 Skyhawk in 1965 one week before being shot down over North Vietnam and beginning seven-plus years as a POW. Credit: Associated Press. The guided-missile destroyer Stockdale at its 2008 christening in Maine. It will enter naval service Saturday at Port Hueneme, Calif. Credit: Associated Press

Was Ron Paul, tea party re-inventor, right all along?

Ron Paul told us long ago. And so did the supporters of this one-time Libertarian presidential candidate.

Maybe you remember about 16 months ago the 11-term Texas Republican representative, who's now organized a new Campaign for Liberty, was raking in more political contributions each month than most other GOP presidential candidates, relying on his hundreds of thousands of fervent supporters staging their money bomb days of online donations and -- oh, yes – tea parties.

In many cases today’s media coverage of some 700+ tax protesting tea parties across the country ended up telling us more about the media than the rallies, which sure had some angry guests for “tea parties.”

Cable channels tended to cover and debate the events along their predictable viewership lines, with Fox News taking them seriously while acknowledging their critics, and MSNBC generally dismissing....

Forget the gaffes, Obama eloquently knocks one out of the park

True, President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team have made some boo-boos the last few weeks. They may have been the only people in the country unaware of the grand jury investigation of Obama's secretary of Commerce-designate, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

So he had to go under the bus.

And there's Obama's absolute-opposition-well-maybe-he'd-be-all-right to Roland Burris, the man designated to fill the president-elect's vacant U.S. Senate seat by legally challenged but crafty Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who's giving some Illinois insomnia to Democratic Senate leaders Happy Harry Reid and Dangerous Dick Durbin.

But with his inauguration as the 44th president now barely a week away, Obama made a magnificently masculine move the other day that almost half the country can thoroughly admire in a truly bipartisan spirit. It was so skillful, so deft and savvy that it slid right by most of us at first.

The man who will soon command the most powerful military forces on the planet said publicly that he was happy his mother-in-law is moving in with him and Michelle.

In fact, the almost-president said he was positively delighted at the prospect of having his wife's outspoken 71-year-old mother living just down the White House hall from him.

And he pulled it off. He really did. Who didn't believe him?

Crowds in front of the Obamas' temporary residence in Washington's Hay-Adams Hotel were not seen falling on the sidewalk laughing. Secret Service personnel kept the straight faces they have surgically implanted after taking the oath. "Saturday Night Live" did not do a skit or news report mocking the unbelievable occurrence. Most important for a male who wants to stay married to the same woman, Obama's wife believed him.

Marian Robinson is known as a very independent and blunt-talking woman who likes her fried food good and fried with plenty of salt. She does not hit the gym every morning by 8. She's been living for years in her own bungalow on Chicago's South Side, where she can have her things her way.

And for the last year or two after retiring as a bank secretary, she's been a primary caregiver for her two granddaughters, Malia and Sasha, while their parents campaigned Lord-knows-where in order to win four years' residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

By all accounts, Grandma Robinson had her rules and discipline as a conscientious mom. But she's made it clear as a grandmother that she disagrees with her son-in-law's and daughter's rules on bedtime and daily TV-watching for the girls -- 8:30 is way too early, and one hour is insufficient.

Robinson's move into the White House makes her the first first mother-in-Law to take up presidential residence since Harry Truman's years, which may be the real reason he did not seek reelection in 1952. Robinson's move is being described as possibly temporary. Never ever having lived outside Chicago, she naturally wants to see how it goes before deciding on a permanent watchdog role.

Michelle Obama describes her mom lovingly as someone who doesn't like any fuss around her and highly prizes her own space. So that will probably work out really well in a place as simple, private and understaffed as the White House.

--Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Ticket Replay: Bob Barr asks exactly where all this bailout $$ will come from

The Ticket is republishing some of our favorite items for a few days. This one originally appeared here on Dec. 8, 2008. But seems like the question still stands:

Bob Barr is such a silly fellow.

You may remember he's the former conservative Republican congressman from Georgia who turned up as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate this year, trying to disprove the theory about facial hair barring men from important federal office. Bob got not that many votes last month.

Now, here's how silly Bob is being: With all the concerns about the recession and job losses and Wall Street-automotive bailouts and housing crisis and Main Street, wherever that is, Bob -- you won't believe this -- wants to know where all this money is coming from.

Can you believe, as the president-elect's team announces fresh old Clinton faces every day and on the monthly eve of an historic presidential inauguration that's got people all excited about pomp and pageantry, this conservative wants to talk about silly things like how we're going to come up with another $1,000,000,000,000 or more?

Ridiculous! Who asks where the money is coming from at a happy time like this? It'll just be there somehow. Isn't that the way it works? Spend it, then worry later. If you have to. You're in the urgent, immediate moment now and debt concerns can wait.

The usual answer is we'll find the money by cutting wasteful spending, like subsidies for bee farmers or something.

Here's what Bob said in a recent e-mail: "For instance the Bush-Obama-McCain Bailouts (BOMB) are an example where a rush to spend our tax dollars was poorly thought out and even more poorly implemented. Where they will stop no one knows.

"As the auto industry stands in line with their hands out for your hard-earned tax dollars and the states and cities start lining up for federal help to continue their irresponsible spending, the end is nowhere in sight."

Bob said something else kinda scary. He said he hears rumors that the federal government might take over private 401k funds and fold them into the decaying Social Security system. Bye-bye personal savings.

He also said: "On May 12th when I announced my candidacy for president, our national debt was $9.366 trillion. Today, less than seven months later, our national debt is $10.681 trillion."

And, speaking of deficits, Bob adds that he's, uh, got some lingering debts of his own from the just-completed presidential campaign when he apparently spent a little more money than he actually had in hand, like Democrat Hillary Clinton did without the Mark Penn part.

Bob says if we could all maybe chip in and help pay them off, that would be really great.

Then, Barr says, he can devote his full attention to this awful national debt problem.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: BobBarr2008.com

Bob Barr's asking that ridiculous bailout money question again

Bob Barr is such a silly fellow.

You may remember he's the former conservative Republican congressman from Georgia who turned up as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate this year, trying to disprove the theory about facial hair barring men from important federal office. Bob got not that many votes last month.

Now, here's how silly Bob is being: With all the concerns about the recession and job losses and Wall Street-automotive bailouts and housing crisis and Main Street, wherever that is, Bob -- you won't believe this -- wants to know where all this money is coming from.

Can you believe, as the president-elect's team announces fresh old Clinton faces every day and on the monthly eve of an historic presidential inauguration that's got people all excited about pomp and pageantry, this conservative wants to talk about silly things like how we're going to come up with another $1,000,000,000,000 or more?

Ridiculous! Who asks where the money is coming from at a happy time like this? It'll just be there somehow. Isn't that the way it works? Spend it, then worry later. If you have to. You're in the urgent, immediate moment now and debt concerns can wait.

The usual answer is we'll find the money by cutting wasteful spending, like subsidies for bee farmers or something.

Here's what Bob said in a recent e-mail: "For instance the Bush-Obama-McCain Bailouts (BOMB) are an example where a rush to spend our tax dollars was poorly thought out and even more poorly implemented. Where they will stop no one knows.

"As the auto industry stands in line with their hands out for your hard-earned tax dollars and the states and cities start lining up for federal help to continue their irresponsible spending, the end is nowhere in sight."

Bob said something else kinda scary. He said he hears rumors that the federal government might take over private 401k funds and fold them into the decaying Social Security system. Bye-bye personal savings.

He also said: "On May 12th when I announced my candidacy for president, our national debt was $9.366 trillion. Today, less than seven months later, our national debt is $10.681 trillion."

And, speaking of deficits, Bob adds that he's, uh, got some lingering debts of his own from the just-completed presidential campaign when he apparently spent a little more money than he actually had in hand, like Democrat Hillary Clinton did without the Mark Penn part.

Bob says if we could all maybe chip in and help pay them off, that would be really great.

Then, Barr says, he can devote his full attention to this awful national debt problem.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: BobBarr2008.com

With only 1,448 days until election day 2012, Ron Paul ponders another run

With only 1,448 days left before the 2012 election, you-know-who is making plans to launch another long-shot campaign for the presidency.

So much can happen before Nov. 6, 2012: Hillary Clinton could be on the Supreme Court. Her husband could be getting $400,000 per speech.

There'll be yet another James Bond actor. Shrek IX will be showing. And Harry Reid will be scowling. Still.

Also, you can bet Rep. Ron Paul will be running for the White House again, probably as a Republican. Not so much to actually win, mind you; RP runs to make a point about less government and foreign intervention.

And anyway by then, at age 77 Paul will be the second oldest guy to launch a losing presidential campaign, behind only Ralph.

Thanks to one of our favorite libertarian writers, David Weigel over at Reason.com, we get a Ron Paul update and a peek inside the opaque window that is the perpetual Paul campaign. Weigel tells us, via Paul's grandson-in-law Jesse Benton, that the Texas congressman is pondering another run.

Benton says Paul needs to make up his mind soon, like by mid-summer next year, because "those voters in New Hampshire and Iowa expect to see their candidates early and often."

Benton says Paul "would be very likely to run as a Republican," in large part because the hated media conspiracy that allegedly ignores him so much gives him more exposure as a GOP candidate than as some kind of fringe nutjob.

With the primaries a dim memory and Paul once again back in the House for an 11th term (unopposed this November because Texas Democrats know a political tornado when they see one), people tend to forget that Paul raised nearly $35 million from his fervent fans.

That's way more than Mike Huckabee and almost as much as Mitt Romney dished out from his own funds. In fact, Paul raised more money in the third quarter last year than any other Republican.

Of course, Paul's total $35 million is only about two weeks' or less take for the '08 Barack Obama money-printing machine.

But since when have the odds ever deterred Paul?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Brian Moore, the Socialist candidate for president, is more popular than ever

Campaign 2008 has been a fierce fame-making machine, albeit for notoriety that can be most fleeting.

Yet Brian Moore, the Socialist candidate for president of the United States of America and the latest to bask in the media glow, has seen his 15 minutes stretch on for a couple of weeks. And he's hoping for quite a bit more.

It all started a couple of weeks ago, when the Republican ticket began to paint Barack Obama as a "socialist" and the "redistributor in chief," after the Democrat made his now famous remark to Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher about "spreading the wealth around."

That created an opening for Moore of Spring Hill, Fla., who finds the Republicans lacking in credibility and Obama badly wanting when it comes the true collectivist spirit. The former HMO executive and Socialist Party USA presidential nominee has been in nearly constant demand in recent days.

On Monday, he was giving yet another radio interview, this one to a station in St. Louis. He earlier had been featured by the Chicago Tribune, Fox News, St. Petersburg Times, the Nation and the New Republic, to name just a few.

The 65-year-old physical fitness fanatic’s biggest splash came last week on "The Colbert Report." Host Stephen Colbert greeted him as "Comrade Moore," and when the obscure candidate insisted Obama was not a socialist, Colbert retorted, "What do you mean, he wants to redistribute the wealth. That makes him a pinko, right?"

Moore . . ..