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American Morning

Interview of Lou Dobbs, "Moneyline"

Aired April 04, 2002 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: If you want to know where Lou Dobbs stands on the Justice Department's indictment of Arthur Andersen for its role in the Enron scandal, you don't have to ask the anchor of CNN's "Moneyline." Just listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "MONEYLINE": The effect of that indictment will be to destroy the firm, and the livelihoods of most of those 85,000 innocent people. To this point, no authority, including the Justice Department has demonstrated, nor charged Enron with a crime. That's right. Four months later, neither Enron nor any of its executives has been charged with a crime. This is about Enron, isn't it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: All right. Dobbs made those comments in his commentary called the "Dobbs Report." That plays regularly at the end of "Moneyline," but some are asking, should a news anchor be editorializing, or are things just different on cable TV?

Lou Dobbs joins us this morning -- Good morning.

DOBBS: Good morning, Paula. How are you?

ZAHN: Nice for you to drop by.

DOBBS: It is a delight to be with you.

ZAHN: Thanks. So let's talk about this "Wall Street Journal" this morning -- article which is suggesting that the Justice Department might be ready to settle with Arthur Andersen, no suggestion that the indictment would be pulled back, that would be highly unusual. What do you think?

DOBBS: Actually, there is a suggestion that it might be pulled back.

ZAHN: Really?

DOBBS: Because the settlement here means that that indictment has to be either suspended or waived or lifted altogether. It's very encouraging, and it is very good news for this country if the Justice Department -- a few people have made a horrible mistake in the Justice Department in indicting this firm. It is a great sign for the well- being of this country if the other people within the Justice Department have prevailed over that just utterly wrong-headed and egregiously abusive demonstration of raw power against innocent people.

ZAHN: All right. Now, let's talk about why you have so many TV critics all of over your back right now for taking this position...

DOBBS: TV critics, so many? There are only two, the "New York Times" and the "Wall Street Journal".

ZAHN: And then it gets picked up by every local paper in the country, and it goes on and on and on. They feel that you, in taking a position on the air, have compromised your ability to report fairly on this story.

DOBBS: Well, I'm not sure that I understand entirely why, because I've editorialized and made comments and commentaries on my broadcast for more than two decades. What I think is interesting is they don't like the fact I'm taking highly unpopular position against the Justice Department, against the power structure, and have defended innocent people. I want every person who committed a crime in the Enron case, and in the Enron -- as related, Andersen case, I want them indicted. If they're guilty, I want them in jail. I want them prosecuted to the maximum. But when you look at the e-mails I've received, Paula, from innocent people, men and women in their 40's and their 50's at Andersen, who have done nothing wrong, who have lost $200,000 or more in retirement and health care, who have lost their jobs, and have to start over, they are not going to have anything on their names that says I'm a felon, but they have been treated as if they were, and had nothing to do with what happened in Houston, Texas with Enron and with Andersen's employees who were involved. If they were, indeed, involved in the obstruction of justice.

ZAHN: But it seems to me the criticism of you goes beyond they're not liking the position you've taken, they point out that you had a previous business relationship to Arthur Andersen, that you knew the heads of the board.

DOBBS: Here's a business relationship. Do you know who sponsors your show?

ZAHN: There are a bunch of them.

DOBBS: Do you know who advertises in the "Wall Street Journal" and the "New York Times"?

ZAHN: Everybody has advertisers, not enough of them in this market, I might add.

DOBBS: We're doing very well, thank you. The truth of the matter is, I don't understand the allegation. Every newspaper person in this country, every magazine writer in this country, every television journalist has advertisers. What's the big deal? And the last time I anchored that show was three years ago. I mean, that's pretty sad connection of the dots. ZAHN: All right, but they're digging even deeper because they're saying that you made a paid appearance...

DOBBS: I gave a speech.

ZAHN: ...at an Arthur Andersen-sponsored business forum in January of 2000. You weren't working at CNN at the time.

DOBBS: I wasn't working at CNN at all. What's the big deal?

ZAHN: You know what they're saying.

DOBBS: No, I'm asking you what's the big deal.

ZAHN: I will not going to offer an opinion. You're my work mate here. But I think, you know, once again...

DOBBS: Well, I'd be glad to give you an opinion.

ZAHN: Yes. I mean, once again, I think what they're trying to say...

DOBBS: Well, wait a minute. You asked me a question. I will give you my opinion.

ZAHN: OK. Yes, you could. Then we'll do the next question.

DOBBS: My opinion is this: the fact that I gave a paid speech for Arthur Andersen, do you that -- you know, somewhat -- you're fairly close to knowing what I make a year. Do you think that a speech fee would influence me one way or another?

ZAHN: I would hope not, and I know you well enough to know that wouldn't be the case.

DOBBS: Just think about the economics of it. Do you think it would?

ZAHN: But, as you know, networks out there have made a lot of rules about any of us making speeches, where at some point anybody could charge of a conflict of interest in our reporting.

DOBBS: You could be charged of a conflict of interest at anytime. Do you want to talk about your politics, who you voted for, who you contributed money to?

ZAHN: Never.

DOBBS: I happen to have it published, it's a matter of public record. I voted for this president. I contributed money to this president. I am attacking the position taken by this administration's Justice Department. If anybody thinks that's easy for a lifelong Republican, they're crazy. You've seen me -- as a matter of fact, be extraordinary critical of the management of AOL Time Warner. They pay me that money.

ZAHN: And they may just nibble in that check down the road.

DOBBS: The truth of the matter is, I have got the support of Walter Isaacson, the chairman and the CEO of this network, who has supported me fully in my editorial positions, that is my right to give them. He has encouraged me to do so. I am absolutely supported by the top management of this company, and I have to tell you, that is the greatest feeling in the world, and the fact that two reporters writing articles in either the "Journal" or the "New York Times" who don't like my position, or want to connect some rather frivolous and, I think, tenuous dots and impugn the sincerity of my position, I think they're the ones who have something to answer for. Certainly not me.

ZAHN: Well, you certainly aren't the only one that does editorials. I mean, Dan Rather for years did radio editorials that were television work, and so...

DOBBS: That's fine. That's right, he's a bright, capable, venerable journalist. I would love to hear his opinions on everything. I may not agree with them, but I would like to hear them.

ZAHN: And you don't think the audience should have any problem in knowing what the personal opinions of an anchor are, when then we are supposed to play the role of the unbiased...

DOBBS: Well, you say "we." I don't know. You don't have give opinion, do you?

ZAHN: No.

DOBBS: I do, and I always have. I -- a very important part of what I do on "Moneyline," each evening, 6:00 p.m., on this network...

ZAHN: I'm there with you almost every night, unless the taco meat is flying in our kitchen.

DOBBS: Just to put to put it in perspective and context. I offer analysis and insight, it's what I'm paid to do, and it's what my audience wants. And by the way, those people watching you and me right now, they're hell of a lot smarter than the "Journal" and the "Times" are giving them credit for being. They know what your opinion is, over time, watching you, with nuance, with suggestion. And they can discern -- all they are doing is listening to my opinion. Do you think they are going to be persuaded solely because Lou Dobbs says it's time to really look at the Justice Department? All I can do, as a journalist, is offer my view, and within the context of that relationship with the audience, they make a decision. This is this Justice Department, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or an independent, doing the right thing? Is it being fair to innocent people? Is it right to have innocent people in this country afraid of their government? Those are big issues, and it's really startling to me that not more people have taken on that issue and editorialized, and offered their opinion, because one of our roles, I truly believe this, is, in this country, to make certain that we are fair in our government, we're fair in our business, we're fair in the way we conduct our lives. It's the underpinning of everything we do in this country. It is what makes us great. And to turn away from it, to be silent, I pass. I choose to say something, I choose to add my voice.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate your dropping by to help us more fully understand what was going through your mind when you had to read this stuff, and as far as I am concerned, consumers have a very simple choice today. They have remotes, right?

DOBBS: Absolutely.

ZAHN: If they don't like what you are saying, what your show has to say, what my show has to say, you just click the remote off.

DOBBS: Well, let's put in a positive sign. They love what you have to say, they love what I have to say, and they stay with us. But that's what makes this country great, it is all about markets and free choice.

ZAHN: Thanks, Lou.

DOBBS: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: I will be watching you tonight.

DOBBS: You've got a deal.

ZAHN: 6:00, I'll be there. Thanks.

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