Lou Dobbs has announced on his show that he is to leave the networkwith immediate effect with tonight’s programme being his last. Dobbs,who joined CNN at the very beginning, contract was not set to expireuntil the end of 2011.
He said;
This will be my last broadcast here onCNN, where I’ve worked for most of the past 30 years, and where I havemany friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.
I’m the last of the original anchorshere on CNN and I’m proud to have had the privilege to helping to buildthe world’s first news network.
I’m grateful for the many opportunitiesthat CNN has given me over these many years. I’ve tried to reciprocatewith a full measure of my ability and my energy.
Over the past six months it’s becomeincreasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffetingthis country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media,politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here atCNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as tocontribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of ourday. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct languagepossible.
I’ve talked extensively with JonathanKlein — Jon’s the president of CNN — and as a result of those talks,Jon and i have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable meto pursue new opportunities.
At this point, I’m considering a numberof options and directions, and I assure you, I will let you know when Iset my course. I truly believe that the major issues of our timeinclude the growth of our middle class, the creation of more jobs,health care, immigration policy, the environment, climate change, andour military involvement, of course, in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But each of those issues is, in myopinion, informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience ofour now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political willto overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C.
I believe these to be profoundly,critically important issues, and I will continue to strive to dealhonestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future.
Unfortunately, these issues are nowdefined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than byrigorous, empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion.I’ll be working diligently to change that as best i can. And as for theimportant work of restoring inspiration to our great free society andour market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in thatnational conversation.
It’s been my great honor to work witheach and every person at this wonderful network. I will be eternallygrateful to CNN, to Ted Turner, and to all of my colleagues andfriends, and of course to you at home. I thank you, and may God blessyou.