The "central figure in the increasingly fractious debate over future immigration policy was not a senator or congressman, nor even a lobbyist on either side of the issue. It was instead, a television news anchor, Lou Dobbs of CNN," today's New York Times says.

Jon Klein admits that "there is certainly a correlation between Lou's outspokenness and the ratings he has gotten." But "he reasserted that CNN would not be turning to opinion-based programs beyond the Dobbs newscast."

Quote: "Cable has always been, certainly for the past 10 years, a hospitable home to outspoken, over-the-top figures. It cuts through the clutter. [But] what is suitable for Lou is not necessarily suitable for many other, if any other, talent on the network. It is not a signal for some sea change at CNN."