Lou Dobbs’s new line on immigration reform

Over at Forbes, there is a Q&A out today with former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, who left the network last year amid controversy over his strident stance on illegal immigration. Since then, Dobbs has tried to rehabilitate himself with an eye to running for public office. He’s made appearances on Spanish-language TV and done an about-face on immigration (or half of one at least) that has angered his onetime allies within the immigration restrictionist movement.

The Forbes Q&A is a good summation of Dobbs’s new position, and similar to that of other mainstream conservatives– regulate immigration as a function of labor market needs, and make it easier for people to enter the country legally.

DOBBS: If there is any lesson over the past decade it is that this is a warm, welcoming, energetic economy and nation. But we cannot responsibly continue to leave open our borders and our port for the purposes of a responsible immigration policy. I’ve made it very clear that I’m in favor of higher levels of immigration into this country if indeed the economy and our society requires it and if it is an expression of conscious public policy. That said, why are we not talking about it in terms of the needs of the nation and the needs of the businesses and the economy for labor. And what type of labor we should be bringing in.