In a surprise announcement Thursday afternoon, the Fox Business Network announced a major makeover of its primetime lineup. The new look slate will feature re-airs of The Willis Report, Cavuto, and Lou Dobbs Tonight, while ending the runs of FreedomWatch with Judge Andrew Napolitano, Power & Money with David Asman, and Follow the Money with Eric Bolling. In addition, the network will be developing a new show featuring Melissa Francis, which will eventually air at 5 p.m., bumping Gerri Willis‘ show to 8 p.m. (Willis will air live at 5 p.m. with re-airs at 8 p.m. until the second quarter).

GOP candidate Ron Paul appeared on Fox Business Network last night to discuss the state of politics, in particular, frustrations that many are feeling with a stagnant economy, and what he deems to be an ever-expanding role of the government. When host Lou Dobbs asked about evidence of fiscal prudence of late, Paul seemed to focus on brewing exasperation among the U.S. citizenry, seeing the possibility of Europe-style riots coming to our shores.

News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch wants you to know his Fox Business Network’s not losing money anymore. On an earnings call Wednesday, Murdoch described the four-year old business channel as reaching “cash break even” status–not losing money, but not making money either. At the time of FBN’s 2007 launch, the network projected breaking even within five years, so executives see the milestone as a victory even as CNBC continues to dominate the cable business news niche. “Fox Business has made great strides,” News Corp. president Chase Carey said on the earnings call.

With the stock market plummeting today, the President turning 50 years old and that summer staple of Sharia Law fear looming dangerously in the news cycle, it was probably a good call on Jon Stewart‘s part to turn to the always comical “culture wars” for material today. And it delivered– sure, Lou Dobbs griped about Latino Spiderman and the Fox crew railed against contraceptives, but tonight, the atheists took the cake for opposing the display of the 9/11 cross at the New York memorial.

The Department of Health and Human Services really established that America’s private insurance companies must allow access to preventive health care needs to women. Free H.I.V. screenings, free counseling, even free breast pumps are covered under the plan which could start as soon as next August. Stephen Colbert is predictably outraged over this, declaring last [...]

Lou Dobbs‘ new new show on Fox Business Network recently celebrated its 100th episode, and in celebration, the host took a bit of a victory lap by appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Dobbs and host briefly onded over New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen and their common bond of being television hosts, when Jimmy Fallon asked about some political figures. Dobbs gave GOP front runner Mitt Romney some muted praise for saying the right things, before giving Donald Trump a backhanded compliment.

Mike Huckabee appeared with Lou Dobbs and expressed such frustration with President Obama that Dobbs appropriately wondered whether or not Huckabee was having second thoughts about deciding not to run for President? Although Huckabee threw cold water on the prospect of re-opening that door, he didn’t hesitate to take both Obama and Congress to task for saying one thing (that without a debt deal there will be catastrophic results) and yet acting completely different.

Republican Congressman and Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa spoke with Lou Dobbs about “Operation Fast and Furious” and how he is determined to learn exactly who knew what and when about the illegal gun trafficking program. Despite President Obama declaring that Attorney General Eric Holder was not aware of the program, Issa believes some evidence might suggest otherwise.

Nobody seems to be happier than Ann Coulter that the Birther controversy is over, because now she can get attention for criticizing President Obama on issues that are actually important. Coulter usually known for her outrageous statements that some don’t consider to be serious, asks a question that would likely find much liberal support: “what on Earth are we [still] doing in Afghanistan?”

Lou Dobbs invited former Governor Jesse Ventura to appear on his show and both were completely disgusted with the TSA’s airport security measures. Dobbs called the practice of patting down young children at airports “outrageous,” “disgusting” and “un-American,” while Ventura used it as a launching pad to reveal his complete distrust of the entire government.

After decades at CNN, and a year off television, Lou Dobbs returns Monday evening at 7 p.m. with Lou Dobbs Tonight on the Fox Business Network. “”I did miss [TV], and when I discovered I missed it, it made most of my decisions very easy,” Dobbs tells the New York Daily News‘ Richard Huff.

Dobbs, who considered politics after departing CNN a year ago, decided his future–like his past–was in television. The first step begins tonight, with a reintroduction to viewers and working to build the Fox Business brand. “It’s about building back the pace, establishing a comfort level and rebuilding my relationship with the audience. And that’s all on me. I don’t want to let any of my colleagues down.”

Mediaite hears the Fox Business Network is expected to announce this afternoon that Lou Dobbs will launch a new nightly show at 7pm on FBN starting March 14th. The launch marks Dobbs’ return to cable news more than a year after his departure from CNN.

Dobbs signed a multi-year deal with Fox Business last fall, instantly becoming one of the network’s biggest names:

In yesterday’s press conference, President Obama had much legislative success to be pleased with, but also discussed his “biggest disappointment” – failing to pass the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). Enter Lou Dobbs on last night’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, who came out with guns blazing, referring to Obama’s actions on illegal immigration as “nonsense” and “madness,” and who alleged the Obama administration was displaying “ignorance” and “demagoguing the issue.”

Keith Olbermann may have gotten on a few people’s nerves this past week, but funny is funny and last night’s World’s Worst (I refuse to type “Not Really the World’s Worst” every time) was funny. Olbermann chose Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O’Reilly as his targets and went after them with some hilariously bizarre impressions. Perhaps with all the free time he has from not Tweeting, Olbermann can start moonlighting as a voice actor!

Newly-minted Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs made his debut as the star of a new O’Reilly Factor segment last night, and it appears that, at least on the immigration issue, the new, improved Dobbs may have mellowed out. In fact, compared to Bill O’Reilly‘s continually high level of outrage against Meg Whitman‘s former illegal immigrant housekepper, Nicki Diaz, Dobbs seemed level-headed to the point of relative apathy.

Fox Business loves to hear media moguls talk about Fox Business. Last week, they had CNN thinker-upper Ted Turner show up to talk about new Fox Business employee Lou Dobbs. Now they’ve invited their leader Rupert Murdoch to discuss the most pressing matters of the day—like how awesome Fox Business is. “Fox Business, Fox News” are News Corp.’s “best growth engines,” he said. “Seriously.”

Ted Turner has a wide range of interests, so it’s fitting that his conversation with Brian Sullivan was wide-ranging. After discussing solar power, job growth, and the gold standard, he touched upon his former CNN employee and “good friend” Lou Dobbs, who recently signed with Fox Business. He had mainly good things to say, though did acknowledge that Dobbs “was a little over the top on the immigration issue while in his last days [at CNN].”

Former CNN anchor, and regular guest on Fox News and Fox Business, Lou Dobbs will have a new home on the Fox Business Network starting in 2011. He’s host a new daily program for the young business channel and make regular appearances across many FBN shows. Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times has the scoop:

Lawrence O’Donnell continued his booking hot streak tonight when he had both Lou Dobbs – at the center of this controversy about employing illegal immigrants on his property – and Isabel MacDonald (whose report in The Nation sparked the controversy) on his program to debate the issue of whether Dobbs once employed illegal immigrants, despite his long-standing hard-line stance against illegal immigration.

The Nation has a report out today that has generated a bit of heat towards CNN’s former 7pm anchor (and fiery advocate of immigration reform) Lou Dobbs, suggesting that he employed a number of illegal immigrants to care for his daughter’s horses. The essay, which is entitled “Lou Dobbs, American Hypocrite” goes in to great detail about Dobbs’ horse farm and the alleged illegal immigrants who tend to the grounds. If this sounds at all familiar, its because Keith Olbermann reported on this story two years ago, when Dobbs was actually on the air regular attacks on illegal immigrants.

Today, the White House announced that President Obama would be spending September 11th attending memorial services at the Pentagon which he also did last year. Many in the media are speculating that this decision was made to avoid possible protests if he spent the day at Ground Zero. On Fox News, Lou Dobbs likened the move to a president hiding himself in “a bunker.”

Megyn Kelly had on Lou Dobbs as guest on her show America Live today in which they talked about the emerging narrative of the White House “potentially being thin skinned” as Kelly put it just before running a clip of President Obama‘s now infamous quote in which he claimed “powerful interests” who “talk about me like a dog.” As if to prove the president’s point, Dobbs chose not to soften his rhetoric, instead upping the sophomoric ante by ostensibly calling the sitting U.S. President a cry baby. This is how we live now.

A lot hay has been made by cable pundits and right of center politician of late, regarding the issue of the 14th Amendment, which essential claims that any child born in the United States is automatically a naturalized citizen, regardless of the immigration status of their parents. Recently Senators Lindsey Graham and John Kyl have considered eliminating birthright citizenship, which is the exact sort of controversy custom-made for cable news programming! Et Voilà – today Fox News host Megyn Kelly and Lou Dobbs discussed this very issue!

Bill Press is a member of an increasingly endangered species: the successful progressive radio host. With his new book, Toxic Talk: How the Radical Right Has Poisoned America’s Airwaves, my White House press colleague aims to diagnose, and treat, the left’s deficit on the dial. While it lives up to its title, Toxic Talk is much more than a catalog of crass conservative cacophony. Breezy and full of insights for left, right, and in between, Press’ book is essential reading for political media junkies.

Missing in all the Arizona immigration law debate in the media was one familiar cable news personality – Lou Dobbs.

The former CNN host, who made illegal immigration a major topic on his program for years, weighed in on the topic upon entering Bill O’Reilly‘s No-Spin Zone last night.