Lou Dobbs made Special Report with Brit Hume’s Political Grapevine today…well sort of…

A top-rated Latino talk radio show in Los Angeles has offered $500 in baby products to the first illegal immigrants to name their child “Lou Dobbs.” The “Name Your Baby Lou Dobbs Challenge” is inspired by the CNN host who is well known for his periodic red faced and agitated rants against illegal immigration.

Winners must claim their prize live on KPFK’s Poncho Hour of Power and present the baby in question, an official U.S. birth certificate, and notarized proof of their illegal status.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Scott Leith writes about Glenn Beck’s Monday debut on HLN…

Who is this guy Glenn Beck, and why is CNN Headline News making such a big bet on him?

Beck’s new TV show debuts at 7 p.m. Monday on Headline News. The network, an offshoot of CNN, is in the midst of an ongoing effort to differentiate itself from its big brother, in part by hiring opinionated characters like Beck.

The network cast a wide net to find a new prime-time personality. Execs decided on Beck, a somewhat-well-known radio talk show host with a sense of humor and right-of-center political views.

Though Beck’s Headline News program will feature a regular guest with the title “token liberal,” Beck said politics won’t be front and center. “People are so sick of politics, especially on cable news,” he said.

Token Liberal? Oh boy…

CNBC’s Larry Kudlow scored an exclusive interview with Presdient Bush this morning. Here is the transcript…

MR. KUDLOW: Thank you very much for your time. Let me begin with the jobs report. It’s the big issue this morning, up 138,000. The stock market loved it right off the bat. What is your view?

PRESIDENT BUSH: My view is the 138,000 job increase for the last month is an indication that this economy’s still strong. My first reaction, when I hear new jobs are being created, I say that’s good, we got people working. We want people finding work, and gosh, I remember, you know, I remember, back when I first came in here, the job market was falling off and a lot of Americans were wondering whether or not we’d ever get back, get our footing back, you know, and we cut the taxes, there was a big debate here, in Washington, D.C., and “cause this won’t help the economy.” So the 138,000 remind me that not only are people working, which is good, but that the tax cuts are working, and the economy’s strong and vibrant, and we need to keep it that way.
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FNC will be airing a one hour special on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called “Why He Fights”. Hosted by Pentagon Correspondent Brett Baier, the special will air at 10 pm ET on Sunday May 7. Baier turned in a Reporter’s Notebook on the show…

In an exclusive interview, Mrs. Rumsfeld speaks out about her 9/11 experience. She shares private stories of Don Rumsfeld at home, offers her assessment of what makes him tick, and talks about watching her husband’s popularity skyrocket and then plummet. On that, Joyce told me before the taping, “The rock star and the goat are the same person. And if you go into these positions knowing that one moment you may be one and the next you’ll be the other, that’s just the reality of it. If you’re doing things, really doing things, it’s the reality. And that’s okay. He thinks it’s okay and I think it’s okay.”

For this special, we sat down with the secretary four separate times and also held an extensive interview with him in Baghdad while walking around the U.S. military headquarters there. You’ll hear Rumsfeld address his critics head-on, and you’ll learn things about him that you never knew.

UPDATE: FNC issued a release on this special which contains information not in the Reporter’s Notebook…
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CNN is really turning up the heat on the Glenn Beck promotion. It’s offering Newsource affiliates the opportunity to interview Beck via satellite on May 11.

Start your morning show on Thursday with an unconventional look at the news from no-nonsense talk show host Glenn Beck. Glenn’s new show premieres on Headline News on Monday, May 8, at 7:00PM. (ET), but this Thursday morning he can be all yours!

Affiliates, Book Your No-cost Talkback!

Rhetorical question: How many interviews has Alison Stewart done so far in print or by satellite with NBC affiliates for The Most?

The New York Observer’ Gabriel Sherman notes that former President Bill Clinton will be addressing a News Corp. retreat…

A News Corp. spokesperson confirmed that Murdoch had invited Clinton and globe-trotting New York Times op-ed columnist Thomas Friedman to speak at the event, which will be held at the Pebble Beach Golf Club. Friedman declined due to a scheduling conflict, according to the columnist’s assistant and the News Corp. spokesperson. But Clinton was available and willing.

Lloyd Grove in the New York Daily News dishes about FNC anchor/reporter Eric Shawn’s book party…

If you’re going to uncover hypocrisy at the United Nations, you might as well be honest about your own foibles. So Fox News correspondent Eric Shawn, author of “The U.N. Exposed,” about the oil-for-food scandal, admitted at his Elaine’s book party: “I guess I was destined to be a reporter, because I was drawn to the free food.” Big laugh from a crowd that included Fox News czar Roger Ailes and U.S. Ambassador John Bolton. Funnily enough, there wasn’t a whole lot of food, just a river of free drinks.

CNBC announced this morning that Jeremy Pink, who had been the interim President of CNBC Asia, has now been officially made the President and Managing Director of CNBC Asia…

Jeremy Pink has been named President and Managing Director, CNBC Asia, it was announced today by Mark Hoffman, President, CNBC. The appointment is effective immediately. Pink, who has been interim President, CNBC Asia since January 2006, continues to report to Hoffman. Pink is based at CNBC Asia headquarters in Singapore. “Jeremy has done an impressive job as interim President of CNBC Asia,” said Mark Hoffman, President, CNBC. “He has already had several successes since January, so making his appointment permanent was an easy decision. Jeremy will continue to play a critical role in negotiating deals that will expand CNBC’s reach around the world.” Previously, Pink was Vice President, International News and Programming, CNBC, based in New York, where he identified global programming and content opportunities.