There are already efforts to draft former Vice President Al Gore and New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg into the 2008 presidential campaign but now some are trying to draft another big name — CNN anchor and commentator Lou Dobbs, a strident critic of U.S. immigration policies.
 
The Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee said it was launching the effort because it argued that the three leading Republicans in the presidential race, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were too lax on illegal immigration.
 
“Eighty-four percent of our supporters say they would support Lou Dobbs for president if the GOP primary fails to yield a candidate opposed to amnesty,” said William Gheen, president of ALIPAC, referring to whether 12 million illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country.
 
“Lou Dobbs could run and win because he could easily raise the funds and grassroots support he needs to be a historic and viable candidate quickly,” he said in a statement.
 
Alas, Dobbs, through a CNN spokeswoman, declined to comment on the effort.
 
The organization said that if he were to join the race, it would turn over the Web site it created, here, to his campaign. It has videos, a possible platform and a place where supporters can register and pledge money.

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– Photo credit: Reuters/Peter Morgan (Dobbs during a 2001 news conference about his return to CNN.)