Lou Dobbs has been a TV anchorman since the 1970s, first at local stations in Phoenix and Seattle, then as a business specialist for CNN from 1980 to 2009. Raised in Arizona and Idaho, he graduated with an economics degree from Harvard University (1967) and spent a few years in government and banking before becoming a reporter in Arizona. In the early days of CNN he was the host of Moneyline, reporting on business matters, and during the 1990s he was the go-to guy for Wall Street news and a champion of corporate America. By 2003 his show had been changed to Lou Dobbs Tonight, and Dobbs then transformed into a fired-up populist with a special beef against international trade agreements and unwanted immigrants in the United States. He abruptly left CNN in late 2009 -- under good terms and with a reportedly generous severance package -- on the heels of a backlash from viewers and media watchdogs over his on-air political opinions. Dobbs continued his syndicated radio show, The Lou Dobbs Show, and teased his fans with talk of running for political office, including the presidency.