For those concerned about illegal immigration, last week brought unwelcome news. Lou Dobbs, the fiery anchor of his own show on CNN who campaigned against illegal immigration, resigned.

The anti-American left had been after Dobbs’ scalp for some time because he didn’t buy their open-borders, anyone-can-be-an-American ideology, and so for months they vilified and told lies about him. As he said in a radio segment about the hilarious and sadly recalled illegal alien Halloween costume, “They want me driven out of CNN. They can’t stand the fact that I oppose illegal immigration and then they try and build this case that I’m sort of racist.”

This, of course, is the left’s usual modus operandi, but with more than two decades of solid reporting and analysis at CNN, Dobbs’ sinistral enemies were never a real threat. When he resigned on Nov. 10, he said he will pursue his interests elsewhere.

Dobbs’ rhetoric was rough and tough. But he told the truth. That, naturally, sent the left into spasms of frothing rage, and its tantrums went far enough that Dobbs’ boss said he ought to tone it down. Dobbs agreed, but then found, apparently, the new boundaries of what he could say too confining. He didn’t whine. He didn’t complain. He simply left.

“Over the past six months,” he said, “it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us. And some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond my role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.”

In other words, Dobbs resigned and told us he will continue telling the truth. That’s the good news. The funny news is that the left thinks it forced him to resign: “Under Pressure, Controversial Host Announces Immediate Departure,” the leftist Media Matters crowed at its Web site.

“For too long, CNN provided Lou Dobbs with its stamp of approval as he pursued a dangerous, one-sided and all too often false conspiracy tinged crusade against immigrants,” said Eric Burns, president of Media Matters. “This is a happy day for all those who care about this nation of immigrants and believe in the power of media to elevate the political discourse.”

Actually, this isn’t a “nation of immigrants,” and elevating discourse isn’t what happens when your friends include those who joined Media Matters in its anti-Dobbs campaign.

“Media Matters,” its Web story says, “played a leading role in the Drop Dobbs Coalition (DropDobbs.com), which was launched to call attention to Dobbs’ incendiary hate speech and falsehoods.” Among the “coalition’s” 15 members were the National Council of La Raza and Southern Poverty Law Center.” La Raza is a divisive and racially extreme group that advocates open borders; SPLC is a discredited scam that accuses everyone it dislikes of “hate.” Yet Media Matters has the gall to call Dobbs extreme? One shudders to think what a little digging into the other members of this “coalition” would uncover.

The simple truth is this: The left hates Dobbs because he tells the truth. From his CNN desk reaching nearly a million Americans every night, and from the radio microphone that reaches millions more, he fought against the left’s nefarious plans to destroy our country with unfettered immigration. That is why the left wanted him fired. That is why they smeared him. That is why they lied about him. But their campaign of vilification did not succeed.

Dobbs resigned on his own terms. Good for him.