Who didn't see this [5] coming?

Today's update to Lou Dobbs' exit [6] (or, as The Onion put it, "deportation [7]") from CNN: Guess who Dobbs is giving his first post-CNN interview to?

Fox News.

Bill O'Reilly will conduct the interview [5] on Monday's "Factor," a spokesperson for Fox said late Thursday.

This follows heavy speculation that Dobbs will eventually land at Fox -- either at FNC or the Fox Business Channel, although the spokesperson said that neither channel has had discussions with the self-proclaimed "Mr. Independent."

I'm not so sure I believe the hype of Dobbs to Fox. On his last CNN show [6], he sounded more politician than pundit, and callers to his radio show on Thursday were urging him to run for public office.

And as Jeff Bercovici points out [5], there's still a question of whether or not Dobbs would be allowed to go to Fox News:

"CNN president Jon Klein has said he let Dobbs out of his contract early -- it was supposed to run through 2011 -- but declined to say whether he did so on the condition that the anchor not go to work for a competitor. It's possible that Dobbs could join Fox Business Network, which doesn't compete with CNN or other Turner Broadcasting properties, and then expand into a role with Fox News once any exclusivity period that may exist runs out."

But given the thunderous cyber-applause that followed Dobbs' announcement (Vanity Fair: "In a blow to viewers who like their news served up with a bracing dose of xenophobia, Lou Dobbs has stepped down at CNN [8]") it's a wonder why CNN would even care where Dobbs goes.