Catholic conservative direct mail fundraiser Deal Hudson, possessor of a self preservation instinct the envy of cats everywhere, is at it yet again.
Way back in 2004 Hudson, who in addition to acting as publisher of the now defunct Crisis magazine served as chair of the Republican National Committee’s “Catholic Outreach” arm, successfully campaigned to have a junior staffer at the US Bishops Conference, Ono Ekeh, removed from his job. Ekeh’s sin? He publicly supported John Kerry’s presidential bid. Read about it here.
Now, Hudson, a thrice-married former Baptist minister, is after bigger fish. He’s promoting the calumnies that the American Life League (the most out there of the anti-abortion groups) and some wacky Santa Fe-based outfit which terms itself “Bellarmine Veritas Ministry,” have launched against John Carr, longtime head of the US bishops social justice office. Read about it, if you must, here.
Carr is a skilled Washington player perfectly capable of withstanding the slime splattered his way because of the job he holds. But the idea that Carr is insufficiently pro-life, that he is secretly funneling funds to support a pro-choice agenda, is laughable. Totally gonzo off-the-wall stuff. Here is Carr’s response.
It is important to consider the source.
You may recall one of Hudson’s recent direct mail efforts, which backfired miserably. Read about it here.
Or perhaps you have a vague recollection of a Hudson-sponsored golf outing that raised some eyebrows. Details here.
Just last week, while “live blogging” the president’s state of the union address, Hudson welcomed the suggestion that participants in the endeavor down a shot every time the president uttered a key phrase. “Wow,” Hudson blogged, “that brings back great memories!” Perhaps Professor Hudson was recalling some pre-Lenten hijinks with an under-drinking-age undergrad. You can read about those good times here. (Relevant portion about half way through the piece.)
"If you're going to play in the sandbox," Hudson told me following Ekeh’s forced departure from the bishops’ employ, “then you have to take the consequences of your public utterances and your public actions.”
Indeed.
So here’s my question: When are the people who work for and with Hudson, who enable his behavior, going to demonstrate some self-respect and disassociate themselves from his efforts? Is a job that important?
Hudson, as a consequence of his public utterances and actions, should be ignored by those engaged in public debate and shunned by those who make what he does possible.
