tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73204883668997418742012-01-27T04:43:09.490-05:00My first experience with blogging, www.stopsexpredators.blogspot.com, was the anonymous blog where I posted the emails from Mark Foley to a sixteen year old House Page. That began the saga that has become famously known as Foley-gate. This site is for liberals and progressives for news and commentary. It will evolve over time, so please visit often.Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.comBlogger1731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-41735261664122899002007-12-06T12:20:00.000-05:002007-12-06T12:21:54.726-05:00

There is a report that House Conferees on the Defense Authorization Act will scrap the Matthew Shepard Act that was attached to the bill in the Senate.House Democrats are reportedly resigned to removing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime bill from defense authorization legislation.Congressional Quarterly reports that House Democratic leaders believe they lack the votes to pass the measure.The Shepard

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-58931546828065299812007-09-26T07:11:00.000-05:002007-09-26T07:42:35.346-05:00

The ongoing battle to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program is a big one. Stakes are high for everyone involved: The Congress, The White House, Governors, State Legislators, and, most importantly, nearly 3.5 million additional children that would be covered by health insurance.This is an enormous issue of morality. There are an estimated 48 million Americans without access

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-40351184321245828902007-09-25T12:59:00.000-05:002007-09-25T13:01:56.831-05:00

In a post yesterday, you learned about Rudy's desire to live by a different set of rules than MoveOn.org. Today, his camp is lying about it!In a write-up over at the Washington Post by Michael Shear, Rudy's spokesperson had this to say:"Our ad not only met the acceptability standards of The New York Times, but it was placed at the standby rate with no commitment it would run on a specific date."

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-48784794023112975882007-09-24T16:02:00.000-05:002007-09-25T13:03:26.347-05:00

Rudy Giuliani is a hypocrite who thinks he should live by rules different than others. He attacked MoveOn.org and the New York Times for the rate charged for a newspaper ad. Promptly, he ran an ad in response and paid….wait for it….the SAME amount.Since the NYT says it was a mistake that they were charged the lower amount, MoveOn promptly paid the difference in an ‘abundance of caution’. Rudy

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com184tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-77927105221663895532007-09-20T14:10:00.000-05:002007-09-20T14:11:20.143-05:00

Twenty three Senate Democrats today showed that they are cowards and will bend to the slightest threat by the right wing. They all joined every single Republican Senator in censuring MoveOn.org's advertisement in the New York Times. The add, now famously known as the "General Betray Us" ad, asserted that General David Petraeus had a record of carrying the political water of the Bush

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-45166482192027000882007-09-18T08:20:00.000-05:002007-09-18T08:22:26.426-05:00

There are so many things wrong with this video that I don't even know where to start.You can see another video, posted at Daily Kos here that shows the student's full question.Sure, he ranted and raved just a bit. But, he barely got his 'impolite' question out before the University of Florida Rent-a-Cops started harassing him. If you ask me, more people should rant and rave like this. He's

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-61822259707839000652007-09-13T11:34:00.000-05:002007-09-13T11:38:46.857-05:00

The Center for American Progress has compiled a 2 1/2 minute video that gives a realistic perspective on the situation in Iraq. It's well sourced and includes a bi-partisan survey of national security experts.Bottom line: Petraeus' report to Congress was inaccurate, any suggestion the latest PR stunt is a drawdown in troop levels is false, and Bush has no clear idea on what the way forward

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-52379585374705383052007-09-12T07:48:00.000-05:002007-09-12T08:08:28.588-05:00

The L.A. Times has an article about how Giuliani leads the Republican race in national polls, but doesn't lead a single early Primary State. Poor Rudy....If you remember the early polling for Clinton, she was ahead in the national polls and behind in the Early States. The conservatives (read: FOX 'News') were saying that it was evidence that Clinton has broad appeal, but shallow support.

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-52782117629649488832007-09-11T07:27:00.001-05:002007-09-11T07:46:39.288-05:00

Today's Washington Post Headline reads, "Petraeus Backs Initial Pullout". That is pathetic. The headline should have read something like: "General dons rose-colored glasses in report to Congress".The idea to 'propose' withdrawing some troops is a mere political ploy to continue funding the war with the least pushback possible from Democrats in Congress. General Petraeus' intention remains to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-78943932332557502452007-09-10T10:23:00.000-05:002007-09-10T11:34:47.315-05:00

Bloggers from both ends of the political spectrum rarely find agreement on issues. Even more rarely do they sit around a table to brainstorm on ways we can work together. This summer, The ONE Campaign provided the issue and the setting that brought conservative and liberal bloggers to stand together.The issue is poverty. It affects men, women, and children all over the world. On the continent

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-68839131206633742302007-09-04T08:25:00.000-05:002007-09-04T08:44:57.343-05:00

Bush's 'surprise' visit to Iraq is nothing more than a carefully, and though I hate to admit it, brilliantly conceived public relations plan in advance of General Petraeus' report to Congress in a couple weeks. Petraeus' testimony is in turn part of the larger plan to pressure Congress to continue funding Bush's Iraq disaster.The Washington Post has bought the PR effort hook, line, and sinker.

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-35076405077785894112007-09-04T07:38:00.000-05:002007-09-04T08:18:36.322-05:00

I planned to write about this on Friday, but found myself far busier than I had planned. Better late then never!This Washington Post article (which was on page 13) shows how the Pentagon must push their propaganda not only to Congress and the American public, but also to the rank and file troops.The sheets of paper seemed to be everywhere the lawmakers went in the Green Zone, distributed to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-807347771615662042007-09-03T18:06:00.000-05:002007-09-03T18:14:29.339-05:00

There is an effort underway by conservatives to split up California's electoral votes. This would dilute the power of California to have a say in who becomes President and it would give an unfair advantage to Republicans.The Courage Campaign has launched a Campaign against this effort called "No Dirty Tricks". Republicans have been finding ways to cheat for years. The time has come for us to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-5198453461470347282007-08-31T16:13:00.000-05:002007-08-31T16:18:17.806-05:00

Longtime Virginia Republican Senator John Warner announced today that he's done. No more Senator Warner of Virginia. Maybe.Speculation around DC and in Virginia is that former Virginia Governor Mark Warner will run for the seat. Of course, he offered no comment today, ceding the spotlight to a lifetime of public service by John Warner.Nonetheless, Mark Warner's approval rating in Virginia

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-35800339783678594682007-08-31T15:51:00.001-05:002007-08-31T15:51:51.229-05:00

Bill Richardson just announced that he has signed a pledge to respect the Pre-February 5 window set by the Democratic National Committee. This is a great thing and here's why....For those of you who missed my earlier posts about this, they are here and here. Basically, the Democratic National Committee set out on a years long process to open the early stages of the nominating process to more

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-71233186078959250322007-08-30T15:45:00.001-05:002007-08-30T16:34:13.800-05:00

I'm getting initial reports that the Supreme Court of the State of Iowa has ruled that the State must grant marriage rights to same-sex couples. I'll update as I get more information, but this could have pretty big political implications.UPDATE:Here's an article in the Des Moines Register. Gary in the comments points our that this was a County Judge. I'm not sure if there is another step or

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-90414770319606818962007-08-30T15:41:00.000-05:002007-08-30T15:44:33.593-05:00

From the Washington Post:The Justice Department is investigating whether departing Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales gave false or misleading testimony to Congress on a broad range of issues, including the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program and the removal of nine U.S. attorneys last year, the lead investigator said today.The disclosure by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-72545277046123454792007-08-30T15:06:00.000-05:002007-08-30T15:11:52.149-05:00

Michael Shear has the info over at the Washington Post's The Trail. Lobbyist Fred has hurriedly put together a 4pm conference call to announce to folks what we've known all along: He's running for President.Once you get over the shock of the surprising news, you should be aware that this does not make his gross violations of Federal Election Law disappear. As Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-76164359925716026152007-08-30T11:55:00.001-05:002007-08-30T11:58:17.969-05:00

The Economist says that Thompson's campaign has gotten off to a rocky start. Oh, I mean, his "non" campaign or whatever it is supposed to be. Either way, it doesn't bode well for a (non)candidate that is supposed to sweep Republican primary voters off their feet with only five months left before the first votes are cast. And...we still don't know when he's going to actually become a legal

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-60641871064154683062007-08-30T08:01:00.000-05:002007-08-30T11:54:55.941-05:00

This article in the NY Times was published a few days ago. It's a *very* in depth profile of his life and career. It's so detailed that we learn that he married his pregnant girlfriend in high school, but we don't know what came of that marriage.We also learn that he was the go to man for the Republican Party when they came under scrutiny by the Congress. He was and is the ultimate insider

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-27890739666181096742007-08-29T23:58:00.000-05:002007-08-30T00:03:33.213-05:00

Katrina hit New Orleans two years ago. We're still talking about the devastation that exists in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. That's pathetic.We all know the Administration's response was embarrassing. But, promises by Democratic Leaders have also yielded little to show in the hardest hit areas of New Orleans.It's time for somebody to take responsibility and use their position to demand that

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-25861930279494109412007-08-29T23:45:00.000-05:002007-08-30T12:33:12.630-05:00

Yet another headline in the Washington Post screams what we already know: there's little progress to be shown for the thousands of dead Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the Iraq War. The Post snagged an early copy of the report. Here's a snippet:The strikingly negative GAO draft, which will be delivered to Congress in final form on Tuesday, comes as the White House

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-62254598020144297792007-08-29T11:08:00.000-05:002007-08-29T11:11:45.364-05:00

The Edwards campaign just sent out this video. It's incredibly moving. In the interest of full disclosure, I was a delegate for John Edwards to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I was for him in 2004 because he inspired me to believe that we could fight for a better America.Thus far in the campaign, I haven't really felt the same way about his candidacy. I just can't put my finger on

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-39897303111732947102007-08-29T09:18:00.001-05:002007-08-29T09:38:28.125-05:00

There has been no lack of chatter about the motivation behind the resignation of Alberto Gonzales. At first glance, it could also be that Gonzales was tired of being hauled to Capitol Hill and publicly flogged for lying to Congress.But, I think that BushCo has a larger reason behind the resignation. We've clearly seen that the Democratic Congress is not (yet) capable of walking and chewing gum

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-58068751642822799092007-08-28T15:55:00.001-05:002007-08-28T16:09:14.402-05:00

Republican Idaho U.S. Senator Larry Craig just held a press conference to deny that is gay. He further said that he panicked and made a bad decision to plead guilty to a criminal charge of lewd conduct. In fact, he blames it on the pressure he felt because of an investigation by the local newspaper, Idaho Statesman, into rumors about his sexuality.He also revealed in the press conference that

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-75091193030913185302007-08-28T07:32:00.000-05:002007-08-28T07:55:38.477-05:00

The Daily Iowan editorial board addresses Fred Thompson's illegal campaign today. Towards the end of the column is an unbelievable quotation from Fred Thompson. The editorial board continues to make one of the most important points behind filing the FEC complaint:Considering the importance of the office, it would seem critical to have a set of rules and guidelines to follow concerning the

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-34058205651006399542007-08-27T16:49:00.000-05:002007-08-27T18:11:06.279-05:00

Roll Call newspaper reports that Senator Larry Craig, a 'conservative' Republican from Idaho, was arrested for lewd conduct in a Minnesota airport men's restroom in June. It marks the second such arrest for a Republican elected official in the past couple of months. It also marks another amazing example of hypocrisy on the part of the Republican Party.The Roll Call article describes, in detail,

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-22543371137268174202007-08-27T12:04:00.000-05:002007-08-27T12:11:43.618-05:00

A little bit ago, I watched Hillary Clinton at the LiveStrong Presidential Forum. She made a couple of statements that are incredibly interesting.First, she announced that she would declare a "War on Cancer" when she is President. She said that we need to unleash the potential of researchers to accomplish big things, like curing cancer. She believes that this is one piece of the 'big ideas'

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-57487002422024212502007-08-27T12:02:00.000-05:002007-08-27T12:04:53.045-05:00

I just saw this video over at Queerty. It's just like the gays to call out a dumb blond. Given that it's Miss Teen South Carolina, I feel compelled to tell you that not all South Carolinians are this dumb. Hell, not all beauty queens are this dumb!

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-8191214488763917822007-08-27T10:51:00.000-05:002007-08-27T11:03:40.592-05:00

I'm watching W's remarks about Alberto Gonzales' resignation. He has just credited Gonzales with being an architect in the 'War on Terror' and also said that the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act bear his influence. He further said that he has worked to root out public corruption and that he has reduced gang violence.The comment on gang violence is pretty random. The rest of it is

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-24541664987286622412007-08-26T13:52:00.000-05:002007-08-27T11:09:40.694-05:00

Progressives were recently chagrined over the remarks of newbie California Congressman Jerry McNerney upon his return from a Congressional trip to Iraq. He was elected as a progressive, anti-war Democrat, defeating a DCCC-backed candidate in the Primary and Richard Pombo, the only Republican Committee Chair to lose re-election in resolutions, to be more conciliatory with Republicans who might

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-22691619467052327392007-08-25T14:57:00.001-05:002007-08-25T15:34:05.544-05:00

Today, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee met to approve delegate selection plans for the 2008 Presidential nominating process. While it is usually a mundane process about percentages and process, today's meeting held additional significance.Over the past several years, a process has been underway for Iowa and New Hampshire to share the "pre-window" period, which

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-75699404013959566942007-08-24T17:25:00.000-05:002007-08-24T17:28:51.249-05:00

Tucker this evening on MSNBC, referring to the NAACP:...it is a sad joke of an organization that needs to go away for the sake of everybody.about 22 seconds later:I'm not a big judge of anybody.Tucker is trying so hard to be Bill O'Reilly that he is either going crazy or just making a fool of himself.

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-51049802819421301372007-08-23T16:02:00.000-05:002007-08-23T16:27:53.122-05:00

As a South Carolina Democrat, I've watched closely the process that has played out over the past six years or so that the Democratic National Committee has undergone to expand the early Primary/Caucus field to include more minorities. It was a very long process and meticulously handled by the Rules and By-laws Committee of the DNC. Many hearings and meetings were held to get input from

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-86886068741053224672007-08-23T10:18:00.000-05:002007-08-23T10:32:47.147-05:00

That is a headline on the Washington Post website today. Isn't that kind of like asking if the sky is blue or if Dick Cheney is evil?It goes on to say:Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said this week that as president he would allow individual states to keep abortion legal, two weeks after telling a national television audience that he supports a constitutional amendment to ban the

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-10185638312457854672007-08-23T10:02:00.000-05:002007-08-23T12:10:33.914-05:00

Yesterday, we began to learn details about Freedom's Watch. It is a new effort, led by former Bush spokesperson, Ari Fleischer, that seeks to pressure Democrats and Republicans to continue giving President Bush a blank check in Iraq. They have bought $15 million in ad time. This tells me that MoveOn.org's Iraq Summer campaign must be working, and working very well. It is also a great

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-63992470105811196242007-08-22T17:58:00.000-05:002007-08-22T18:46:31.969-05:00

I've been reviewing some of the blog posts and mainstream media coverage of the FEC Complaint against Fred Thompson's illegal campaign activities. So, I wanted to comment on a few things.First, credit for this really goes to the progressive blogosphere for their great research on this issue. Without their work, I would not have realized the extent of the violations nor had the information that

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-5145060969369042082007-08-22T14:15:00.000-05:002007-08-22T17:52:47.630-05:00

The following quote has been passing around and being attributed to former President Ronald Reagan's personal diaries:A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-23474180736556781742007-08-22T13:45:00.000-05:002007-08-22T13:57:07.350-05:00

Renowned filmmaker Robert Greenwald, who produced the documentary "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism", has been producing a series of short films titled "Fox Attacks". In his latest, he highlights the incredible amount of propaganda that Fox News has been airing about Iran, presumably to move us closer to war with yet another country. Ummmm.....yeah. That's exactly what we DON'T

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-68824992514804781472007-08-21T07:21:00.000-05:002007-08-21T07:28:48.244-05:00

In yet another glaring example of the Bush Administration's lack of compassion, they have issued new policies which make it much more difficult for State to provide health insurance to children. It also creates yet another layer of bureaucracy,which is sure to negate any savings the hair brained idea may have created at the expense of children.Here's the crux of the policy:Under the new policy,

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-18827419427672915372007-08-21T07:11:00.000-05:002007-08-21T07:20:48.001-05:00

The Washington Post reports this morning that Vice President Cheney's office acknowledged for the first time that they have documents on the illegal government wiretapping program instituted by the Bush Administration. Surprise, surprise, they are NOT handing them over to Congressional investigators.Here's a little tidbit about what they're holding back:Nonetheless, Coffin identified by date a

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-77305791978350109432007-08-21T06:56:00.000-05:002007-08-21T07:05:40.396-05:00

Before and after the announcement that Karl Rove was leaving the White House, we've had reports of unprecedented politicization of the Federal Government, including a massive effort to place Republican political operatives in every level of the Federal bureaucracy. ThinkProgress has a great report here. TPM Muckracker has a great archive of their coverage on Rove's abuse of power.The reason I

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-34934632765909719302007-08-20T14:00:00.000-05:002007-08-20T13:55:51.218-05:00

Fred Thompson is breaking the law and it's time somebody did something about it. So, this morning, I filed an FEC Complaint against him. For far too long, he has been ignoring the letter and spirit of Federal Election Law for his own political benefit. It reeks of the same disregard for the law that we have seen from the Bush Administration, Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham, Tom Delay, and Mark

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com434tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-83094803931436120462007-08-17T11:25:00.000-05:002007-08-17T11:28:06.052-05:00

Just a quick personal request....My cell phone died. Completely. Fourteen years of collecting phone numbers have vanished into thin air.So, if you're a friend of mine, please email me your phone number at the blog email address: lane at newsfortheleft dot com. (FYI, we're supposed to write email addresses like that on blogs to prevent getting email spam, but you are supposed to type it

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-64469581232283798412007-08-17T10:17:00.000-05:002007-08-17T10:45:39.553-05:00

On Sunday, I posted an interview that Dick Cheney gave in 1994 where he defended the decision not to invade Baghdad. He makes a really good case for not invading Iraq. If you haven't seen it, please take a moment to watch it.After wide distribution of this video, a local CBS affiliate was able to get a, well, non-response from the VP's office. “He was not Vice President at the time, it was

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-35261447629547525852007-08-16T22:35:00.000-05:002007-08-16T22:39:14.028-05:00

It's on the air in Iowa and it's called invisible. She talks about the different kinds of people that have been invisible to the Bush Administration and how she'll be different. I have to admit, I think it's great. I'll be looking to see what Edwards and Obama come up with in Iowa, and when they go on the air.Hillary seems to be making a move to overtake Edwards in Iowa. It's the only early

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-65372537308240786612007-08-16T22:27:00.000-05:002007-08-16T22:32:53.420-05:00

Yesterday, I saw on CNN that plans had 'already been produced' to replace the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota. That just sounds fishy to me.When I lived in Charleston, SC we built a new bridge. I remember the painstaking process that happened during the design of the bridge. Granted, some of that long process dealt with stylistic preferences, the number of lanes, the height of the bridge,

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-53104351061637389692007-08-14T15:32:00.000-05:002007-08-14T16:59:05.093-05:00

The networks have been announcing all day long that Hastert will not seek re-election in 2008. I say it's about damn time he left the House of Representatives.I haven't forgotten that the House Ethics Committee Report on the Foley scandal gave us clear evidence that he knew that Mark Folely was engaged in unethical conduct with House Pages. In spite of this, he did nothing to stop Foley from

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-71663417680276098982007-08-14T11:12:00.000-05:002007-08-14T11:25:22.152-05:00

On Sunday, I wrote about Markos Moulitsas' appearance on Meet the Press opposite Democratic Leadership Council Chairman, Harold Ford. In that post, I indicated that I believed that the DLC represents the Old Way and that Markos, and by extension the Progressive Netroots Movement, represents the New Way.Mike Lux, who is one of the triumvirate behind the new progressive blog Open Left, has been

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-56666395967965895992007-08-14T10:40:00.000-05:002007-08-14T10:42:21.319-05:00

I came across this yesterday. It's a compilation of some of Bush's dumbest mistakes. It used to be funny, but now it's just a huge national embarrassment. As much as we bitch about his lack of press conferences and the lack of access the press has to him, maybe we're better off just sticking him in a closet until January 2009.

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-74924122312924505112007-08-14T10:30:00.001-05:002007-08-14T10:40:12.986-05:00

Chris Cilizza, Anne Kornblut, and Michael Shear, write in the Washington Post today about the legacy that Karl Rove hoped to have on America: building a long term conservative majority in America. Reasonable folks disagree on what his lasting legacy will be.Personally, I think his legacy is propping up a moron and getting him elected President. He then set out to manipulate our governmental

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-42614926799849175182007-08-13T15:08:00.000-05:002007-08-13T15:10:27.279-05:00

I may try to do something like this on a regular basis, posting short videos to remind us how dumb, corrupt, and ridiculous our President and the people who support him are.Please feel free to suggest videos for this!Lane

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-2260855132422051762007-08-13T09:43:00.000-05:002007-08-13T09:47:49.126-05:00

Hey Folks. I didn't realize that C-SPAN coverage was available online, so if you're interested in seeing the video of one of the panels I was on at the YearlyKos Convention, you can get to the video here.The panel was organized by Adam Green from MoveOn and was titled "Three People who Helped Change Congress." My fellow panelists were S.R. Sidarth, famously known as 'Macaca", and Mike Stark, a

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-68716490907034261132007-08-13T07:44:00.000-05:002007-08-13T07:51:02.062-05:00

News broke this morning that long time Bush adviser Karl Rove is heading for the doors. Of course, they say it is because he wants to spent time with his family. But, we know better, right?Perhaps the Democrats in Congress, John Conyers and Pat Leahy, in particular, have sent a clear enough message to the White House that they intend to get to the bottom of the ethics scandal that the

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-58573350871113269132007-08-12T10:39:00.000-05:002007-08-12T10:46:35.610-05:00

This morning, Markos appeared on Meet the Press with former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford. Aside from the fact that Harold Ford chairs the Democratic Leadership Council, he is also a Fox News Analyst. Last week, he attacked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, claiming he was abandoning the troops.Markos did a great job of explaining what the Netroots Movement is about: people powered

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-26781021250067268452007-08-12T10:30:00.000-05:002007-08-12T10:39:22.645-05:00

Bush keeps telling us that we need to wait for a report from General Petraeus before Congress considers passing another time line for withdrawal. But we don't need to wait. Thanks to the folks at the Iraq Summer Campaign, we know what they've already decided.This should provide additional urgency for the Democrats and Reasonable Republicans (yes, they exist) to build a solid majority in favor

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-74364350336538049092007-08-12T09:58:00.000-05:002007-08-17T10:19:07.714-05:00

This video is shocking to me; shocking in the hypocrisy that oozes out of this man. Here, in a video in 1994, Cheney defended the decision to NOT invade Baghdad, saying that there would be no other government to put in place and that the country would likely splinter into several pieces. He further says that the 146 American casualties were a high price to pay. Money quote: ...and the

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-56635846461426451012007-08-10T00:21:00.000-05:002007-08-10T00:23:57.815-05:00

It's pretty long, so I wouldn't dream of putting it all here. But, here's a link to it on Huffington Post. I have to admit that it was weird doing the Live Blog. It really reads as if I was watching the debate and commenting on it with friends as it was happening. Quite odd to think that thousands of people are reading what my thoughts were.....

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-46605095880239161902007-08-09T12:47:00.000-05:002007-08-09T12:48:26.269-05:00

Tonight's Presidential Forum hosted by Logo Network and sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign features Margaret Carlson as the moderator and panelists Joe Solmonese, Melissa Etheridge, and Jonathan Capehart.I had the opportunity to pose questions to Jonathan Capehart in advance of tonight's event. Mr. Capehart is an editorial page writer for the Washington Post.if you would like to view

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-36669975784145091342007-08-09T11:57:00.000-05:002007-08-09T12:09:16.818-05:00

On the L.A. Times blog, Top of the Ticket, Don Frederick reports on a survey done by Community Marking, Inc. in San Francisco. Here's the most pertinent part of the survey and his blog post:The study this spring by San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc. found that an eye-popping 92.5% of gay men reported that they voted in the 2004 presidential race, and almost 84% said they cast ballots

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-78792371051682833452007-08-09T11:45:00.000-05:002007-08-09T11:57:19.823-05:00

The headline in today's Washington Post highlights the quickly growing population of minorities in America. Here's a snippet about how significant this growth is:A similar dynamic is occurring nationally, with the Hispanic population growing by 26 percent between 2000 and 2006, from 35 million to 44 million. Demographers said the effect of this growth has been further heightened by the

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-38532413234027796512007-08-09T11:15:00.000-05:002007-08-09T11:28:39.309-05:00

President Bush announced a last minute press conference this morning. It's a rarity when he actually appears before reporters to answer questions. I suppose the reason it was last minute was so reporters had little time to prepare for tough questions for the Decider-in-Chief. Of course, that gives him more credit than he deserves because pretty much any question for him is a tough one.After

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-22256892196577714432007-08-08T16:22:00.001-05:002007-08-08T18:06:32.661-05:00

Here is how Democrats should be ALL talking about the FISA Bill just passed by Congress. Briefly, FISA is the 'court' of sorts that the Federal Government is supposed to get approval from in order to wiretap Americans. Of course, the Bush Administration's illegal wiretapping program completely circumvented FISA jurisdiction.So, this bill was proposed to make it LESS illegal. Right......so

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-11491030912126714052007-08-08T14:44:00.000-05:002007-08-08T15:52:27.661-05:00

John Edwards has been bringing up the idea that America is not safer since September 11. Hillary completely disagreed with him during the Presidential Forum at the YearlyKos Convention. I think they've both got good reasons for what they are saying, but I also think that Edwards is barking up the wrong tree.Hillary's point is that we have spent a lot of time and effort providing more training

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-32008527513180747942007-08-08T14:37:00.000-05:002007-08-08T14:40:28.101-05:00

I'll be live blogging the Logo/HRC Presidential Forum tomorrow night. It'll be on the front page of Huffington Post during the debate. Please stop in and see me banter back and forth about the discussion with HuffPo's News Director. The Forum starts at 9pm Eastern time.It's actually my first time live blogging, so take it easy on me. :)

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-86613768046176070262007-08-07T20:05:00.000-05:002007-08-07T20:39:26.621-05:00

Here is a response that Hillary Clinton gave in response to a question posed by Paul Hogarth of BeyondChron during her breakout session at the YearlyKos Convention:Secondly, DOMA, I believe that DOMA served a very important purpose. I was one of the architects in the strategy against the Marriage Amendment to the constitution, and DOMA gave us a bright line to be able to hold back the votes that

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-13544142768017194342007-08-07T16:27:00.000-05:002007-08-07T17:00:52.664-05:00

I just returned yesterday from the 2nd Annual YearlyKos Convention. So, I've had a couple days to digest everything that occurred while I was there. Out of the thousands of moments that transpired, there are a handful that I think bear recounting for their possible impact in the future.First, this is the last YearlyKos Convention, at least by this name. Next year's gathering will be named

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-6433851840699446982007-08-03T13:38:00.000-05:002007-08-03T13:39:14.045-05:00

For the past seven months, the Democratic majority in Congress has been overshadowed by a mysterious force. In spite of overwhelming support from the American people and the hard work of Democrats, legislative priorities have stalled time after time.Today, the Campaign for America's Future revealed evil force behind this obstructionism. See it right here, right now. You're among the first to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-46962493721177308882007-08-03T07:48:00.000-05:002007-08-03T07:49:47.277-05:00

Here in the Windy City, we're half-way through the first day of the 2007 YearlyKos Convention. So far Bill O'Reilly hasn't made an appearance. However, 1500 progressive bloggers, activists, and staffers have come together to spend four days working to move America along the pathway to a better future.O'Reilly tried his darndest to scare our sponsors, intimidate our Presidential candidates, and

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-87912696015975981562007-07-26T16:42:00.000-05:002007-07-26T22:01:34.537-05:00

Dear Bill:On yesterday's program, you had this to say:I mean, they lie all the time. They -- I don't know whether you know this or not, but they contacted the Secret Service saying that there was somebody on BillOReilly.com threatening Senator Clinton. I mean, this is how insane these people are.Hmmmm. So, you have the nerve to call me insane. And by 'me' you mean the mysterious 'them.'

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-86237031905976954702007-07-25T11:14:00.000-05:002007-07-25T11:16:05.635-05:00

After seeing this post by John Aravosis on AmericaBlog, I was incensed and concerned at the same time. Here is the comment on O'Reilly's blog that crossed the line:If Hillary wins, I will be respectful of our leader. If you could read my thoughts, I would be on the SS [Secret Service] watch list.So, I did what a responsible person should do when they see something like this on a blog. I called

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com132tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-62272275718437095332007-05-22T22:39:00.000-05:002007-05-22T22:40:40.385-05:00

Today's "deal" between the Democratic Leadership in the Congress can be framed in more than one way. At the end of the day, nothing has really changed the course of the war in Iraq. It's that simple.The Democratic Leadership needs to understand something. In November, the American people elected you to control the United States Congress.That's a big deal. The number one thing they want you to do

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-55705059270981983402007-05-16T15:06:00.000-05:002007-05-16T15:08:11.680-05:00

By now, we know that the George Bush Administration doesn't have a great understanding of, nor respect for the Constitution of the United States. However, given his penchant for war, the last part of the Constitution I would expect him to ignore was his role as Commander in Chief. Yet, that's what he's done.If you've followed the story, then you know that Bush reached out to no less than FIVE

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-42144747157485842382007-05-16T09:33:00.000-05:002007-05-16T09:43:07.113-05:00

Yesterday, former Deputy Attorney General Jim Comey testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the video below, he testifies about some amazingly unethical and illegal behavior conducted by former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and Former White House Counsel, Alberto Gonzales. Yes, the embattled current Attorney General.This testimony is absolutely amazing. It shows the depths to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-21565094321871133982007-05-15T15:05:00.000-05:002007-05-15T15:07:01.351-05:00

Jerry Falwell hasn't been dead for more than a few hours. Yet, I've been inundated by emails and text messages touting the news. I've got mixed feelings on how to perceive the death of someone who would probably have celebrated my own death. So, I've decided to call a spade a spade, even in death. He was a hateful person who did not serve to inspire the better nature of America. Instead, he

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-38861201144393632782007-05-11T12:10:00.000-05:002007-05-11T12:12:03.860-05:00

Today, there is a hearing in Denver, CO. On Monday, there is a hearing in Chicago, IL. Depending on the Judge, the Justice Department could find itself in major legal trouble. While I can't discuss everything about the case, I'll give you the basic story.Here's the background. The Justice Department has been investigating someone for corporate reimbursement. This is one of around a hundred

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-71276191304635314312007-05-09T14:38:00.000-05:002007-05-09T16:40:01.645-05:00

Since Congressional Republicans continued to stick with "thirty-something W" and voted to uphold his veto of money for our troops and accountability for his handling of the Iraq war, we've waited with baited breath to see how Democrats would respond. Now we know.Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey has drafted two separate emergency supplemental appropriations bills. The first deals

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-53031416948541898692007-05-01T09:59:00.000-05:002007-05-01T10:01:55.970-05:00

Today's Washington Post contains the headline, "April Toll is Highest of '07 for U.S. Troops". More than 100 Americans have been killed in the past month. This brings the death toll, the ultimate cost for this "War of Failed Leadership" closer to the 3500 mark then ever before.Meanwhile, the headline in the Washington Times today reads, "Democrats conceding on war bill". Here's an excerpt:

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-13702089856011257162007-04-26T16:18:00.000-05:002007-04-26T16:24:23.544-05:00

I wrote a piece for Huffington Post this morning and just forgot to repost it here. So, I'll put it below. I'm also going to be doing a post-debate analysis as well for Huffington. I'll be sure to put here for you as well.I hope you catch the debate. Let me know what you think!LaneTonight's Presidential Debate: A Lot on the Line Huffington PostTonight's Democratic presidential debate in South

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-87973803474430217872007-04-18T09:53:00.000-05:002007-04-18T10:22:58.347-05:00

This was the headline for a very small article in the Washington Post Express at the end of last week. For those of you outside of DC, the Express is an abbreviated newspaper that the Washington Post provides for free to people riding the subway.Since the article was so small, I'll post it all here for you:Millions of Iraqis are in a "disastrous" situation that is getting worse, with mothers

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-62966178759518606852007-04-11T12:49:00.001-05:002007-04-11T12:49:56.239-05:00

For too long, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act has sat around Capitol Hill getting dusty. It looks like it may actually have a chance at passing. That is, if the Democratic Leadership will stand up for what is right. And if Republicans will stop playing politics with basic rights.The idea that someone can be fired simply because of their sexual orientation is appalling. Yet, Congress is

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-44974822139659852642007-04-02T10:41:00.000-05:002007-04-02T11:44:56.339-05:00

Congressional Democrats did a fantastic job passing the Iraq Accountability Act, which funded our presence in Iraq at the levels requested by the Administration and also contained a timetable for withdrawal of our troops. They deserve a big pat on the back for the work to make this happen, as it is one of the most substantial pieces of legislation passed in YEARS. After four years of war in

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-77612929471130640262007-03-31T15:18:00.000-05:002007-03-31T15:31:04.859-05:00

In today's Washington Times (aka the "Moonie Times"), there is a headline that reads "Iraq war funding in limbo on Hill". You can see it here. This is yet another instance of the conservative rag furthering a message meant to mislead the American people.Let me be clear. The Democratic Congress has passed legislation funding the troops. There is nothing in limbo on the Hill.The decision on funding

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-37241674785769485722007-03-31T14:05:00.000-05:002007-03-31T14:37:27.209-05:00

Both Houses of Congress have passed an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that contains benchmarks and goals for progress in Iraq as well as a timetable for redeployment of American troops in Iraq. This is about accountability that has so far been lacking in the Bush administration's execution of the Iraq War.George Bush's threat to veto this accountability is embarrassing. It sends a

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-30731545441185203532007-03-21T13:07:00.000-05:002007-03-21T13:25:46.726-05:00

Astonishing.In the White House Press briefing that just concluded, Press Secretary Tony Snow said that he was not aware of the President being briefed on the US Attorney issue. He further said the President did not sign off on the firings.CNN's Ed Henry hit the nail on the head: if no conversations occurred with the President, and no advice was given, then how can the White House assert executive

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-34042714560364809082007-03-21T11:45:00.000-05:002007-03-21T12:02:09.602-05:00

Last night, I watched the O'Reilley Factor. It's not something I do often, because it is really "info-tainment" and you rarely see a valid presentation of anything close to a fact.But, I wanted to preview what the right wing's defense of George Bush's bull-headed collision course with Congress would be. Predictably, they continue to use Clinton as justification of their declaration of executive

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-61081041896919675892007-03-20T17:14:00.000-05:002007-03-21T12:04:05.905-05:00

George Bush has just finished talking to the American people for the second time in two days. At least he's taking questions today, but it's still as ridiculous as his comments yesterday.He is clearly challenging the Congress to a confrontation over his staff and former staff testifying under oath about the growing scandal over the firing of nine United States Attorneys (nearly ten percent of all

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-84764312455237833432007-03-20T12:44:00.000-05:002007-03-20T12:53:29.384-05:00

Many of you know that I was in Sweden for my friend's 50th Birthday party. Since I planned my trip, she was nominated to be the first woman to lead the Social Democratic Party of Sweden in it's long and storied history.So, the trip had an unexpected element of excitement, as she was officially elected Leader of the Social Democrats on Saturday. As I do not yet speak or read Swedish, I'm limited

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-54705921078557945232007-03-19T11:07:00.000-05:002007-03-19T11:12:53.956-05:00

Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison just said "We are fighting for freedom for our children more than any war we have ever been in."I'm so flabbergasted at this that I'm almost speechless. ALMOST.She is pathetic and should take a history lesson. I've tried to call her office to see if they wanted to clarify this egregious act of stupidity, but their line is busy. Perhaps I'm not the only one to

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-83567977675969309962007-03-19T11:02:00.000-05:002007-03-19T11:06:37.630-05:00

I swear, George Bush is a total idiot. I am watching his remarks on the 4th anniversary of this disastrous war. He couldn't even walk through the door with grace.Then, he started out by saying that we embarked four years ago to remove Saddam Hussein from office and to remove the threat he posed to the region.What a crock! This is yet ANOTHER angle that the George "Idiot" Bush is using. First, it

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-43648541408809320002007-03-11T08:38:00.000-05:002007-03-11T08:56:31.540-05:00

I was thrilled to hear about the Nevada Democratic Party pulling out of the Democratic Presidential Caucus Debate being sponsored by Fox News. It is a fantastic example of how the progressive netroots community can come together to affect change. Special recognition goes to Matt Stoller, Robert Greenwald, and the savvy folks at MoveOn for their hard work. Thanks for not letting Fox News use

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-58805001785600010612007-03-11T07:25:00.000-05:002007-03-11T07:43:54.315-05:00

They just don't like Bush. Who can blame them?First, please let me apologize. I intended to do at least one post daily while in Europe. However, I had no idea how busy I would be once I arrived in Stockholm. But, it's been a fantastic experience and I learned a great deal from the many interesting people that I have met over the past couple of days.Back to my point. In America, we often

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-75916869239678514322007-03-08T18:40:00.000-05:002007-03-08T18:50:35.388-05:00

I just arrived in Stockholm today. It is a beautiful city. Tomorrow, I'll be visiting the Rikksdäg, which is their Parliament. Be sure to check back to see what I have to report from that.One very interesting thing that I have heard today came from a European Union meeting that just ended today. The meeting was on the Global Climate Threat. It was of note to me because it is different

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-32872810911241852972007-03-08T01:34:00.000-05:002007-03-08T01:59:41.939-05:00

Many of you may have heard about the riots that happened last week in Copenhagen. Although I was to travel there soon, I paid little attention to them. However, when I arrived, I started asking questions about it.The desk attendant at the hostel I was staying at suggested that I visit Christiania. Maybe you have heard of it, but I never had. As it turns out, Copenhagen has its own little

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-82691298255896285862007-03-06T17:41:00.000-05:002007-03-06T17:54:47.053-05:00

Okay....although I was already exhausted and borderline delerious, a nap gave me the energy to go out and seek some Danish opinion about the US. What I found was a pub with only two people in it: a 28 year old bartender who didn't mind being called 30 and a 50 year old musician. I had to suffer through a couple shots of a liquor called Fish (thankfully, it tasted better than it sounded) but,

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-31862027368219098942007-03-06T05:34:00.000-05:002007-03-06T06:07:16.716-05:00

It didn't take me long to find something to post about. It is almost noon here (which means it's 6am in Washington) and I haven't even taken a nap yet. So, as I wait for the room to be ready at the hostel that I am staying at tonight, I picked up The Copenhagen Post. It is the Danish news in English.Guess what dominates the front page? You guessed it. That mess we got started in Iraq. Well,

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-29139254282367132902007-03-05T16:22:00.000-05:002007-03-05T16:30:35.733-05:00

Howdy! I just wanted to let yall know that I'm headed to Europe. I'll be visiting with a friend in Copenhagen who used to work at the Danish Embassy in Washington. Then, I'm off to Stockholm to visit a very good friend of mine who is a Swedish Member of Parliament (and the new Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden) for her 50th birthday bash.Along the way, I'm going to talk to as

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-22515504763185675222007-03-04T14:58:00.000-05:002007-03-04T15:00:15.396-05:00

Everybody has been talking about the hate spewing out of Ann Coulter's mouth during her speech at the Conservative mecca/meeting, CPAC. Clearly, she's doing what she does best: talking trash that gets her attention and the adoration of the most hateful people in America.I'm hesitant to give her the time of day or any attention at all. Heavens forbid I help propogate her vindictiveness. So, Let

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-84642135132319411092007-02-26T17:22:00.000-05:002007-02-26T17:25:19.037-05:00

Hi Folks! I just wanted to apologize to you for the lack of posting recently. I've been very busy with a couple projects that have demanded my full attention. They are very important to my professional life, or at least the professional life I'm trying to make happen (along with an income).I will certainly continue to post news of interest to those of us on the "Left" as well as political

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320488366899741874.post-22207585381138703012007-02-20T11:48:00.000-05:002007-02-20T11:51:31.663-05:00

Now that we actually have a Congress that understands its role of oversight, we're learning just how badly the Bush Administration has bungled the War in Iraq. From start to finish, the men and women in our military are getting shortchanged. It's absolutely appalling.Congressman Jack Murtha is introducing legislation that would prevent the Department of Defense from sending troops that are not

Lane Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17756894920780352897noreply@blogger.com4