LeftMN Radio Hour 10-21-12

This week on the LeftMN Radio Hour we welcome Beth Fraser who is the Director of Governmental Affairs for the office of the Secretary of State and Champion of all Minnesota voters, Mark Ritchie.
Beth takes us through the proposed Photo Voter ID amendment line by line to help us understand what the language will actually do and what the language won't do. And perhaps more importantly, the parts that no one really knows what they will do.
And as per usual we start the show with some inane banter, mostly mine, about Election Stuff!

LeftMN Radio Hour 10-14-12

This week on the LeftMN Radio Hour we welcome Minnesota Vikings punter and Internet smither of words Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) into the studio for a wide ranging discussion. Among the topics within said wide range; Chris's by now well know internet writings, what's in the box? and why only Twitter can be so Twitter.
Prior to that interview we talk with Jefferson Fieteck, the Vice President and Program Director of Justin's Gift, who's application to walk in the Anoka Halloween parade was recently denied by the Parade Chair of Anoka Halloween Inc. Anoka, if you are somehow unaware, is the (self-proclaimed of course) Halloween Capitol of the World, so this is what you might call a BFD.
Also, at the beginning of the show there is some inane banter, mostly mine, about Election Stuff! Among some of the Election Stuff! discussed; Minnesota's eighth congressional district race, Minnesota's sixth congressional district race and Minnesota's Senate race.

LeftMN Radio Hour 10-7-12

This week on the LeftMN Radio Hour we talk about happenings in the Minnesota political scene and the meaning of those happenings vis-a-vie the upcoming elections. Included in those discussions; the Presidential debate, cognitive dissonance regarding different kinds of numbers, and the Kurt Bills campaign's continuing downward spiral. We also spend some time discussing the Photo Voter ID amendment and Republican efforts to muzzle Champion of all Minnesota Voters Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.
In the second half of the big show we talk with St. Thomas Law Professor Mark Osler about the legal and religious arguments surrounding the marriage amendment. Professor Osler was a recent Drinking Liberally guest and wrote an op-ed in the StarTribune about the role of the constitution in our democracy. The conversation moves to many of the different arguments for the amendment and the problems with those arguments.

LeftMN Radio Hour 9-30-12

On this weeks episode we discuss the surprise Minnesota Supreme Court ruling to allow Representative Kerry Gautheir's name to be removed from the November ballot and replaced with the name of the newly endorsed DFL candidate Erik Simonson.
In the second half of the show we are are joined in the studio by guests Tane Danger and Mark Mahon from The Theater of Public Policy. They talk with us about the intersection of public policy and improve comedy.

LeftMN Radio Hour 9-23-12

On this weeks show we talk with former United State Senator and current candidate for Minnesota's Supreme Court, Dean Barkley. Senator Barkley discusses judicial elections abstractly, and how they are different from other political races, more specifically. We then get into some generalities about judicial philosophy, because of course, you can't talk specifics with a judge or judicial candidate!
We also catch up with Aaron of the Range, and by that I mean Aaron Brown, of MinnesotaBrown.com. With Aaron we talk about the recent developments in Minnesota's eighth congressional district race between Representative Chip Cravaack and Rick Nolan.

LeftMN Radio Hour 9-16-12

On this weeks episode we welcome Sean Olsen of Brick City Blog to talk about Ernie Leidiger. We are also joined by the Executive Director of the Citizens League Sean Kershaw to talk about who the Citizens League is, what they've been doing and where they're going.

LeftMN Radio Hour 9-9-12

After a week off, we return to the Radio Hour, with two, that's right, two guests. Carolyn Jackson, of the ACLU, joins us to talk about the two amendments to the Minnesota constitution that will be on the ballot this year. And we talk with Minnesota DNC committee member, Javier Morillo-Alicea, about the now concluded DNC.

LeftMN Radio Hour 8-26-12

On this weeks show, we talk about the big political events of the week, as it relates to Minnesota. There was a special legislative session, the recount, and continuing developments in a Duluth house race.
Also, we speak with Barry Fadem, President of National Popular Vote, an organization who is pushing an interstate compact to award the electoral college to the winner of the national popular vote.

LeftMN Radio Hour 8-19-12

Lots of big political type news to talk about this week and lots of non-political type news involving politicians to talk about as well.

LeftMN Radio Hour 8-12-12

This week we welcome Eric Pusey, co-founder of the Minnesota Progressive Project where he is known as The Big E. We talk with him about a few big news items, one having to done with a fella by the name of Tim Pawlenty, the other having to do with a woman by the name of Michele Bachmann.
We also discuss the upcoming primary elections for congress and the state legislature.