Wednesday, June 29, 2005

A Republican View

Click here to download or listen to show
On this week's podcast:

Rep. Karen Klinzing


"Doomed if he does and doomed if he doesn't". That's a Republican assessment of Governor Pawlenty, taxes and fees.

Representative Karen Klinzing is promoting a "65% solution" for education -- mandating that 65% of every education dollar be spent in the classroom. Is it sound policy or a short sighted gimmick? Peter asks the tough questions.

Inside Minnesota Politics is one of the first podcasts to be offered through Apple's itunes software. Join our growing legion of listeners and subscribe to our feed online at www.insideminnesotapolitics.com or search for us in the itunes podcast section.

Next week: An exclusive interview with FBI "whistleblower" and probable Congressional candidate Coleen Rowley!

Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.


Click here to stream podcast if you can't download.it

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

The Loophole That Ate The Budget

Click here to download or listen to show
On This Week's Podcast:

A New Budget Hole And A Grass Roots Story
A court ruling will cost Minnesota $300 million in tax revenue from companies that call Minnesota home, but do their business elsewhere. Who knew about this loophole? Everyone in State government. Who wanted to fix it, but was blocked? You'll need to listen to find out.

Plus -- a story about how one person quickly got thousands of people to back her up. It's a "Grass Roots Story" -- a semi-regular new feature of our podcast.

To sign the petition mentioned in our podcast click here.

Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.

Click here to stream podcast if you can't download it.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Republican "Payback Time" & Patty Wetterling

Click here to download or listen to show
On This Week's Podcast:

"Payback Time" or "A Shot Across The Bow"? --
The Republicans Elect A Chair

The Minnesota GOP has booted its long serving State Chair Ron Eibensteiner in favor of Ron Carey. Senator Norm Coleman and Governor Tim Pawlenty made personal appeals in support of Eibensteiner, but he still lost. What's going on here? Peter tells us why it all may be the revenge of a former Republican US Senator.

Also, US Senate Candidate Patty Wetterling gives us her scathing assessment of Governor Pawlenty and her thoughts on what the DFL message needs to be.


Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.

Click here to stream podcast if you can't download.it

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

"Inside Minnesota Politics" Front Page News At State Capitol

See the story clipping here
(Reproduced here by permission)
Podcasts help wonks get their political fix – at their leisure
By Charley Shaw
Legal Ledger Staff Writer

Peter Idusogie and Michael McIntee are like two peas in a pod. Or rather, two activists in a podcast.

Idusogie is the host and McIntee is the producer of “Inside Minnesota Politics,” a political podcast available on the Internet that features interviews with Minnesota politicians, candidates and insiders.

What’s a podcast?

Podcast listeners download an audio file from the Web onto their computers and then transfer the file to a digital audio player like the iPod by Apple Computer Inc. Users can also subscribe to a feed and receive new audio files automatically.

Using standard audio equipment, Idusogie and McIntee, both DFLers, provide new content on a weekly basis at http://www.insideminnesotapolitics.blogspot.com.

The show’s guests have been DFLers so far. This week’s podcast features the state senator and gubernatorial candidate Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins. Recently, the podcast featured interviews with all three DFL Party chair candidates.

Idusogie said he’s trying to broaden the ideological spectrum of the show, noting Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been invited to do an interview.

The podcast medium provides the freedom to listen to a program whenever and wherever the listener chooses.

McIntee said podcasts are time shifted, portable and targeted. “Given today’s busy society, those things add up to a potentially potent distribution system,” McIntee said.

A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reported 22 million Americans own iPods or MP3 players and 29 percent of that group has downloaded a podcast.
The content of podcasts available worldwide runs the gamut from news about the Catholic faith to interviews with rock stars.

Because “Inside Minnesota Politics” is an independent media outlet, Idusogie said he has free range to have frank conversations without engaging in partisan shouting matches.

“I ask real questions and they give real answers,” said Idusogie, who made an unsuccessful bid in 2003 for DFL endorsement to seek the state’s 2nd District congressional seat. Teresa Daly received the party’s nomination and lost to Republican incumbent John Kline in the November 2004 election.

Idusogie was born in London, the son of a United Nations diplomat and an elementary school teacher. He grew up in the African countries of Ghana and Nigeria. He attended college at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and has lived in Minnesota for 20 years. According to his biography posted on the podcast’s Web site, Idusogie started his political career at Clean Water Action as a grassroots canvasser, field manager and lobbyist.

McIntee is from Minneapolis and has worked across the country in television.

Idusogie first paired with McIntee during his congressional bid. At that time, they put together a DVD about Idusogie’s campaign.

Later, Indusogie and McIntee started the podcast.

Idusogie finds that Minnesota state politics is a good fit in the podcast world. Moreover, guests like the discussion format.

“They don’t look at us as media, even though we’re a medium; they’re relaxed and when they speak it’s from the heart. Anybody who’s afraid to be interviewed by “Inside Minnesota Politics” probably has something to hide,” Idusogie said.

When asked if the podcast was limited to those with the right equipment, McIntee noted that the podcast can also be heard by clicking on a link on the Web site.

Idusogie did interviews with the three DFL Party chair candidates, Betty Folliard, Brian Melendez and Josh Syrjamaki.

St. Paul DFL activist Jason Barnett said the podcast helped him choose which candidate to support and saved him three trips to hear each candidate.

“It solidified my opinion on who I am supporting, and I know it helped folks understand these candidates better,” Barnett said.

Melendez became DFL chairman. His predecessor, Mike Erlandson, said the podcast helped party activists make their choice and, in general, is a different medium for political communication.

“It’s high tech, but personal. It takes campaigning and communication to a whole new level,” Erlandson said.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Steve Kelley, The Downing St. Memo & Truth

Click here to download or listen to show
On this week's podcast:

The No New Tax Myth


Senator Steve Kelley is the Majority Whip. But can he whip Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2006? That's the question DFLers are pondering now that Kelley has announced he's running for Governor.

Listen as Steve explodes the theory that the Governor has kept his no new tax pledge and made taxes even more unfair.

Plus... did President Bush "fix the facts" before the US went to war in Iraq? We hear the the President's reply to the leaked "Downing Street Memo" that the Main Stream Media has mostly ignored. Hear why the President may have revealed more than he wanted to in his response.

Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.


Click here to stream podcast if you can't download.it

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

"Inside Minnesota Politics" Podcast in Thursday's Strib

Read about it here.

Unseating Gil Gutknecht

Click here to download or listen to show
On this week's podcast:

Tim Walz Says Gutknecht Vulnerable


Big corporations and big farming are the big supporters of Congressman Gil Gutknecht, but DFL candidate Tim Walz isn't worried. He says the six-term Congressman isn't acting on the issues voters in Minnesota's most southern district really care about -- education and health care.

Listen as Tim questions why tax cuts and the war in Iraq need to be paid for by his 4-year-old daughter and her generation.

Comments or questions please call our hotline 206-33-TALKS or email us at insidemnpolitcs@mac.com.


Click here to stream podcast if you can't download.it