Thursday, July 28, 2005

"Politics On A Stick" -Rice County Fair

Peter challenges Sen. Tom Neuville's assertion that Republican health care policy is "compassionate"
Impromptu debate part of "Inside Minnesota Politics" visit to Rice County Fair.

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Don't try to spin the facts when talking to Peter Idusogie. When Republican State Senator Tom Neuville said allowing people to go broke before giving them health care assistance was "compassionate", Peter called him on it. Listen to an impromptu debate at the Rice County Fair that's more honest and informative than most staged elections debates.

Freshman Democrat Representative Patti Fritz knows first hand about health care. She's been a nurse for her entire career. She's appalled at what Republicans such as Sen. Neuville tried to do to the Minnesota Care program.

Also hear what regular voters have to say about the state of Minnesota politics. It's all in our special "Politics On A Stick" edition from the Rice County Fair.

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


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Friday, July 22, 2005

Meet Peter Idusogie Tonight In Fairibault!

Participate in our "Politics On A Stick" show from the Rice County Fair. Peter Idusogie and microphones will be at the Rice County DFL booth tonight (Friday July 22) from 6 PM to 8 PM. Come by and discuss politics, elections, or anything that's on your mind.

Directions to fair

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Sen. Dave Durenberger Pt 2

Democrats "better equipped" to solve health care problems - Sen. Dave Durenberger
Says Republicans are "dead wrong" about education funding.

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Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger knows health care. He's written two books on the subject and was appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to head the Minnesota Citizens Forum on health care.

Durenberger, a life-long Republican, says his own party has "stepped way over the line by saying only private insurnce companies can deliver good health care."

Although he says he will never be a Democrat, Durenberger says Democrats are "better equipped to carry the day" when it comes to health care. Durenberger says Republicans are right that people make better choices than government does. But he says Republican/insurance company health care solutions are the worst choice since "insurance companies don't make better choices than either government or families".

Peter Idusogie of the "Inside Minnesota Politics" podcast has an exclusive interview with the former Senator that Durenberger calls the "most intelligent interview I've had in a long time". A transcription of that entire interview is now available on line. In it, Durenberger takes issue with the Republican "voucher" solution to education.

"If you say as Republicans do, 'private education is better than public education, so we need to use public money to finance private education', you are wrong. You are dead wrong politically. You're dead wrong economically and from an education efficiency standpoint."

Listen to this fascinating and very candid interview from one of Minnesota's elder statesmen.

Inside Minnesota Politics will be at the Rice County Fair in Fairibault this Friday July 22nd from 6pm to 8pm. Come by and participate in our "politics on a stick" podcast. Directions to the fairgrounds

Also mentioned in our show:
St. Paul Sculpture Park


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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, July 13, 2005

Sen. Dave Durenberger Pt 1

Iraq: "We were Wrong" - Sen. Dave Durenberger
Life long Republican also says Senate candidate Mark Kennedy is “Stuck in the Texas Republican party”

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Former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger lived through World War II. He knows what a nation at war looks like.

“I don’t believe this nation is at war,” Durenberger tells “Inside Minnesota Politics” host Peter Idusogie. “I think there’s a family down in Clarks Grove, Minnesota that’s at war. You can go around reserve units, National Guard units, you can go around families all over the United States and you can find people who are at war.”

“The rest of the country is busy making money. Busy going to the beach. Busy living like business as usual.”

In a special interview Durenberger questions President Bush’s motives for invading Iraq, noting that Bush is “reaping the temporary benefits of being at war.”

“They can’t find Osama Bin Laden. They can’t find the real terrorists. They needed an identifiable person and they needed to characterize him as a terrorist and so they used Saddam Hussein.”

“We were wrong. It was the wrong decision. I would have never voted for it…. Number one it was the wrong target. There are people we should be at war at, but it’s a whole different war.”

Durenberger, who left office a decade ago, is now 70 and is not running for anything. So he feels free to point out the problems with the Minnesota Republican Party, its candidates, and Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Republican Mark Kennedy is running to recapture Durenberger’s Senate seat. Durenberger says Kennedy “is basically stuck in a Texas Republican party. It’s not a Minnesota party. …He needs to be a Minnesota Republican. And I don’t mean necessarily the current so-called ‘from the business right’ or whatever the right is in Minnesota. Business, church, evangelical or something or other. But he needs to be what his instincts, what his upbringing in Pequot Lakes, what his education at St. John’s taught him to be – a compassionate conservative.”

On Tim Pawlenty trying to govern from the center:
“I bet on Tim Pawlenty to be that kind of Governor and I still would like to bet on him to be that kind of Governor. Although the evidence so far is… it’s kind of a stretch to find it at the current time.”

On who was damaged most politically by the state government shutdown:
“Here in Minnesota, the blame is going to lie on the Governor”

On what the Governor should do now:
“It has to be a different message. It can’t simply be the message of leaner government, better government, cheaper government, no taxes, no this, no this. You can’t be a negative message.”



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Friday, July 08, 2005

Coleen Rowley Pt 2

The Cheating Culture-The Price Of Winning At All Costs
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Congressional candidate Coleen Rowley promotes ethical decision making. At the FBI she saw first hand what happens when ethics don't figure into a decision. She tells us stories about how an Army Corps of Engineers employee was punished when she refused to approve a multi-year contract for Halliburton. Rowley says it's the "win at all costs" mentality that leads to a "cheating culture" and ultimately our President misleading the American public into war. (See the Downing Street Memos) A fascinating interview about the loss of ethics and consequently the loss of trust in our government.

There's more to this interview. In Part one Coleen and Peter discussed her run for Congress and the lack of ethics displayed by her opponent Rep. John Kline. If you missed the interview it is still available online.

Next week: Former US Senator Dave Durenberger says "I don't believe this nation is at war" and flatly declares "we were wrong" for invading Iraq. Why is this long-time Republican at odds with the Bush administration? Listen and find out.

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


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Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Coleen Rowley Pt 1

Ethical FBI Agent vs. "Good Soldier Syndrome"
Coleen Rowley, Time Magazine's person of the year announces today she is running against Representative John Kline for Congress. Her campaign message is ethical decision making in government. She says her opponent takes orders from the top and suffers from the "good soldier syndrome"...rarely questioning or critically analyzing what the Bush administration wants.
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There's more to this interview. Coleen and Peter discuss whistleblowing, terrorism, the Downing Street memos and more in part two which will be posted here shortly.

Next week: Former US Senator Dave Durenberger weighs in on the discourse in state and national politics. He hasn't had kind things to say about how his Republican colleagues are handling things these days.

You can subscribe to our podcast in iTunes with just one click.

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

Friday, July 01, 2005

One click itunes subscription

If you have the new itunes 4.9, you can now subscribe to "Inside Minnesota Politics" with just one click!

Very cool and very easy.