Minnesota DFL - 3rd Congressional District

DEMOCRATIC VISIONS ON CABLE & LIVE STREAM

Democratic Visions is produced by volunteers through DFL Senate District 48.  After approximately 15 years at the Southwest Community TV public acces studio that had been owned in succession by Paragon, Time Warner and Comcast, Democratic Visions moved in November 2012 to the Lake Minnetonka Cable Commission access studio in Spring Park to produced three programs and in March 2013 we move to the Bloomington Cable Access Television Studio for the remainder of the year. Democratic Visions continues to operate within the Southwest Suburban Cable Commission group of programs. Our team thanks SWCTV studio manager Michelle Glynn for always operating the facility in alignment with the highest mission of access TV.  Democratic Visions  has arguably become the best political and public issues TV venue in Minnesota. We're proud to be part of DFL Congressional District

Comcast Channel 15 Sundays at 9 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.  Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Hopkins.

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Bloomington Cable Access Television (BCAT) Channel 16 on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m., Fridays at 9:30 p.m. , Saturdays at 7:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m.

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Minneapolis MTN Channel 16 - Sundays at 8:30 p.m.  Thursdays 2 a.m., 8 a.m., 1 p.m.

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DEMOCRATIC VISIONS CHANNEL – YOUTUBE
Browse more than more than 125 segments including discussions, commentary and humor on a wide range of political issues -

https://www.youtube.com/user/DemocraticVisions

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April  2013 Program

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State Representative Yvonne Selcer: Mid-session analysis and the political climate in Saint Paul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8nlzNlulUg

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Minnetonka’s Marge Hoffa, Vice Chair of the State DFL Party is helping her organization keep democracy vibrant through out Minnesota.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wls2k7fzUU

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Producer Jeff Strate previews “The Price of Sand,” a new documentary about the impact of the open pit mining of industrial silica sand in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Director  Jim Tittle’s film premiers on April 22^nd at the Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Film Festival and encores on May Day at the Riverview Theater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3JSL2uzJrg

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Doug Lind delivers a strong commentary on the lack of progress of gun regulation legislation in Minnesota when it has been accomplished in Connecticut and elsewhere.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PHTUigKa2Q

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March 2013 Program

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18-year old Sami Rahamim tells AM950 Radio’s Nancy Nelson how he has responded

in Washington D.C. and the Minnesota State Capitol to the September murder of his

father Reuven Rahamim and two of his father’s employees and a United Parcel Service

driver.  Mr. Rahamim, an immigrant from Israel, was a beloved community leader living

the American dream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0kaermDkDw

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In a releated commentary, Eden Prairie DFLer Doug Lind is

 

critical of DFL legislative leadership for its "half-hearted"

 

handling of gun issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ercS8j5IphQ

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Minnetonka’s Dr. Maureen Hackett discusses the citizen-driven campaign to stop the

 

sport hunting and trapping of wolves in Minnesota.  Her group “Howling for Wolves,”

 

is supporting a bill in the State legislature that it feels will provide better management

 

of wolf populations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJQAQjXtQu0

Edina’s Tim O’Brien reports on  the DFL Congressional District 3 March convention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkUkIxm_iJE

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Nancy Nelson introduces the presentation of a Bunkum Award that was announced in

February by the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado to a

Minneapolis-based think tank for a study on Minnesota’s learning gap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkc70iuMju

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February 2013 Program

Prendergast, the Press & Mrs. Bachmann

Watchdog Bill Prendergast (Minnesota Progressive Project, Daily Kos, et. al.) unloads on Minnesota mainstream media for not reporting

for a long, long time all that it has known about right winger Michele Bachmann including her ties to the very religious "Christian" right.

The DFL and the local political blogosphere also get spashed by Bill's brand of vinegar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by_-yi2NIMc

Jeremy Irons and Jeff Strate
Actor Jeremy Irons voices a mockumentary on plastic bag pollution in the Pacific Ocean in the style of his work for such

PBS series as NOVA and NATURE and producer Jeff Strate pastes his own take on plastic bag pollution in Lake Wobegone

country at the conclusion of this brilliant parody courtesy of Heal the Bay in Santa Monica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BDUWYiYvF4

Global Warming and Minnesota Nice

MN350 from Kate Faye explains Minnesota 350's mission to mobilize

Minnesota law makers and businesses to immediately take action on the

climate change crisis,

http://youtu.be/bUUceuO9X5o

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December 2012 Program

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History Professor Doug Rossinow of Metropolitan State University (St. Paul Cmpus) and Tim O'Brien take measure

of the future of progressive politics in Minnesota in view of the DFL sweep in November 2012.

Link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdyKtsPFkpo

Religion Professor David Booth of St. Olaf College shares his perspective on the defeat of Minnesota's proposed marriage amendment.

Link -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNwblbkcJF8

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November 2012 Program

Bloggers Tommy Johnson and Steve Timmer and DFL veteran Tim O’Brien discuss the local results of the 2012 general election

on the current edition of Democratic Visions.  Timmer and O’Brien present their explanations of why Edina will be represented for

the first time ever  in the Minnesota Senate and House by Democrats.  O’Brien and Johnson note that Eden Prairie and

Minnetonka continue to trend more progressive with election wins by DFL candidates Yvonne Selcer (House District 48A),

John Benson (HD 44B) and Terri Bonoff Senate District 44).  Johnson notes that DFL challengers Tori Hill and

Laurie McKendry garnered record high vote totals in their losing efforts to Republican incumbents.  This video runs 28:28.

Link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLxdfAr7IP0

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September, October 2012 Programs (included in candidate & issue videos below)

FEDERAL CANDIDATES

THE BRIAN BARNES EXPERIENCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q93Cn6-dWI

BRIAN BARNES:  THE VOTERS CHOICE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66bL8Mx2f0

BRIAN BARNES on the ECONOMY and the MIDDLE CLASS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51QSw65LUGw

BRIAN BARNES on STUDENT LOANS and DEBT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECKeBB4xgiE

JUNK YARD DEMOCRATS - HE TALKS THE LINE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwbvBLsw7hY

JIM KLOBUCHAR;  DEMOCRATS UNDER SIEGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pidsVKw-I8c

MY DINNER WITH BARACK OBAMA:  CASEY HELBLING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugeS8R0ifiQ

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DFL SENATE DISTRICT 48 CANDIDATES

(southern Minnetonka & northern Eden Prairie)

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210 SECONDS with LAURIE McKENDRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wikvLjQsVms

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LAURIE McKENDRY FOR MN SENATE (SD 48)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1SAYSlRF-I

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VOTER'S CHOICE: YVONNE SELCER  (HD 48A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7qdS9Z_AHw

FIVE MINUTES WITH YVONNE SELCER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkrd8Vw188U

MEET TORI HILL  (HD 48B)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYexB1XpCeo

THREE MINUTES WITH TORI HILL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMDjWWpqBh8

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DFL SENATE DISTRICT 43, 44 & 49 CANDIDATES

Denise Bader  (HD 43B)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGX1Go6rcP0

Rep. John Benson's Reform Bills  (HD 44 B)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yWH8ytXGI

Rep. John Benson:  State borrowing & Homestead Tax Credits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv0hZC7Vs3I

Rep. John Benson:  "My Constituents"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okpTlvLARG4

Sen Terri Bonoff  (SD 44)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69PNvOFIpJc&feature=youtu.be

Melisa Franzen (SD 49)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BinQ-fPuNNU

TWO MINUTES with MELISA FRANZEN (SD49)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrSbsBWbQC8

ISSUES

EP STUDENT SAYS "VOTE NO" FOR MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg1DSEDS90s

REP. STEVE SIMON:  MN VOTER ID AMENDMENT EXPOSED!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blph-EcKE5w

MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS AND ALEC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23CsN_9WkMQ

ELLEN ANDERSON on REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTIONISM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea7rsEI0QgI

JIM KLOBUCHAR: DEMOCRATS UNDER SIEGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pidsVKw-I8c

THE WORST POLITICAL VIDEO of 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT8UMYMbNXE

SOMALI MONEY EXCHANGE ISSUE- CONGRESSMAN KEITH ELLISON
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PuMTXUs9XU

EP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS with KEITH ELLISON (student loans)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KYcnMnPQ8g

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July - August 2012 Program

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Tori Hill is running to replace Republican incumbent Jennifer Loon in House District 48B, southern Eden Prairie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYexB1XpCeo&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=1&feature=plcp

Senator Terri Bonoff, Senate District 44   Minnetonla, Pymouth Woodland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69PNvOFIpJc&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=3&feature=plcp

Representative Steve Simon, House District 46B, Hopkins, St. Louis Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCsssuqfwlQ&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=2&feature=plcp

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June 2012 Program

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Laurie McKendry segment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1SAYSlRF-I

Melisa Franzen segment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BinQ-fPuNNU

Ahmed Tharwat Segment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOF1vHCEwvw

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May 2012 Program

May 2012 Prorgram

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House District 48A candidate Yvonne Selcer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7qdS9Z_AHw&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=1&feature=plcp

Nancy Nelson and Tim O'Brien review SW suburban DFL conventions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRD6KWBr22s&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=7&feature=plcp

Congressman Keith Ellison talks about being a Muslim in Congress

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfynXDO0Hmg&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=5&feature=plcp

Jeff Strate discusses a report on the American Legislative Exchange Council and the MN GOP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INquCwY_MdE&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=8&feature=plcp.

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Jackie Stevenson MemoriamVideo

(May 2, 2012)

Click on link for video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PtQqvGS4DY

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Jackie Stevenson (left) was an enthusiastic

supporter of Hilary Clinton's Presidential

Campaign in 2008.

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March 2012 Program

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Representative Linda Slocum:  Education, gun bills, non profits organizaations and constitutional amendments -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCsTrh61ri8&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=1&feature=plcp

Representative John Benson:  For starters, John discusses bills that wiil reform the legislature -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yWH8ytXGI&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=2&feature=plcp

Reflections on the 2012 DFL Precinct Caucuses:  Our guests and Eden Prairie and Minnetonka DFLers weigh in on the democratic process at the neighborhood level -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_uadNwC46w&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=3&feature=plcp

Tommy Johnson Commentary:  Minnesota Republican Party Spending -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvXG0LTZ5H0&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=5&feature=plcp

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February 2012 Program

The DFL Comedy Academy

An antidote to sanctimonious progressives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-XhsENemts

 

Keith Ellison – Part 1 of 4

Congressional Progressive Caucus and CD 5 issues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H4KIb49SMI&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=1&feature=plcp

 

Keith Ellison - Part 2 of 4

Fighting "Citizens United" & ALEC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aUjCzhxuWw&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=1&feature=plcp

 

Keith Ellison - Part 3 of 4

Somali Money Transfer Crisis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PuMTXUs9XU&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=3&feature=plcp

 

Keith Ellison - Part 4 of 4

Eden Prairie High School Young Democrats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KYcnMnPQ8g&list=UU-ztphfNHO0GzJSNvaIQ25A&index=4&feature=plc

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Tim O'Brien and Minnesota Progressive Project bloggers Tommy Johnson and Joe Bodell take measure of Representative Steve Simon’s compelling testimony against anti-gay legislation on the current edition of Democratic Visions.  The trio of well known, southwest suburban Democrats also put local Republican legislators through their analytical grinders. 

This editon concludes with an affectionate tribute to DFL elder Dwaine Lindberg. The segment features some of the  many friends of the community activist and DFL Education Foundation board member including retired Congressman and Minneapolis Mayor Don Frasier, former DFL SD 41 Chair Del Smith and Edina City Council Member Joni Bennett.

Take the following links to enjoy segments from the full program.

O’Brien, Johnson and Bodell on the Legislative Session

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoPnLQdgDx0

Dwaine Lindberg Tribute with Don Frasier and Joni Bennet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIL6TcbAUk&feature=related

DFL Hubert H. Humpfrey Day Dinner  (June 11^th)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOnQRrsCSk&feature=related

Rock with the DFL  (Fun look at the DFL State Office)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snq8i7mFR2c

April 2011 Program

Ken Martin grew up in and attended high school in Eden Prairie (long a Republican stronghold)  and now heads the State Democratic Farmer Labor Party.  Martin, educational reformer Sondra Samuels and “The Junk Yard Democrats,” appear on the April edition of Democatic Visions.

Democratic Visions host Tim O’Brien and Martin take measure of the current legislative session and a shift in the mission of the DFL in reaching out to voters.  Samuels describes a multi-faceted  initiative called the Northside Achievment Zone that aims to get the kids of every enrolled north Minneapolis family into college.  This segment concludes with a remembrance of highly respected, northside activist, community leader and DFLer, Dottie Titus.

“The Junk Yard Democrats,” a faux trio of rockers (Eden Prairie DFL legends Norb Gernes, Doug Lind and Tommy Johnson) lift progressive spirits in this rollicking music video.  Norb recently retired from chairing DFL Senate District 42, but as you will see, will keep on truckin'.

The  video premiered on Saturday April 9th during DFL Senate District 42's convention at Eden Prairie High School.  It was the first time local Democrats had laughed out loud (or even smiled) since before the November election. Medics handed out milk, cookies and hugs to those who had fallen off their chairs.

March 2011 Democratic Visions

DFL State legislators Rep. Steve Simon, Rep. John Benson and Senator Terri Bonoff are featured on the March edition of Democratic Visions.   For starters, they respectively take critical measure of various Republican priorities including photo IDs for voters, cuts to local government aid and passing State expenses off to cities and counties.   And of course, there’s more including ongoing Republican failure to propose realistic options to deal with the State budget deficits,  bonding bills for the Vikings and government efficiency.  Bonoff and Benson were recorded at their Minnetonka City Hall town meeting on February 5th.   DFL SD 42’s Associate Chair Laurie Pryor and Democratic Visions producer Jeff Strate are also in the March mix.   Pryor lays out to Host Tim O’Brien the “Taking Back our Future” theme and the program of the DFL Senate District 42 convention at Eden Prairie High School on April 9th.  Strate presents a compelling message from the Heal the Bay environmental initiative in Santa Monica, CA about the great environmental damage being caused by discarded plastic bags.   The message comes in the form of a knowing parody of a reverent PBS nature documentary narrated by actor Jeremy Irons.  Strate tags it with a companion look at Minnesota’s plastic bag and litter migrations from snow drift to lakeshore.

February 2011 Democratic Visions

Persuading Republican lawmakers to provide responsible and effective state deficit reduction proposals is one of the charges laid out for Minnesota House Democrats by Minority Deputy Lead Debra Hilstrom and Minority Leader Paul Thissen.  Hilstrom and Minnesota Progressive Project writer Eric Pusey are featured in separate segments in the current edition of Democratic Visions. Hilstrom tells interviewer Tim O’Brien that constituents can expect Senate and House Republicans this session to draw up numbers of state constitutional amendment bills as a means of skirting gubernatorial vetoes and over ride votes.  Proposed constitutional amendments would have to be approved by Minnesota voters during the 2012 general election.  Minnesota Progressive Project writer Eric Pusey is among the few Minnesota journalists who have been reporting on and tabulating the public statements made by Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann.  Pusey, who posts blogs from his southwest Minneapolis home, claims and demonstrates that the Tea Party/Republican operative is unable or unwilling to distinguish facts from unsupportable assumptions.   During his interview, Pusey scolds the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio and other regional broadcast news outlets for not holding Representative Bachmann accountable. Democratic Visions is a public issues cableTV program  produced by Eden Prairie, Minnetonka and Edina volunteers for DFL Senate District 42.  Links to the YouTube version of the interviews are:

Rep. Debra Hilstrom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2To_Fsdb90

Eric Pusey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8nlRImvB6g

December/January  2010 Democratic Visions

The holiday season edition of Democratic Visions features media themes including a 1988 discussion with fondly remembered WCCO-TV newscaster Dave Moore.   AM950 talk radio’s Nancy Nelson and program host Tim O’Brien examine current DFL challenges in communicating with voters in an era of unchecked corporate political donations.   Retired ad agency executive Bill Sorem talks about his new role as a “citizen journalist.”  The seventy-six year old Minnetonka resident uses a camcorder to cover the region’s political protests and humanitarian demonstrations for The Uptake, a pioneering Internet news service anchored in St. Paul.   Sorem tells how he helped Eden Prairie mother Randi Reitan reach hundreds of thousands of people via YouTube about her opposition to Target corporation’s donations to a political action committee which supported Republican Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign.   The former candidate is opposed to gay rights.  Reitan, whose son Jake is gay, let Sorem video tape her at the Eden Prairie and Chanhassen Target Stores last summer as she bought goods and then cut up her Target credit card at a customer service counter to make her point.

Bill Sorem - Citizen Journalist  (12 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDAyd3HH028

Nancy Nelson and Tim O'Brien on Democrats and the midterm elections  (10 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqAtqHyQ4ro

November 2010 Democratic Visions

Notable bloggers Joe Bodell, Steven Timmer and Two Putt Tommy Johnson join Tim O'Brien to discuss the 2010 mid-term elections in the southwest suburbs.  Bodell writes for and moderates the Minnesota Progressive Project, Timmer helms The Cucking Stool's salon of political perspective and Johnson remains the chief scold of southwest suburban right wingers at MPP, Democratic Visions and other venues including AM950 Radio.

Bodell, Timmer & O'Brien on the 2010 Mid-Term Elections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CESpjUzA5Mw/

Timmer & Bodell on the Election and Minnesota Judges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdgBDVkG5vw/

Two Putt's Take on the Mid-Term Elections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArOfSmYE8q8/

Browse more than more than 125 segments including discussions, commentary and humor on a wide range of political issues-

https://www.youtube.com/user/DemocraticVisions