Over the decades, MPR has presented the many different perspectives of Minnesota politics and politicians. This collection is home to a multitude speeches, interviews and debates on the issues of the day. Important topics of civil rights, environment, crime, budget, legislation, and campaigns are addressed.
Click on link to these well-known figures to see audio segments directly related to them: Michele Bachmann Arne Carlson Keith Ellison Hubert Humphrey Amy Klobuchar Eugene McCarthy Walter Mondale Tim Pawlenty R.T. Rybak Jesse Ventura Paul Wellstone
November 10, 1998 - After recent loss in governor’s race, Norm Coleman, St. Paul mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate, discusses the campaign, his political future, and the Republican win of Minnesota House of Representatives. Coleman also answers listener questions.
November 10, 1998 - NORM COLEMAN HAS BEEN THROUGH THREE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS IN FIVE YEARS. WITH HIS UNSUCCESSFUL GUBERNATORIAL BID BEHIND HIM, THE MAYOR OF SAINT PAUL NOW SAYS HE'S READY TO FOCUS ON CITY BUSINESS FOR THE REST OF HIS MAYORAL TERM. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS... AT ONE PUBLIC APPEARANCE THIS SUMMER NORM COLEMAN ACKNOWLEDGED THE HECTIC TRAVELLING SCHEDULE OF THE GOVERNOR'S RACE CAN MAKE IT HARD TO TELL GRANITE FALLS FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS. BUT NOW THAT HE FINISHED SECOND TO GOVERNOR-ELECT JESSE VENTURA, THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT CITY COLEMAN WILL BE IN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. HE SAYS HE WILL FINISH
November 10, 1998 - Throughout Jesse Ventura's campaign, whenever his leadership qualifications were questioned, Ventura pointed to his four years as Mayor of Brooklyn Park. Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe reports on Ventura's first foray into politics and what it might tell us about the job Governor Ventura will do. SCRIPT: Jesse Ventura won his first attempt at public office in 1990 with the help of lifelong Brooklyn Parker Rob Shafer, who also voted for Ventura for Governor. SHAFER (07): BROOKLYN PARK IS OUR LITTLE WORLD. WE NEEDED SOME HELP HERE IN BROOKLYN PARK. AND HE HAD THE RIGHT IDEAS.
November 11, 1998 - Hundreds - perhaps thousands - of resumes are pouring into Jesse Ventura's transition office at the state Capitol. Republicans, Democrats, and independents are all hoping to be part of the Governor-elect's new administration. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... The tight entryway to Ventura's basement transition office is often crammed with job-seekers, well-wishers and reporters... (nat - phone ringing, crowd buzz) 28-year-old Tom Klawiter (CLAW-water) dropped off his resume...
November 11, 1998 - Minnesota Governor elect Jesse Ventura, a former Navy seal, today marked Veterans day by visiting the Minneapois VA Medical Center. He also made a stop at the high school from which he graduated. Ventura spoke of the importance of public service and told students joining the military is a great way to finance post-secondary education. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has a report...
November 12, 1998 - Governor Carlson says the recent governor's campaign shows it's time for Minnesota to re-think its election system. Carlson says the September primary should be moved up to May -- and he says the state should add a SECOND primary in the fall to narrow down the field of candidates. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: Governor Carlson says the fact that Jesse Ventura won the governor's race with only 37 percent of the vote is evidence that Minnesota is moving away from the traditional two-party-system. In a Veterans' Day speech to the Bloomington Rotaryt club, he said he was worried that MN elections will become more and more fractious: ((If we're going to have 8 people and several dif pol parties -- we now have 4 major parties, with add of taxpayers' party -- we
November 12, 1998 - The day after telling students at his old High school he didn't apply himself much to his studies... Minnesota Governor-elect Jesse Ventura is back at school. Every two years, a few weeks after the November vote, the National Governor's Association puts on "Governors school" for first-time governors --- a few days in specialized seminars and private consulations with experienced governors currently on the job. Nancy Marshall reports from this years Governors school in Wilmington Delaware. SFXX 1: Welcome to the 1998 Governor's session. . . TRXX 1: Governor Thomas Carper of Delaware is the host -- and a professor -- at this year's National Governor's Association
November 12, 1998 - Governor-Elect Ventura's victory shocked Minnesota's political establishment, but not Joram Manka , a Ventura supporter in Duluth. Manka, a student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, won a contest on a political website by correctly guessing the outcome on nearly every race on the Minnesota ballot: University of Minnesota Duluth student Joram Manka won the checks and balances-dot com website contest by correctly guessing the outcome of the governor's race and many other contests last Tuesday. He'll be presented with the John Spanish Prognosticator Award December 3rd in St. Paul. Governor-elect Ventura has been invited as the keynote speaker. (find music)
November 18, 1998 - As Ventura prepares to take office, he is sure to remember the political experts and lobbyists who gave him little respect before the election. Now some of those same people are flocking to his office asking for jobs. Morning Show humorist Dale Connelly imagined how those ‘career politicians’ are feeling about now with the song creation "Governor Body"...(with apologies to Leonard Bernstein and his "Officer Krupky" from West Side Story).
November 18, 1998 - MPR’s Martin Kaste reports on the first meeting of Governor-elect Jesse Ventura and Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, who met privately to discuss legislative priorities for 1999. Despite what Ventura calls "philosophical differences" between the two men, their respective "to-do" lists appear to have a lot in common.