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
January 26, 2011 - Excerpts of the Tea Party's response to President Obama's State of the Union address last night (Tuesday). Minnesota's 6th District Republican Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann, delivered her remarks on behalf of the Tea Party after the Republican Party's official response, delivered by Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan. Obama's policies and actions on taxes, the unemployment rate, gas prices and healthcare are mentioned.
February 8, 2011 - Tim Pawlenty has been touting the success of Minnesota's home-grown health reforms during his national book tour as he prepares for possible run for the presidency. The former Republican governor says the state has designed a good blueprint for reining-in costs, that the rest of the nation should follow. While it's true that Minnesota has been experimenting with new ways of paying for care, some health care observers believe it's a stretch to say that Minnesota's experiments have had much of an effect on costs at this point. We picked out two of Pawlenty's Minnesota reform claims and examined them.
March 8, 2011 - Interview with Steve Sviggum and Roger Moe.
March 22, 2011 - Former Governor Tim Pawlenty has taken a step forward in a quest for the White House. Although not officially in the presidental race, he has formed an exploratory committee to run for president. Jennifer Duffy, senior editor at the Cook Political Report, explains what this actually means.
March 25, 2011 - MPR News presents the series "Following the Firearms: Gun Violence in Minneapolis," which looks at where guns are coming from, and the impact of gun violence in Minnesota's largest city. In this report, MPR’s Brandt Williams travels to the Washington DC-area and examine how gun trace data have become the center of a national political fight over guns.
April 21, 2011 - St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman joins Midday to answer questions about city schools, jobs, parks, transportation, the Central Corridor LRT, development, and taxes. Coleman also answers listener questions.
May 11, 2011 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota is one step closer to being on the ballot next year, after the Minnesota Senate voted in favor of the measure, which would ask voters to define marriage in the state Constitution as between one man and one woman.
May 22, 2011 - MPR’s Tim Nelson reports that after nearly six hours of emotional debate, a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman was approved in the Minnesota House. It was the last legislative step needed to put the question on the statewide ballot in November 2012.
May 23, 2011 - Brief audio clip of Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak on tornado help for North Minneapolis.
June 9, 2011 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with DFL Congressman Tim Walz, who represents Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Program topic is Iraq troop withdrawals, role of Red Bulls, and war in Afghanistan. Walz also answers listener questions.