Bill Maher offers some New Rules:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMV8-vke3Wo[/youtube]

(And there are nearly seventy other media clips from the past week in politics posted at Hominid Views.)

Seattle Port Commission candidate Rob Holland joins the podcast, prompting Goldy to ask, “What the hell is the Port of Seattle?” Rob offers an overview of the Port and shares his vision for the Port’s future.

The panel then takes on the outrageous, inflammatory, tasteless, over-the-top routine of Wanda Sykes at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Doesn’t this just prove that Republicans flat-out lack a sense of humor?

What is this world coming to when a lawyer makes charges of libel and defamation against a lowly blogger and demands the removal of an old post? Get the inside story, in which Goldy graciously declines to both remove the post and “out” the offending attorney.

Goldy was joined by Seattle Port Commission candidate Rob Holland, Effin’ Unsound’s & Horsesass’s Carl Ballard, and Horsesass contributor (and brand new dad) Lee.

The show is 45:25, and is available here as an MP3:

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_may_12_2009.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]

Former Navy Seal, professional wrestler, and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has some opinions about Bush, Cheney, Powell, and waterboarding:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoqmH49VBC0[/youtube]

Please join us at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of politics under the influence. The festivities take place at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by earlier for dinner.

Drinking Liberally is now an officially designated place of sanctuary in the Republican’s War on Empathy™.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZXCK-jQxLo[/youtube]

Not in Seattle? The Drinking Liberally web site has dates and times for 332 chapters of Drinking Liberally sprinkled across the globe.

The faces of the new G.O.P. take to the Sunday talk show circuit:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnKR6ztHIIs[/youtube]

100 days of Michael Steele:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K08k3maGGVM[/youtube]

(There are some sixty other media clips from the past week in politics posted at Hominid Views.)

It’s a Cinco de Mayo edition of the podcast, and the panel is joined by Seattle City Council candidate David Ginsberg. Goldy puts the candidate in the hot seat and (using only DOJ-approved interrogation methods) extracts from Mr. Ginsberg his real reasons for running.

There is also a race coming up for King County Executive, and a new poll puts former Discovery Institute Fellow Susan Hutchison way out in front with 20%. Does this poll bode well for a candidate who beats the competition, hands down, with 62% name recognition? The conversation then meanders to transit for the Puget Sound region. Goldy wonders about a new rumor that Sound Transit wants to electrocute the I-90 floating bridge.

In the other Washington there is a forthcoming nomination to the Supreme Court, and the Republicans are ready to demonize and block just about anyone nominated by Obama. Can they succeed? Will they succeed? Listen and learn!

Goldy was joined by Seattle City Council candidate David Ginsberg, Peace Tree Farm’s N in Seattle, Effin’ Unsound’s & Horsesass’s Carl Ballard, and Seattle Transit Blog’s Andrew Smith.

The show is 44:50, and is available here as an MP3

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_may_5_2009.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]

Please join us at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of politics under the influence. The festivities take place at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by earlier for dinner.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyF3na7H0Aw[/youtube]

Not in Seattle? The Drinking Liberally web site has dates and times for 328 chapters of Drinking Liberally spread across the earth.

Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48) announces that he is running for King County Executive, and gives his first post-announcement interview on the Podcast. Ross explains why he is the best person for the position, what is right and wrong about the King County government, and what he will do to fix what’s wrong.

Changing into his Rep. hat, Hunter and the panel pick over the carcass of the freshly-ended legislative session—you know…the one that didn’t produce any tax reform, and cut to the bone. Following the nitty-gritty, the panel members give letter grades to the session.

Finally, the panel examines the remarkable transition of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter from a Republican to a Democrat. The Philly contingent of the panel (i.e. Goldy and Ross) spins yarns about the corruption of that city’s political machine that would make a Chicago politician blush and actually drove Sen. Specter to become a Republican in the first place….

Goldy was joined by King County Executive candidate & state Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48), the Seattlepi.com’s Joel Connelly, and Effin’ Unsound’s & Horsesass’s Carl Ballard.

The show is 53:54, and is available here as an MP3:

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_apr_28_2009.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]

Please join us at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of politics under the influence. The festivities take place at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by earlier for dinner. Well…right after you’re done switching parties.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ajZ-5kTXk[/youtube]

Not in Seattle? The Drinking Liberally web site has dates and times for 332 chapters of Drinking Liberally spread across the earth.

The latest from Eric Schwartz:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRCbMc4YPzk[/youtube]

And Bill Maher has some New Rules:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyv_Oqsr9f8[/youtube]

(There are some fifty other media clips from the past week in politics posted at Hominid Views.)

Please join us at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of politics under the influence. The festivities take place at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by earlier for dinner.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIGHqeKG8Io[/youtube]

Not in Seattle? The Drinking Liberally web site has dates and times for 328 chapters of Drinking Liberally spread across the earth.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VISVcPsDJi4[/youtube]

(A collection of some 60 other media clips from the past week in politics is can be found at Hominid Views.)

Last night the Washington House passed a bill to join the national popular vote Compact. The bill, previously passed by the Senate, will be sent to Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law.

The new law does absolutely nothing…for now. But once enough states have signed up—so that their combined electoral votes total at least 270—all the compact states will change the way their electoral votes are allocated. Right now, all states except Nebraska and Maine use a “winner take all” system that awards a state’s electors to the winner of the state popular vote. Once the compact “kicks-in” however, the member states will allocate their electors to the winner of the national popular vote.

In other words, the Compact enables a national popular vote without the need to amend the U.S. Constitution. This is because the Constitution gives each state discretion on how electors are allocated (my emphasis):

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress….

The Compact simply provides for a state-level change away from the common, but not universal, “winner-take-all” system adopted by most states through the early 1800s. The Electoral College remains completely unchanged.

A huge benefit of a national popular vote is that it greatly diminishes the influence of so-called swing states like Ohio and Florida. It is no secret that presidential candidates pander to these states and visit them more frequently during the campaign (and even after taking office). The effect is that an individual’s vote in a swing state has far more influence on the election outcome than an individual’s vote in a non-swing state. A national popular vote levels the field—everyone’s vote contributes equally to the election outcome.

The prognosis looks good for a national popular vote by 2012. So far four states (HI, IL, MD, NJ) are in the Compact. Once Washington is on board, the member states will have 61 electors behind them. Five other states (CA, CO, MA, RI, and VT) have passed similar legislation and await a Governor’s signature. All but two states (ID and DE) have at least introduced the legislation, but even these two states have bills drafted. All this comes after about three years of effort.

More information on the state Compact and the national popular vote effort can be found here.

It’s a special triple holiday-eve edition of the Podcast, as the panel celebrates Tax Day, Teabagging day and Goldy’s birthday. The panel tries to get to the bottom of what the teabaggers are stewing over…and under. (Goldy is shocked when he learns the street definition of teabagging.)

Former news anchor Susan Hutchison is running for King County Executive. Has Ms. Hutchison sullied herself through associations with the Discovery Institute’s Cascadia Center? Are the anti-science views of a candidate even relevant for the position?

Back to taxes, the panel is split over the efficacy of a state income tax on the wealthy. Is the projected budget shortfall an opportunity for legislators to seize the moment for progressive tax reform, or does the electorate need more time for reflection and deliberation?

Goldy was joined by Seattlepi.com’s Joel Connelly, Executive Director of the Northwest Progressive Institute Andrew Villeneuve, Effin’ Unsound’s & Horsesass’s Carl Ballard, and Seattle Drinking Liberally co-organizer Chris.

The show is 43:10, and is available here as an MP3:

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_apr_14_2009.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]