Category Archives: Arizona Politics

Voter Fraud, or Voter Suppression — Podcast February 27, 2012

Voter Fraud Isn’t Real. Voter Suppression Is. Continuing their investigation of Republican accusations of voter fraud, and the campaign for voter ID laws, Democratic Perspective co-hosts Michael Cosentino and Steve Williamson look at the actual numbers. Multiple studies have shown … Continue reading

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Voter Fraud Isn’t Real. Voter Suppression Is.

On February 27, Democratic Perspective continued its discussion of GOP-backed voter ID laws which seem to be aimed at suppressing the vote of minorities, students and the elderly. Republicans insist the laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud. However, numerous … Continue reading

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Government for Sale — Podcast February 13, 2012

Government for Sale: The Wholesaling of Political Influence. Democratic Perspective co-hosts Michael Cosentino and Steve Williamson discuss the proliferation of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and in our statehouses., and what they are buying with their employers’ money. https://verdevalleyindependentdemocrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DemPerspective-02-13-12.mp3Podcast: Play in … Continue reading

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Government For Sale.

On February 13th, Democratic Perspective co-hosts, Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino continued their series on the influence of money in politics. They began by listing a few eye-opening statistics: $3.5 billion is spent on lobbying each year. (And that’s just … Continue reading

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Following the Money: PACs and Their Effects — Podcast January 23, 2012

Following the Money: The Influence of Political Action Committees on Our Politics and Legislation. Democratic Perspective’s co-hosts, Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson, look at Political Action Committees (PACs) — what they are, who funds them, and what kinds of distortions … Continue reading

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Money. Money. And More Money.

This week, Democratic Perspective continued our “Follow the Money” series on PACs (Political Action Committees) and Super Pacs. To illustrate the problem, we chose to focus on contributions to Congressman Paul Gosar since he is currently our representative. Under current … Continue reading

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James Ledbetter Interview, Part 2 — Podcast January 16, 2012

Independents, Education and Healthcare: In the second part of Democratic Perspective’s interview with James Ledbetter, we focus on the role of independent voters in Arizona, education funding, and his experience on the Governor’s Health Care Task Force. https://verdevalleyindependentdemocrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/DemPerspective-01-16-12.mp3Podcast: Play in … Continue reading

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Independents, Education And Healthcare.

This week, Democratic Perspective continued our conversation with James Ledbetter, Cottonwood attorney and behind-the-scenes Democratic Party leader. We began by asking Mr. Ledbetter about the independent voters in Arizona. “Independents are a huge factor, a growing factor,” he said. “Democrats … Continue reading

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James Ledbetter Interview — Podcast January 9, 2012

The Art of the Possible: Democratic Perspective interviews Verde Valley Attorney, School Board President, and prominent Democratic Party stalwart James Ledbetter on the 2012 campaign cycle. The political fortunes of the Democratic Party in the Verde Valley, Arizona and the … Continue reading

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“Compromise And Bipartisanship Are Not Dirty Words.”

This week, Democratic Perspective spoke with James Ledbetter, founder of the Cottonwood law firm bearing his name. He is President of the Mingus Union School Board and currently serves on the Boards of Northern Arizona Healthcare, the Verde Valley Medical … Continue reading

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