A YouTube for state government

Earlier this week, 810,000 people watched Barack Obama's response to the State of the Union.

Not in person. Not on television. On YouTube.

Along with that tiresome Obama Girl, the online, on-demand video service has created a new wrinkle in the world of politics: Speeches, when you want them.

C-SPAN televises a lot of political events, but it's not exactly appointment television. While you may see a great speech on the channel, odds are when you tune in they're rebroadcasting the fifth meeting of the subcommittee investigating long-term interest rates.

But YouTube allows time-shifting. Once something is up, you can watch it when you want. Sometimes an older item that has taken on new relevance makes its way into the most-watched. (C-SPAN has some online video, but it's a chore to use.)

With Bill Graham and the NAACP calling for legislative webcams, this points to another principle of online sunshine: Make it available 24/7.

Live-streaming of the legislature isn't enough, since sitting at your computer to watch a 2 p.m. session is just as impractical as seeing it live for most working people.