YouTube is expanding its popular YouChoose platform to Senators, Congressman, and state candidates. To apply for a "Politician" account, you can download the application here (PDF).

Features for a "Politician" account include:

• Official designation as a "Politician" channel.
• Enhanced design and branding capabilities, including a personalized banner advertisement to be
displayed across the top of the channel that links back to a home website.
• Extended video upload capability (extended length uploads, and up to 300 MB per video file).

To receive an account, you have to meet several pieces of criteria that you can find on the application.

I asked YouTube News & Politics editor Steve Grove about expanding the YouChoose platform and he said, "We're expanding our You Choose '08 platform beyond the presidential race to include Senate and House races - we want candidates down the ballot to reach out to voters in the same way that the candidates at the top of the ballot do. In today's political environment, you can't not have a YouTube channel."

How true. The political world has shifted.

YouTube News and Politics Editor, Steve Grove, wraps-up the Republican YouTube/CNN Debate with a YouTube video:

Of note, Steve says the following at the tail-end of the video which we can assume is a direct response to the blowback CNN is getting for its liberal bias:

Well there has been a lot of commentary there about which questions CNN chose for the debate and the format that we used, and as we move forward with developing debates and other opportunities like this for you to connect directly with those running for office your feedback is really important to us. So post a video response or a comment to this video and let us know what you think.

Make sure you weigh in. CNN has some serious explaining to do.