Almanac: At the Capitol

I was in the final stages of my Brain Trust submission yesterday afternoon when I was forced to start all over. As I was watching a legislative hearing on television, I heard the news that Governor Pawlenty had vetoed a bloated earmark-laden bonding bill.

Caught on live-television was Senator Steve Murphy's reaction to being denied access to the all-you-can-eat buffet by Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Who says legislative television can't be exciting?

Senator Murphy was hungry, but Governor Pawlenty politely sent the message to "push away from the table. Put your fork down."

The news of Senator Murphy's very public outburst would be enough for even a novice observer of politics to determine that the wheels are coming off the Minnesota DFL.

But the real political news of yesterday was the end of Mike Hatch showing up to work at the Minnesota Attorney General's office. As reported with great detail over the last week, Attorney General Swanson's office has been firing staffers like the New York Yankees fired managers in the 1980s.

Since 1999, Hatch's out-of-control temper has brought employees to tears and according to one former staffer, Hatch's behavior drove him "to the cathedral to pray."

In today's Star Tribune, Nick Coleman wrote that "an investigation is warranted" into Swanson's office. Politics does make for strange bedfellow as House Republicans and Nick Coleman now occupy the same political position.

In 12 hours, I observed the public temper-tantrum of a prominent DFL legislator, the resignation of Mike Hatch in disgrace, and Nick Coleman and House Republicans becoming political allies.

The implosion of the Minnesota DFL at the Capitol has begun.