Towel Snapping

03/04/2006

by Mary Lahammer
PBS Almanac Reporter
Friday, February 24, 2006

This week Eric Eskola used the phrase that I think sums up the potential for this session to spiral out of control into another year of “towel snapping” at the Capitol.

A few months ago I would have said, no way, lawmakers learned their lessons, they’ll behave. But now I don’t think so.

The reason became apparent at a several hour long intense Q&A session with the governor and legislative leaders. The governor talked about how he’d been meeting with lawmakers off session and trying to tone down the rhetoric and will try not to call lawmakers “profoundly stupid” again. Then House Minority Leader Matt Entenza said the only occasions the governor had brought lawmakers together since the special session government shutdown was to talk about stadium.

Most telling were the opening remarks by House Speaker Steve Sviggum. He said he remembered two years ago when Senate DFLers tossed then Majority Leader John Hottinger out for former Republican Dean Johnson.

Sviggum said Johnson said DFLers were going to be about confrontation and that’s exactly what has happened.

Not exactly a happy, sunny, let’s all get along tone.

I think the baggage between Johnson and Sviggum just runs too deep for them to put it aside. I like both of them very much as people, but I think their relationship has gotten toxic. And they are the two guys who have to broker the deal.

And let’s not forget all 201 lawmakers are up for reelection so the potential for mischief for everyone is big.