♪♪ >> JOINING ME NOW, POLITICAL REPORTERS ERIC ESKOLA, FORMER WCCO RADIO AND NOW OUR VERY OWN "ALMANAC," WCCO TV'S CAROLINE CUMMINGS.

CAROLINE, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEWS, JUST WHILE WE WERE SITTING HERE, WE GOT WORD THAT THE SENATE IS GOING TO MOVE TO EXPEL HIM.

THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: TO EXPEL A SENATOR.

YEAH.

>> SO YOU NEED TO HAVE 2/3 MAJORITY OF THE CHAMBER, SO 45 MEMBERS, OBVIOUSLY REPUBLICANS, ARE IN THE MINORITY, THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT, SO ANY MOTION TO EXPEL WOULD NEED DEMOCRAT SUPPORT TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN.

>> Mary: AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER SENATOR THAT THEY'VE TRIED TO EXPEL THAT COULD COME INTO THE FRAY.

>> I THINK THIS SETS UP, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK IT SETS UP OKAY FOR THE REPUBLICANS, THEY CAN GET ON AN EXPULSION VOTE ON THURSDAY, AND THEY CAN POINT ACROSS THE AISLE AND SAY, MEANWHILE, SENATOR MICHELLE -- MITCHELL, NO EXPULSION FOR HER.

NOTHING FOR FROM HER.

SHE GETS A TRIAL AFTER THE SESSION.

MIGHT HELP THE REPUBLICAN BRAND GETTING IN FRONT OF THIS COMPARED TO WHAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE DONE.

>> Mary: BECAUSE SENATOR MURPHY WAS THE ONLY LEGISLATIVE LEADER THAT STOPPED SHORT OF CALLING FOR A RESIGNATION.

THAT TELLS US SOMETHING, DOESN'T IT?

>> RIGHT, WELL, THE DEMOCRATS WHEN SENATOR MITCHELL WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR WHICH SHE'S PLEADED NOT GUILTY, AND HAS HER TRIAL, LIKE ERIC SAID, COMING UP, THERE WERE SOME DEMOCRATS WHO ON THEIR OWN SAID SHE SHOULD RESIGN, BUT LEADER MURPHY ACTUALLY JUST WENT BACK TO REMIND MYSELF OF WHAT SHE SAID AT THE TIME, WHICH WAS, IF SHE WAS -- AND I'M PARAPHRASING, MURPHY SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECTS, IF I WERE IN HER SHOES, I WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION, KNOWING THE STAKES, WHICH IS THAT THERE'S A ONE-SEAT MAJORITY, AND ALL OF THAT, BUT SHE NEVER SAID THAT SHE SHOULD RESIGN.

AND THERE WAS NEVER A ALL-DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS MEMBERS SAY, SHE SHOULD RESIGN.

AND, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MITCHELL, YOU KNOW, THROUGH HER ATTORNEY BE, HAS MAINTAINED, YOU NOW, I'M ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS, IN A COURT OF LAW, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, REPUBLICANS SAY, THIS IS NOT A COURT OF LAW.

THIS IS A SENATE CHAMBER, AND ELECTED LEADERS ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.

AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SAID TODAY, TOO.

>> I THINK WE SHOULD SAY, THOUGH, THAT THE ACTION IN THIS SESSION IS IN THE HOUSE 67-67.

>> Mary: BACK TO A TIE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BIG NEWS OF THE WEEK, RETURNING TO A TIE, YEAH.

>> IN THE SENATE, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL.

>> Mary: RIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT, YEAH.

>> AND, SO, THIS -- AND THERE IS NOT AN ELECTION NOW UNTIL 2026 FOR THE STATE SENATE.

AND I HEARD FROM A RANGE INSIDER TODAY THAT IT'S AN EASY HOLD FOR THE REPUBLICANS.

>> Mary: YUP, I'VE ALREADY HEARD NAMES, FORMER SENATOR CARRIE RUUD, SHE WAS REDISTRICTED WITH EICHORN AND I HEARD FORMER REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR NOW MAYOR UP NORTH, JENNIFER CARNAHAN MIGHT BE INTERESTING.

>> Eric: THAT WOULD BE SPICY.

>> Mary: ISN'T THAT INTERESTING?

IT GETS DEEPER AND DEEPER.

>> BUT YOU I -- YOU BRING UP A POINT THAT IS IT'S A VERY REPUBLICAN-LEANING DISTRICT.

>> Mary: NOW.

HE WAS ELECTED BY ONE PERCENTAGE POINT BY A DEMOCRAT INCUMBENT.

IT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH THE RANGE HAS CHANGED.

ERIC, I WANT CONTEXT FROM YOU, WE BOATS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, BUT YOU'VE BEEN AROUND LONG.

I THINK WE'VE HAD SIX MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE WHO HAVE HAD DWIs, EVEN FELONIES ARE NOT NEW, ARRESTS ARE NOT NEW.

WHAT'S THE CONTEXT ON ALL OF THIS?

>> I DID MY USUAL MINIMAL RESEARCH, I FOUND EIGHT GROSSs R FELONIES SINCE THE MID '80s, I BACKED OUT DWIs.

>> Mary: NOT INCLUDING DWIs.

>> WE HAD A MEMBER ARRESTED IN THE CAPITOL.

>> Mary: YES ON THE FLOOR, IN OUR TIME HERE.

AND IT WAS RELATED TO A SEX CRIME AGAINST THE MINOR, AT THE TIME.

I MEAN, IT WAS BARGAINED, PLEA BARGAINED DOWN, IT WAS NOT THE FINAL CHARGE.

>> THE THOUSANDS OF LEGISLATORS SINCE THE MID '80s, EIGHT CHARGES ROSE TO THAT LEVEL.

>> Mary: WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR VIEWERS?

YEAH, THAT'S NOT UNEXPECTED, POLITICIANS BEHAVE PAD BADLY.

WHAT ARE YOUR COMMERCIAL TV VIEWERS SAYING?

>> I THINK PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS ALLEGED CONDUCT S PRETTY EGREGIOUS, WOULD WARRANT A RESIGNATION OR EXPULSION, AND I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT THEY FEEL THAT BOTH MITCHELL AND EICHORN, IN THIS CASE, SHOULD BOTH BE EITHER EXPELLED OR RESIGN.

AGAIN, WITH THE THINKING THAT THIS IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, AND THIS ISN'T A COURT OF LAW, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SEE IN ELECTED LEADERS, YOU KNOW, THE STANDARD -- THE CONDUCT OF HIGHEST REGARD, HIGHEST STANDARD, RIGHT?

BUT, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE COME DOWN ON THIS DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS, THESE ARE ACCUSATIONS, YOU'RE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY, IN A COURT OF LAW, SO THEY SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY SUCH ACTION WITHOUT THAT BEING ADJUDICATED.

SO, YOU CAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THAT, AT LEAST FROM A VIEWER'S PERSPECTIVE, SOMEONE LOOKING ON ABOUT THAT.

>> AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER SHOVEL ON TOP OF ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE LEGISLATURE, THE GOVERNMENT, THE FEEDING OUR FUTURE VERDICT TODAY.

>> Mary: YEAH.

GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.

>> AND HERE'S ANOTHER SENATOR IN TROUBLE.

I MEAN, I THINK IT TENDS TO BUILD A LITTLE BIT OF SKEPTICISM ON THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE LEGISLATURE.

GOVERNMENT.

>> Mary: AND MORE DISTRUST, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DISTRICT, EICHORN'S DISTRICT, WE'RE SAYING TRUMP IS PART OF THE REASON WHY THAT DISTRICT CHANGED, WHY IT IS SAFELY REPUBLICAN WHEN IT WAS JUST A TINY MARGIN JUST A COUPLE OF CYCLES AGO.

>> YOU CAN HEAR, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO PARTIES, THEY'RE BOTH CORRUPT.

>> RIGHT.

BUT SOME, SENATOR ERIN MAYE QUADE IN A STATEMENT WAS PRETTY FIRM BASICALLY TO SAY, TO CONFLATE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EICHORN WITH THAT OF ANY OTHER MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME OR MISCONDUCT OR OTHERWISE IS BASICALLY A NONSTARTER, IT'S NOT THE SAME, IN HER WORDS.

SO I THINK YOU MIGHT SEE SOME FISHERS THERE FROM DEMOCRATS, TOO, MAYBE WHO DIDN'T CALL FOR MITCHELL, BUT WOULD CALL FOR HIM.

>> Mary: RIGHT.

SO MEANWHILE, THIS IS A BUDGET SESSION.

>> YEAH.

>> Mary: AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO SOLVE THIS BUDGET, WHICH IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY IN THESE CLOSE -- AND NOW WE'RE SPENDING DAYS TALKING ABOUT ETHICS AND MAYBE EXPULSION.

DOES IT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE PACE OF SESSION?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK SO.

EVEN GOVERNOR WALZ IS THE ROAD WARRIOR THIS LAST COUPLE WEEKS OUT ON THE ROAD.

SO, IT WILL BE THE -- THE END WILL BE THE STORY, THIS WILL GO AWAY, AGAIN, THE ELECTION ISN'T UNTIL 2026.

THIS WILL FADE.

THE ACTIONS IN THE HOUSE, AND THEY'LL EITHER GET IT DONE OR THEY WON'T, WHO KNOWS.

>> Mary: GOVERNOR ON THE ROAD A LOT.

REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN CRITICIZING HIM.

WE FOUND OUT TONIGHT, THE GOVERNOR'S HEADING ON THE ROAD AGAIN.

ROCHESTER'S WHAT WE'RE TOLD.

AND ESKOLA, I BELIEVE YOUR LINE WAS, NEW YORK, NO, ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA.

HE'S DOING A RALLY KIND OF IN THE STATE.

BUT TODAY HE WAS UNABASHED BY SAYING, I HAVE A NATIONAL PLATFORM EXAMINE I'M GOING TO USE IT.

WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THAT?

>> NO, I'M NOT SURPRISED BY THAT.

HE'S USING SAID PLATFORM VERY CLEARLY WITH THE TOWN HALLS, HE'S GONE ON NATIONAL PODCASTS, HE'S SAT DONE WITH EXTENSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH NATIONAL OUTLETS, NOTABLY HE WAS ON THE GAVIN NEWSOM, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA'S PODCAST MOST RECENTLY.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR HIS POLITICAL FUTURE, I DON'T THINK THEY FULLY KNOW YET, BUT HE'S REALLY TAPPING INTO SOMETHING HE BELIEVES THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING, WHICH IS THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD IN WASHINGTON AMID ALL OF THE CHANGE THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.

>> Mary: AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR FORMER STOMPING GROUNDS IN IOWA, I BELIEVE HIS FIRST FORAY WAS DOWN INTO PRESIDENTIAL TERRITORY.

>> YOU KNOW, SAID IT ALL STARTS IN IOWA, THOUGH, OF COURSE EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED, THE CAUCUSES FOR THE DEMOCRAT SIDE, THEY DON'T KICK THINGS OFF ANYMORE.

BUT THERE IS STILL THAT LORE, OF COURSE, AND SHOULD WE READ INTO THAT?

BUT HE'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO STATES IN THE MIDWEST MORE BROADLY.

SO, WOULDN'T READ TOO MUCH INTO THAT.

>> Mary: INTO THE IOWA,