♪ I WAS HIT BY SOMETHING IN MY SLEEP ♪♪ >> ERIC: WE COVERED CONGRESSMAN DEAN PHILLIPS' ENTRY INTO THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL RACE EARLIER IN THE SHOW.

THIS WEEK ALSO FEATURED ANOTHER MINNESOTAN IN D.C.

BEING TAPPED FOR REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER BEFORE THAT FAILED.

AND YET ANOTHER MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE NORTH STAR STATE IS SEEKING A LEADERSHIP POSITION.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER IS BACK WITH SOME CONTEXT ON WHAT THESE MOVES MEAN BACK HERE IN MINNESOTA.

>> FROM AN OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW THESE LAST FEW WEEKS PROBABLY LOOKED LIKE TOTAL CHAOS, CONFUSION.

NO END IN SIGHT.

BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST EXPERIENCES IN THE RECENT HISTORY OF OUR REPUBLIC.

>> Mary: CONGRESSMAN EMMER'S QUEST FOR THE TOP MEMBERSHIP POSITION IN THE NATION' CAPITOL BROUGHT A LOT OF SHORT-LIVED ATTENTION.

WE BEGIN WHERE BE E.REPUBLICAN TOM EMMER.

MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, WE TOLD THE STORY OF -- IT LED HIM TO ALASKA.

>> A LOT OF GROWING UP, A LOT OF MATURITY THAT HAD O COME.

RONALD REAGAN VISITED ALASKA WHEN I WAS THERE, HE WAS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA IN FAIRBANKS AND IT WAS KIND OF MY AWAKENING.

>> THEY ARE WELCOME AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

>> ary: REPUBLICAN FORMER MINORITY LEVEL, MARTY SEIFERT, SERVED WITH EMMER IN THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.

>> EMMER.

EMMER, PASS.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TOM EMMER.

HE DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU IN LEADERSHIP ON THE MINNESOTA HOUSE LOOR.

YOU RAN AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR GOVERNOR.

>> I APPRECIATE TOM FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE'S ACCOMPLISHED.

HE'S BEEN A GOOD FORCE FOR MINNESOTA AND OBVIOUSLY HAS RISEN UP TO THE NUMBER 3 SPOT IN THE U.S. HOUSE SO, YOU KNOW, HE DESERVES ACCOLADES FOR THAT.

>> Mary: HE WAS, YOU KNOW, A TEA PARTY -- A CONSERVATIVE, HE WAS SEEN AS ALMOST AN EXTREMIST IN MINNESOTA POLITICS BUT HE WASN'T EXTREME ENOUGH IN D.C., IS THAT FAIR?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, CERTAINLY SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED, I SUPPOSE, OVER TIME AND THE TEA PARTY HAS NOW BEEN KIND OF REPLACED IN SOME WAY WITH A LOT OF THE DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTERS.

>> Mary: EMMER'S POLITICAL AND PRESS RELATIONS WHILE AT THE STATE CAPITOL WERE FIESTY.

>> CAN I ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION?

TALK WRING ABOUT MEDICINE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POT.

CASTRATION.

A CHEMICAL CASTRATION.

>> Mary: HE ALSO HAD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS D.W.I.s.

YOU WOULD TO CELL THE KIDS ABOUT THE D.W.I.s, YOU HAD TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.

>> BE RESPONSIBLE.

WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, DON'T RUN FROM IT.

>> Mary: HOW DID YOU ADDRESS IT?

DID YOU STOP DRINKING?

>> THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT HISTORY.

I HAVE ADDRESSED IT BY MAKING SURE THAT I DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKES THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THE PAST.

>> Mary: IN MINNESOTA, IT WAS PROBABLY THE D.W.I.s AND THE ADS AGAINST HIM THAT HURT HIS RUN FOR GOVERNOR.

LOOKS LIKE IT WAS TRUMP THAT DERAILED HIS SEEKING THE SPEAKERSHIP, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WAY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE FOUR HOURS, I THINK, FROM WHEN THE CONFERENCE ADJOURNED UNTIL -- AND THEN THE TWEET WENT OUT I THINK MAYBE ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN THE WITHDRAWAL WAS MAYBE TWO HOURS AFTER THAT.

IT'S HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THIS BECAUSE IT'S SO TUMULTUOUS IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.

MAYBE WITH THE NEW SPEAKER THEY'LL GET ON TRACK, THEY'LL GET THE MESSAGE UNIFIED WITH THE RIGHT MESSENGER AND MOVE FORWARD.

THE COUNTRY NEEDS A GOOD, HEALTHY TWO-PARTY SYSTEM BUT THEY ALSO NEED THE PARTIES TO BE MAINSTREAM AND NORMAL.

>> Mary: AFTER A CLOSE CONTEST FOR GOVERNOR THAT INCLUDED AN EXPENSIVE UNSUCCESSFUL RECOUNT, EMMER ULTIMATELY CONCEDED THE RATE TO GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON.

>> I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, MARY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, YOU CAN'T BE THAT BIG TOUGH OLD PIECE OF LEATHER.

THERE IS NO CRYING IN POLITICS AND I'VE TOLD MY FAMILIAR -- MY FAMILY'S BEEN GREAT.

>> Mary: THE GUBERNATORIAL RECOUNTS THAT EMMER WAS IN COST THE PARTY A LOT OF MONEY AND IS IT FAIR THEY'RE STILL KIND OF DIGGING OUT FROM THAT IN THE STATE?

>> I THINK THEY DID FINALLY GET OST OF THAT PAID OFF AT ONE TIME BUT IT IS A- >> Mary: BUT IT WAS A SETSBACK, WASN'T IT?

>> IT WAS A HUGE SETBACK FOR YEARS.

>> Mary: EMMER REBOUNDED ON A RUN FOR CONGRESS AND CONTINUED TO SHOW AMBITION.

>> >> I NEVER SAY NO TO ANYTHING.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT ALL THE ANGST AND TURMOIL, HOW IS THE PARTIES FARING AS A BANDS AFTER EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED, NATIONALLY?

>> IT'S EMBARRASSING AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM.

>> THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE IS BACK IN BUSINESS.

[Cheering] >> Mary: AND ANOTHER MINNESOTAN, CONGRESSWOMAN MICHELE FISCHBACH ENTERED THE FRAY FOR VICE CHAIR WITH HER PAST OF FLIPPING A SEAT.

>> BANNING ABORTION, ELECTION DENIAL, IS THAT HARD FOR THE PARTY NATIONALLY?

>> IF YOU FOLLOW WHERE THE ACTUAL BUTCHER, BAKER,