>> CATHY: SO MUCH PRESIDENTIAL AND VICE-PRESIDENTIAL POLITICAL PONDERING TO DO.

LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN WITH THIS WEEK'S VERSION OF THE "ALMANAC" POLITICAL PANEL.

DEMOCRATS UP FIRST.

ABOU AMARA IS A FORMER LEGISLATIVE STAFFER TURNED ATTORNEY.

AND ALWAYS A DFL LOYALIST.

THAT'S A LABEL YOU CAN ATTACH TO FORMER STATE SENATOR SUSAN KENT AS WELL.

REPUBLICANS HERE WITH US TONIGHT, AMY KOCH IS A FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, NOW LOBBYIST.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BRIAN MCCLUNG IS A FORMER TIM PAWLENTY STAFFER WHO HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT THE LAST TIME A MAJOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VETTED A MINNESOTA GOVERNOR FOR VICE PRESIDENT.

ABU AMARA, AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, ANGELO GREILING KING, WAS ON EARLIER, AND SHE THINK GOVERNOR WALZ IS TOP 3 ON THE LIST.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT AND WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT SOMETIMES THIS WEEKEND MAY GET WEIRD THAT GOVERNOR WALZ IS GOING TO BE RUNNING WITH KAMALA HARRIS?

>> I ACTUALLY AGREE, I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY IT'S TOP TWO, I THINK IT'S BETWEEN HIM AND GOVERNOR SHAPIRO OF PENNSYLVANIA AND I THINK THE REASON IS HE'S HAD THE BEST 9-DAY VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDACY MAYBE IN HIS TREATMENT.

HE'S REFORMED ABOUT THE WASTE THE DEMOCRATS ARE TAKEN ON STAG ON TRUMP BUT IN A MORE OPTIMISTIC WAY, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND THE SECOND THING, I THINK HE'S SHOWN POLITICAL VERSATILITY.

THIS GUY CAN CAMPAIGN NOTHING CORNFIELDS, CITIES, AND IF YOU WANT TO PROTECT THE BLUE WALL, HE HAS THE SKILL SET.

>> YOU'RE BRINGING BACK MEMORIES OF THE VEEPSTAKES IN 2008 AND I THINK ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING, IN 2008, TIM PAWLENTY STARTED OFF MORE ON THE LONGER LIST, AND ULTIMATELY BECAME A FINALIST, IT WAS DO YOU THINK TO HIM AND SARAH PALIN AND I THINK YOU'RE SEALING THE SAME THING, WHERE GOVERNOR WALZ STARTED ON THE LONGER LIST AND AS ABU SIDE R.SAID HAS WORKED HIS WAYS INTO A FINALIST POSITION.

I DO THINK GOVERNOR WALZ OFFERS A REALLY INTERESTING PICK FOR THE HARRIS TEAM BUS HE PRESENTS AS A MODERATE, RIGHT, HE HAS THAT FOOTBALL COACH, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER PERSONA, NATIONAL GUARD EXPERIENCE, ET CETERA, BUT HIS RECORD AS GOVERNOR IS VERY PROGRESSIVE, AND SO HE'S ABLE TO KIND OF WORK TO BOTH SIDES OF THE DEMOCRATIC BASE AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SHAPIRO AND KELLY AND SOME OF THE OTHERS, THEY'RE KIND OF STUCK MORE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, SO I THINK THAT IS ACCRUING TO GOVERNOR WALZ' BENEFIT RIGHT NOW.

>> Cathy: WOULD YOU AGREE, SENATOR?

>> I DO AND I THINK IT'S VERY MUCH WHAT BRIAN IS HITTING ON.

I KEEP THINKING ABOUT AND PROBABLY THE ONLY NATIVE SOUTHERNER ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, I THINK VERY MUCH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT GOVERNOR WALZ HAS AN ABILITY TO BRING PROGRESSIVE PRIORITIES AND VALUES INTO A VERY OMMON SENSE LANGUAGE THAT I THINK IS GOING TO APPEAL TO MODERATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING IN THE SOUTH, EVEN.

>> Cathy: WHAT COULD CREW THIS UP?

>> THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, NOTHING MINNESOTANS LOVE TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN TALKING ABOUT MINNESOTA IN THE NEWS, BUT THEN YOU GO AND SAY WHY DOES IT STINK?

THERE ARE SOME DETRACTIONS HERE, RIGHT, AND SHE TOUCHED ON THEM EARLIER.

ONE IS GOING TO BE THE RIOTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, POST-GEORGE FLOYD.

HE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, CALLED ABOUT THAT.

I THINK THERE'S ALSO EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE RAISED AND HAVE NOT BEEN REALLY -- THEY'VE BEEN RAISED SOMEWHAT IN MINNESOTA BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE PINNED ON HIM IF HE'S THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.

ALSO, YOU KNOW, MINNESOTA IN THIS RACE, TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN IT WAS BIDEN-TRUMP, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU, TRUMP IS GOING TO WIN MINNESOTA.

THAT CALCULATION CHANGES WITH VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS ON THE BALLOT AND SO IT'S JUST -- MINNESOTA'S BECOME LESS IMPORTANT AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WALZ PLAYS IN WISCONSIN AS MUCH AS PEOPLE THINK HE DOES.

BUT, HE DEFINITELY, LIKE, KINDS OF PLAYS TO A BROADER -- MAYBE NOT ELECTORAL PICK BUT SORT OF LIKE GETTING OUT THE FOLKS THAT VOTED FOR BIDEN, A LITTLE UNCERTAIN ABOUT KAMALA AND HER PROGRESSIVE NATURE AND WALZ SORT OF MAKES THEM MORE COME MOTHERRABLE.

>> Eric: ARE HIS CONNECTIONS IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE HELPING?

INNINGS SEE PELOSI HAS SAID SOME NICE THINGS.

>> 100%.

THIS IS A PIECE OF HIS CAMPAIGN OVER THE LAST SEARCH TO NINE DAYS THAT IS REALLY UNDERESTIMATED.

HE HAS CONNECTIONS BOTH THROUGH THE OUSE, I MEAN, HE HAS DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE, INCLUDING INNINGS SEE PELOSI WHO ARE QUIETLY SAYING REALLY NICE THINGS ABOUT HIM.

ON TOP OF THAT, HE'S THE CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS' ASSOCIATION SO HE HAS MONEY CONNECTIONS THERE, CONNECTION ATTENTION TO STATEWIDE OFFICIALS ON THE GOVERNOR'S SIDE AND IN THE HOUSE SIDE, AND WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOUSANDS OF CALLS, LITERAL LEGAL THOUSANDS OF CALLS TO KAMALA WORLD, KAMALA ORBIT, EVERY PERSON YOU HAVE ON YOUR TEAM MAKING THOSE CAMPS, MAKING THE CASE MOVES THE THEY WOULD HE WILL CLOSER TO YOU GETTING PICKED.

>> Eric: TELL THE THE STORY OF GOVERNOR PAWLENTY WALKING THE DOG.

>> I JUST RECOUNTERRED THIS RECENTLY.

WE WERE ACTUALLY IF DENVER AT THE TAIL END OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN 2008 AND GOVERNOR PAWLENTY WAS DOING THE FINAL REBUTTAL TO BARACK OBAMA WHEN HE ACCEPTED THE NOMINATION AND THEN THEY SAID, YOU GUYS, WE NEED TO SHUT THIS DOWN, LIKE, WORD IS LEAKING THAT YOU MIGHT BE THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL PICK SO THEY CLOSED US DOWN THAT THURSDAY, SENT US TO THE AIRPORT EARLY WHERE I COULDN'T GET A FLIGHT BACK BECAUSE I WAS FLYING ON FRONTIER, PAWLENTY GETS BACK, I'M WAITING THERE, GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM KATIE COW RICK, FROM DANA BASH YELLE, HEY, BRIAN, YOUR OLD FRIEND, KATIE COURIC.

WE GET BACK THURSDAY NIGHT, THE HEARD NOTHING YET.

FRIDAY MORNING, THE GOVERNOR GOES OUT TO WALK HIS DOG AND JOHN McCAIN CALLS HIM, AND HE'S ON HIS CELLPHONE, TALKING, HE'S LIKE, GOVERNOR, I DECIDED TO GO INTO OTHER DIRECTION, I WANTED TO CALL YOU MYSELF AND THEN OF COURSE HIS DOG GOES NUMBER 2 AND HE HAS THE BAGGIE AND PICKS IT UP AND SAYS, HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF, THIS IS THE ONLY NUMBER 2 I'LL BE GETTING TODAY.

SO THIS IS CLASSIC TIM PAWLENTY DAD JOKE.

HE TOLD THAT JOKE, WE WERE ON WCCO RADIO THAT MORNING AT THE FAIR, HE TOLD THAT JOKE THAT DAY AND ERE WE ARE, 16 YEARS LATER, STILL TELLING THAT JOKE.

>> Eric: DOWN BALLOT IN MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA HAS STATE HOUSE RACES, CONGRESSIONAL RACES, IF IT'S A HARRIS-WALZ TICKET, DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING EXTRA FOR THE STATE RACES?

>> I MEAN, I THINK, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S HELP THERE TO HAVE OUR LOCAL GOVERNOR ON THE BALLOT AND RAISING THAT PROPER FIGHT BUT I ALSO THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THIS YEAR AND WHERE WE ARE, AND WHERE WE HAVE SEEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TURN, I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THE ENTIRE PARTY IS EXTREME, IT'S NOT JUST DONALD TRUMP AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE VOTING BLUE DOWN THE BALLOT IN PRETTY BIG NUMBERS.

>> Cathy: LET ME ASK, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE NABJ PERFORMANCE?

>> I WAS SURPRISED HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT INTERVIEW.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A MISTAKE.

HERE'S WHAT I THINK HAPPENED WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, FOR A MONTH, THEY WERE A FREIGHT TRAIN, RIGHT NECESSITY WAS UNSTOPPABLE AFTER THE DEBATE, POST-DEBATE, THE V.P.

PICK, SURVIVING AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, THE RNC, IT WAS JUST A STRAIGHT ROCKETSHIP, HE WAS GOING, LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU HE WAS GOING TO WYNNE MINNESOTA AND I MEANT THAT.

AND I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS WERE PUT INTO THE QUEUE WHILE THAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEY WERE KIND OF FEELING A LITTLE BIT -- THEY WERE FEELINGY WERE FEELING REALLY STRONG, RIGHT, AND THEY WANTED TO CUT INTO -- AND SO I -- I THINK THEY MISSED SOMEHOW AFTER THE DEBATE THAT JOE BIDEN WAS NOT GOING TO BE ON THE TICKET AND I FEEL LIKE IN MY HEART THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT BECAUSE IT SEEMED SO OBVIOUS TO ME AFTER THE DEBATE THAT I WOULD NOT BE AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET.

>> THE NABJ IS A ERFECT REPRESENTATION OF DONALD TRUMP THINKING HE WAS GOING TO GET 20, 30% OF AFRICAN MEN SO HE WAS ENGAGING THEM IN COMMUNITY.

THE PROBLEM WAS, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANY AFRICAN AMERICAN THAT SAID TRUMP DID A GOOD JOB.

THE POLLING IS GOING TO COMRADE CANCALLY BACK NOR TWO REGIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTE.

ONE IS, CAME LaHARRIS IS I THINK GOING TO BE THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE PRESIDENT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN THAT HAD GONE WITH TRUMP TRADITIONALLY MONTHS BEFORE WHO WILL NOT DO SO.

AND DONALD TRUMP OFFENDED MILLIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE WAY HE TALKED TO THE BLACK WOMAN ON THAT STAGE AND I'M TELL YOU, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF FATHERS, UNCLES, GRANDPAS ARE SAYING WHAT THEY DID TO THOSE WOMEN WAS UNACCEPTABLE, WE ARE NEVER GOING TO VOTE FOR THAT MAN.

>> Cathy: BRIAN, WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW IT?

>> AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF TRUMP MISSING THE WHOLE PICTURE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY AND WHAT WAS REMI PROBLEMATIC FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT HE CLEARLY WENT INTO THAT INTERVIEW INTENDING TO DELIVER THAT MESSAGE.

THAT WAS A TALKING POINT, THAT WASN'T SOMETHING HE CAME UP WITH ON THE FLY.

HE SHOWED UP WANTING TO SAY TO THAT AUDIENCE THAT KAMALA HARRIS HAS MISSLED PEOPLE ABOUT HER RACIAL BACKGROUND, WHICH IS BLATANTLY FALSE, AND SO, AGAIN, THIS IS, LIKE, JUST BEYOND STUPID.

AND LIKE AMY WAS SAYING, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS IN SUCH A STRONG POSITION FOR WEEKS AND STILL, I THINK, IN MANY WAYS, IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT.

YOU LOOK AT THE BATTLE GROUND POLLS AND DONALD TRUMP IS STILL HEEDING IN MOST OF THE PATTLE GROUND STATES.

BUT THEY CANNOT TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED AND THIS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RHETORIC AND BEHAVIOR IS JUST OUT OF BOUNDS.

>> THEY CAN'T HAVE MISSES LIKE THAT BECAUSE LOOK AT THE SQUAD RALLY.

THAT RALLY THAT DONALD TRUMP HELD WAS AS BIG AS ANY OF HIS RALLIES SUFFERING HIS HEY AY.

THOSE NUMBERS WERE REMINISCENT OF 2016 AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S STILL -- REALLY, I DON'T THINK ANY SIDE CAN CALL VICTORY HERE, AT ALL THE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IS GOING TO BE RAZOR CLOSE BUT HE CANNOT KEEP HAVING THOSE MISTAKES.

THEY NEED TO PIVOT AND START FOCUSING HIS RACE.

>> Eric: SENATOR, I WONDER IF THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION IS AT A HIGH LEVEL RIGHT NOW AND THAT IT COULD REALLY ONLY GO DOWN FROM WHERE THEY ARE AS FAR AS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE AGENDA AND SO FORTH AND THAT A THIRD TERM ON TOP OF THAT IS HARD TO WIN IN MINNESOTA, HASN'T BEEN DONE AND I JUST WONDER IF -- IF AN EXIT TO WASHINGTON WOULD BE A SAFE MOVE FOR HIM.

>> YOU KNOW, I -- I THINK EVERYBODY IS GOING TO SEE HOW THE NEXT FEW DAYS PLAY OUT.

THIS HAS BEEN AN AMAZING WINDOW OF TIME, IT'S BEEN FASCINATING TO WATCH OUR GOVERNOR REALLY INFLUENCE THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND PUT MINNESOTA ON THE MAP FOR AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE, TOO, YOU KNOW.

SO THINKING FORWARD BEYOND NEXT TUESDAY, I THINK EVERYBODY'S JUST SORT OF LIKE, WE'LL GET THERE, WE'LL SEE WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.

>> Cathy: WHAT ABOUT DEBATE, DO YOU THINK BOTH OF THEM WILL DEBATE?

>> WE WERE DEBATING THIS BACK STAGE BEFORE WE CAME ON AND I THINK THERE'S GENERAL AGREEMENT AMONG US THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD BEST BE SERVED BY NOT DEBATING, RIGHT?

I THINK KAMALA HARRIS THERE AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR, SOMEBODY WHO'S READY TO O THAT, SHE PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK, ABOU?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> THE NABJ IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF DONALD TRUMP IN THE MOMENT WHEN IT MATTERS MOST, HE CANNOT STAY ON MESSAGE AND FROM A DEMOCRATIC STANDPOINT WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPOSE THAT, TOO,.

>> JUST JOURNALIST IN A ROOM BUT TO THE EXPIRE COUNTRY WHERE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.

SO IF I'M A REPUBLICAN PARTY, I'M SAYING THERE ARE STRUCTURAL ADVANTAGES WE HAVE RIGHT NUMB.

LET'S DO NO HARM WITH THOSE STRUCTURAL ADVANTAGES AND TRY TO PRINT TO THE FINISH LINE AND HOPE THE DEMOCRATS >> DO' ATCH US.

>> TRUMP HAS TO TIGHT EVEN UP HIS SPEAKING, TOO.

HIS FIRST 20 MINUTES AT THE RNC WAS BRILLIANT, IT WAS AUTHENTIC AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY AND I'VE NOT BEEN A TRUMP FAN AND THE NEXT HOUR AND 10 WAS JUST INTOLERABLE.

>> YOU DIDN'T LIKES THE HAND BELL LECTRO PART?

>> I WAS LIKE STOP, 20 MINUTES, BE DONE.

>> WAS IT WEIRD?

>> THAT'S GOING TO GET OLD, BY THE WAY.

[Laughter] >> Eric: THE POWER OF A SINGLE WORD.

WHY -- IN St.

CLOUD HE WAS STILL DOING BIDEN IM PERSONATIONS.

>> BECAUSE HE NEEDS TO DO 20 MINUTES AND GET OFF.

>> GET THE HOOK.

>> Eric: I'M