Minnesota Vikings unleash seven-man lobbying blitz effort at Capitol

​The Minnesota Vikings' lobbying team is showing a seven-man blitz.

Determined to get an already cash-strapped citizenry to help pay for a new stadium, Vikings brass have deployed seven high-powered lobbyists into the Capitol halls to put pressure on lawmakers.

The additional hired guns include John Knapp, a hyper-connected Republican whom we featured in our "10 Most Influential Lobbyists" story last month. For all their assembled clout, Knapp and Co. face a tall order. Confronted with a $4.6 billion budget deficit, legislators have generally given the cold shoulder to the stadium proposal (at least publicly). It will be interesting to see how/if the parameters of debate shift in the coming months.