Walz's STOCK Act was a bipartisan hit, but House GOPers stripped out a key provision.

​Today, the U.S. House followed the Senate and passed a Congressional insider trading ban originally introduced by Mankato Democrat Tim Walz.

The so-called STOCK Act proved extremely popular in both the chambers, with the House passing the legislation on a 417-2 vote and 96 senators supporting their version of the bill.

But the House version was weakened in recent days, with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, stripping out a key provision that would've required so-called political intelligence firms to register like lobbyists.

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Santorum is Minnesota's unofficial choice, but that could signal bad news for GOP prospects come November.

​Well, with Romney finishing a distant third, T-Paw is looking less influential than ever, isn't he?

Rick Santorum crushed his Republican presidential competitors during yesterday's Minnesota GOP caucus, but the victory is only as significant as the momentum it generates for his campaign in states that have more consequential primaries.

That's because Minnesota's caucus is non-binding. There are two more rounds of local GOP conventions before Minnesota officially selects a Republican nominee during the state convention coming up late this spring.

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roberterickson1

Rainbow-colored Santorum. Ick.

​The streets of Minnesota are running rainbow with glitter!

In the waning hours before Tuesday night's caucus, the glitterati struck one last time at a Rick Santorum event in Blaine, showering the famously anti-gay former senator in sparkles.

"I think he just felt the rainbow," glitterbomb inventor Nick Espinosa said into his own camera, moments after cohort Ben Egerman pulled the pin.

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Rick Santorum looking for a "big win" in Minnesota on Drudge Report today.

​Minnesota is the lead headline on the Drudge Report today, which cheekily says Rick Santorum is looking for a "big win in Minn" at today's caucus.

The report links to a story with better-than-expected poll numbers for Santorum, including a projected 33% to 24% lead over Romney in Minnesota.
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There's something in the air the night before the caucus.

​As Republican candidates descended on our fair state for today's caucus, the glitter was inevitably not far behind.

At a campaign rally in downtown Minneapolis last night, Congressman Ron Paul became the latest conservative presidential candidate to be baptized in glitter, and the set is now complete. As of last night, all the frontrunner candidates -- Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Paul -- have officially been glitterbombed.

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NYTimes.com

The grey lady sees ol' blue eyes in the White House.

​In an article in the Sunday edition of the New York Times titled "The 2016 Election, Already Upon Us," Washington bureau chief David Leonhardt pontificated on likely candidates for a presidential election four years in the future.

In among the usual suspects -- Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren -- is an awfully familiar local name.

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Romney's F-bomb hasn't prevented him from winning the support of MNGOP leadership.

​Minnesota's Republican vanguard is throwing its weight behind Mitt Romney's bid to be the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.

Later today, House Speaker Kurt Zellers and House Majority Leader Matt Dean will reportedly headline a list of Romney's legislative backers.

Last week's polling indicates that Romney has only half as much support as Newt Gingrich among Minnesota Republicans. But since then, Romney solidly defeated Gingrich during the Florida primary. The Minnesota GOP caucus is coming up next Tuesday.

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Would you vote for these men this sinister? Especially after they've been splattered with Santorum?

​After months of playing relatively nice with his fellow GOP presidential contenders, Rick Santorum's new Minnesota ad splatters Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

With a shit-eating smirk on his face, Romney is shown standing in front of a sinister Gingrich. Obama is in front of both of the GOP frontrunners, staring into the distance, while an announcer suggests the three 'aren't so different.'

"Supporting big government that strangles our nation's ability to create jobs, bailouts, government-run health care -- who can we trust? Rick Santorum."

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Sally Jo Sorensen

A crime bill everyone can get behind?

​Republican State Representative Tony Cornish unveiled his crime bill to DFL colleagues yesterday.

The "bill," revealed in an email to "All DFL representatives," features a photo of two nooses and a gallows -- and that's all. Cornish's Facebook reveals more information.

The gallows is apparently from Arizona, and the photo was apparently taken and uploaded to Facebook earlier this year. Under the photo, Cornish writes: "Only Sure Cure for Repeat Offenders."

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Though evidence suggests otherwise, Kline believes current laws do a good enough job of banning insider trading.

​In response to a question about Tim Walz's bill that would ban insider trading by members of Congress, U.S. Rep John Kline, R-Lakeville, adamantly told his constituents during a Monday town hall event in Shakopee that insider trading "is just as illegal for me as it is for anybody in this room."

That same day, The Hill reported that current laws do not prohibit lawmakers from profiting from nonpublic information they learn in the course of their duties. Hence the need for Walz's so-called STOCK Act.

Sally Jo Sorensen, an observer of Minnesota politics, said that "given that [Republican U.S. Rep. and former STOCK ACT opponent] Eric Cantor started flogging the need for passage of a stronger STOCK Act the next day, [Kline's remarks] seem pretty off message." Video of the town hall is after the jump.

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