I'll be honest: I'm consistently baffled by the notion that Norm Coleman could be a front-runner for any Minnesota political office at this point. But the Strib's Pat Doyle holds out the carrot of a viable 2010 gubernatorial bid should Norm quit the election contest pre-appeal, at least according to one person-on-the-street. (This presumes Tim Pawlenty doesn't run.) The general sentiment from everyone is that Norm should not appeal a loss -- but he probably will, because his future state political prospects actually stink.

Related: Smart Politics' Eric Ostermeier notes that Minnesota just set a dubious political record: longest period with only one U.S. senator. As of today, we're at 79 days, topping the interregnum following the 1923 death of 80-year-old Knute Nelson. Ah, the good old days when old age, not Lizard People, opened up seats.

MPR's Laura Yuen has a fascinating debrief with a local Somali man who testified before a grand jury after the FBI grilled him. The unidentified man, who says he was not close to alleged jihadis, says the agency misrepresented the length and intensity of the interview and accused him of lying. (Note: If you're of Somali descent, take a lawyer to the coffee shop after the agency calls). The grand jury questions were gentler, focusing on a local mosque alleged to be a jihadi breeding ground.

MPR's Dan Gunderson has a good overview of the coming flooding in Fargo; the Red River is expected to crest higher than it's ever been -- including during the legendary 1997 flooding. Moorhead's mayor says the water buildup happened much more quickly than expected and took folks by surprise. This highlander (who admittedly hasn't paid close attention this time around) wonders why anyone there would ever be surprised, and why there hasn't been a more permanent solution in the intervening decade. (Hat tip to NewsCut for the flooding link.)

Didja know: A state House committee has approved a bill allowing the U to enact ordinances with misdemeanor penalties? That's usually a government's job, and a Minnesota Daily editorial says it should stay that way. The purpose is to keep the peace around the new TCF Bank football stadium, but the Daily rightly calls the legislation overbroad and creepy.

Get ready for Craigslist Murder Trial Month. Michael Anderson lured 24-year-old Katherine Ann Olson with a babysitting ad; the Strib's Abby Simons says the key question in the three-week trial, beginning today, is intent. Although a judge said Anderson's emotion-flattening Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis isn't exculpatory, Anderson's lawyer believes he can prove his client didn't plan the killing.

The Strib's Mike Kaszuba and Mark Brunswick profile Tom Hansen, Gov. Pawlenty's finance commissioner. The bureaucrat gets the ink because he's at the center of budget and stimulus debates. Some complain the guv shouldn't have Hansen overseeing the stimulus, given his already-absorbing day job; DFLers complain he has an insufficient financial background, compared with predecessors. The legislative auditor has criticized the financial doings of many state agencies.

Small world, old times: Ex-City Pages writer Judith Lewis has a Strib op-ed praising dog breeding. Lewis, who rescues dogs, says the Obamas shouldn't be morally required to take a stray and that breeding is cool, too. So get the Portuguese water dog already.

PiPresser Bob Shaw's vivid "Generation on the Sidelines" series continues with a look at the hyper-competitive families whose kids force non-obsessed young athletes to leave the field. Shaw's Sunday piece documented the steep decline in participation; today's piece focuses on the families of kids such as Joey Flores, an "intimidating" three-year wrestling vet who's all of 6 years old. Sports are about winning, so competitiveness isn't surprising, but the physical arms race creates many conscientious objectors who find fun elsewhere.

Ending hours of nervous speculation, Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith tells Sid Hartman he's not leaving for Virginia and plans to remain at the U for "a very long time." Write that one down.

Nort spews: The Gopher women hoopsters upset Notre Dame 79-71 in the NCAA Tournament; they play regional second seed Texas A&M Tuesday. The Wild beat Edmonton 3-0 to move within a point of the playoffs, but lose Mikko Koivu just as they get Marian Gaborik back. Minnesota's other mediocre hockey squad, the Gopher men, didn't make their national tourney. The Wolves again looked putrid, losing to Oklahoma City 97-90, but they moved up to the fifth draft spot, pending the always-friendly lottery. Britt Robson's take here.