Can you imagine if the Twins-Tigers series had been scheduled in an outdoor stadium in Minneapolis over the weekend? All three games would have been rained out, which probably would have been a good thing for the Twins who were outscored 33-1. But the score seems beside the point at the Capitol.

Stadium supporters (especially an AM radio personality who also doubles as TV sports reporter--since when do reporters get to use the airwaves to crusade for their personal agendas?) have been saying the plan for a metro area sales tax increase that would pay for a roof, a Vikings stadium and transportation improvements is dead on arrival, and that Sen. Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis should drop it. The Vikings on Friday signed on to the plan, saying it's the only way they'll get a stadium this year.

Pogemiller's committee may vote today. And some of the pressure from the press seemed to get to him Sunday as MPR reported:

A two-hour Sunday night session focused on a proposal to use a seven-county metro sales tax increase to pay for the Twins and Vikings projects. During the meeting, Pogemiller reacted to a newspaper sports column that had accused him of playing games.

"It is not game playing to spend your time working on legislative language of a bill and trying to accommodate members of the Senate as to what their hopes and aspirations and ideas are. If you've not taken a civics lesson you may view that as game playing."

Of course anyone who expects the Capitol to work like what they learned in civics class may be disappointed.

If you listen to MPR, you've probably heard that management is concerned about the version of the sales tax dedication bill that passed in the House. Why? Because the bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would dedicate money to a variety of programs, including public broadcasting, but it specifically excludes MPR. Tim Pugmire has a look at what happened:

[MPR President Bill] Kling says he has no idea why House Republicans excluded MPR from the bill. But one possible answer involves one of the best known voices on public radio. Rep. Mike Charron, R-Woodbury, says some of his colleagues were upset that A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor has helped raise money for several DFL House candidates.

"Certainly MPR can't be held accountable for all its employees. But I think there are some people for right or for wrong you know feel like a personality say like Garrison Keillor who's very much an activist and raises money for the opposition caucus. I know he came out to my district and even raised thousands of dollars for my opponent last time. But that's Garrison Keillor, but unfortunately people don't separate Garrison and his politics for who he works for."

Pugmire notes Keillor hasn't actually worked for MPR for several years. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and others say MPR doesn't have a funding crisis that requires dedicated money in the constitution. The bill has several hurdles to clear before the question would appear on the ballot.