What's the farthest point from Iowa you can reach while remaining within the boundaries of Minnesota?
The answer is northern Lake of the Woods County, or Angle Inlet, if a municipality is preferred. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar will come close as she visits Duluth, Virginia and International Falls today -- a trip that should put more than enough distance between her and the presidential battle raging in neighboring Iowa.
The journey in the 35-mpg family Saturn comes at a convenient time during the Congressional recess because, unlike most of her Minnesota colleagues in higher elected office, Klobuchar hasn't made up her mind on a presidential endorsement.
"No, not yet," spokesman Ross Corson told the News Tribune editorial page yesterday. "You can get more explanation from her when you see her [today]."
We'll be sure to ask. It should be easier to explain to a newspaper than to fellow party members with names such as Clinton or Obama or Edwards, who surely would rather see her Saturn headed the opposite direction to chauffeur party faithful to the caucuses.
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Klobuchar's indecision aside, Minnesota's top pols have done a good job of spreading their support -- or hedging their bets. On the GOP side, U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman's nod goes to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, while Gov. Tim Pawlenty stumps for Sen. John McCain. DFLers divide their support among Sen. Hillary Clinton (former Vice President Walter Mondale, former Sen. Mark Dayton and state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher); John Edwards (U.S. Rep. James Oberstar and state House Majority Leader Tony Sertich); and Barack Obama (U.S. Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak).
And Angle Inlet? No word yet which way the power elite there is leaning. But bet on the intrepid Klobuchar -- on a quest to repeat her visits to all of Minnesota's 87 counties -- to be the first to find out.
