____________UPDATE____________
That item was given by linking only, without any excerpting because it speaks well for itself, and reading the entire post is most informative. As a prelude to an UPDATE thought, one sentence Sorensen wrote in the linked item,
Perhaps with Mary Pawlenty, Mike McFadden and Senator Dave Thompson declining to run--and state representative Tara Mack's star tarnished by KissyGhazi--the Republican Party should turn to one of its highest profile leaders, hiding right there in Mendota in plain sight.
That leads to a look at an earlier post in which Sorensen, days ago, wrote [links omitted]
One of the more entertaining rumors related to the nuisance necking episode relates to the retirement of Congressman John Kline three days after Rachel Stassen-Berger broke the Kelly-Mack tryst ticket story in the Pioneer Press.
According to these narratives--which political insiders shared with Bluestem--Mack had been groomed to replace Kline, to the point where some of her supporters were suggesting to the retired Marine that he get out of the young up-and-comer's way. Kline was not amused.
When after the Kelly and Mack story broke, the story goes, Kline could retire and flip off those who had been pressing for his departure and replacement with Mack. Bluestem has our doubts, since the timing of Kline's retirement most likely has more to do with House rules that would take away his committee chair than Mack's public exposure. Chronology isn't causality.
As for the alleged hostility between the two? We're not that close and thus not in a position to suss that out. Whatever the case, Mack and Kline are linked through staffers. [...]
It does appear as if somebody had an ax to grind, with the original PiPress report noting "The Pioneer Press looked at the court documents after receiving a tip," and presuming it was that "tip" which led to the Mack Kelly story going public. With it clearly noted by Sorensen as rumor, there nonetheless is cause to wonder about whether Kline was so pressured to step aside (pressured by unidentified persons), and whether the tipster to PiPress was someone from the Kline camp.
Somebody played tipster, one who has yet to come forward from the shadows and explain himself/herself, including motivations. "It just seemed newsworthy," at present seems an unlikely story, growing more so, as time passes without anyone claiming tipster credit.