♪♪♪ >> ERIC: JOINING US NOW WITH THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE WALZ SELECTION ARE TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH HIM IN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE.

DFLER JAMIE LONG IS THE MAJORITY LEADER.

AND REPUBLICAN JIM NASH SERVES AS THE MINORITY WHIP.

YOUR DEALINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THE RESULTS OF THE LAST COUPLE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, DO YOU BUY THE PICTURE THAT'S BEING DRAWN?

>> I THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS AN IMAGE WHEN HE WAS IN CONGRESS OF SOMEBODY WHO'S A VERY MODERATE PERSON, WHO IS YOUR, I THINK I HEARD, THE GUY YOU WOULD HAVE A BEER WITH, BUT I THINK THAT HIS RECORD AS GOVERNOR HAS BEEN ONE OF VERY EXTREME PROGRESSIVE, I'D EVEN ARGUE EVEN MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN KAMALA HARRIS, AND I THINK THAT AMERICA'S GOING TO WAKE UP TO THAT AFTER THE HONEYMOON, OR THE SUGAR HIGH, HAS PASSED AND THEY'RE GOING TO SEE THAT HE HAS PRESIDED OVER OUTRAGEOUS RECORD TAXES BEING RAISED, BLOWING THROUGH AN $18 BILLION SURPLUS, A BEVY OF SOCIAL ISSUES, LIKE SIGNING THE MOST EXTREME ABORTION LAW IN THE COUNTRY THAT PUTS US IN PARITY WITH NORTH KOREA AND CHINA.

AND THEN GREAT DEAL OF SPENDING ON SCHOOLS, BUT OUR TEST SCORES ARE PLUMMETING.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS, I THINK, THAT WE SEE IN THE LEGISLATURE ARE GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT HE HAS TO BE MEASURED BY.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT MINNESOTANS COULD BE ENORMOUSLY -- SHOULD BE ENORMOUSLY PROUD OF GOVERNOR WALZ BEING ON THIS TICKET.

I THINK THAT HE IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE ON THE STUMP AS WE'VE SEEN.

HE'S VERY LIKABLE.

I THINK THAT HIS RECORD IN MINNESOTA IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF, TOO.

THE BILLS THAT HE'S SIGNED INTO LAW, WHILE THEY DIDN'T GET JIM'S VOTE A LOT OF THE TIME, ARE VERY POPULAR ACROSS THE AISLE.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE, ABOUT UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS, ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, 100% CLEAN ENERGY, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, THESE ARE THINGS THAT GET BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FROM VOTERS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T FROM POLITICIANS.

AND I THINK THAT GOVERNOR WALZ IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT RECORD ON THE ROAD AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS HE WAS PICKED.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, DO YOU THINK HE'S READY FOR THIS?

IT CAN GET -- WELL, NATIONAL POLITICS, PRETTY SHARP ELBOWED.

THE GOVERNOR SOMETIMES CAN GET A LITTLE THIN SKINNED AND DEFENSIVE.

AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU THINK HE'S READY FOR THAT?

>> OH, I ABSOLUTELY THINK HE'S READY.

LOOK, HE'S BEEN A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FOR 12 YEARS, HE'S BEEN NOW IN HIS SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR.

I THINK THAT HE HAS A RECORD, WHICH, FRANKLY, HAD MORE EXPERIENCE THAN A LOT OF THE OTHER FOLKS WHO WERE UP FOR VICE PRESIDENTIAL CONSIDERATION FROM THE KAMALA HARRIS TEAM.

AND I THINK THAT HE'S SOMEBODY WHO HAS A BROAD RECORD OF WINNING A PURPLE STATE, OF WINNING A DISTRICT, THAT HAS, AS WE HEARD, HAS BEEN WON BY TRUMP IN THE PAST.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK YOU SAID IT PERFECTLY, THAT HE CAN BE VERY THIN SKINNED.

AND I'VE SEEN HIM GET UNBELIEVABLY ANIMATED.

I THINK WHEN YOU GET TO THE LEVEL OF BEING ON THE NATIONAL DEBATE STAGE, WHEN QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH COME AT YOU AND SOMETIMES QUITE FAST AND FURIOUS, THAT I THINK SOME OF HIS TEMPER IS GOING TO BUBBLE TO THE TOP.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT AMERICANS NOTICE.

>> Eric: I WANT TO RUN THIS SCENARIO THAT I PICKED UP THIS WEEK WEEK BY YOU.

THE SCENARIO GOES THAT THE TRIFECTA HAS REACHED A HIGH-WATER MARK.

THAT THE NOVEMBER FORECAST WON'T BE ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT THE PAST COUPLE OF FORECASTS HAVE BEEN.

THAT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS IMPROVED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS MAY NOT BE SUSTAINABLE FINANCIALLY.

AND THAT THE THIRD TERM FOR A GOVERNOR IS TOUGH TO GET.

AND I'M WONDERING IF HE'S JUST FOUND AN INCREDIBLE PLACE TO LAND?

>> WELL, I THINK ANY TIME YOU'RE CALLED BY THE VICE PRESIDENT AND ASKED TO BE ON THE TICKET, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT.

SO I DON'T THINK THIS WAS A JOB THAT GOVERNOR WALZ HAD BEEN ANGLING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK THAT IT AS ONE THAT HE WAS CALLED TO, AND THAT HE IS WILLING TO SERVE IN, AND I THINK THAT IT IS AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE FOR OUR STATE TO HAVE SOMEONE AS TALENTED AS HIM IN THIS ROLE.

>> I THINK THAT YOU HIT ON SOMETHING THAT RIGHT NOW IN KITCHEN TABLES AROUND MINNESOTA, PEOPLE ARE OOKING AT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION AND THEIR TAX POLICY HAS BEEN PASSED INTO LAW.

WE HAD AN $18 BILLION SURPLUS THAT THE GOVERNOR, DURING HIS CAMPAIGN SPEECH, SAID THAT WE'RE GOING TO RETURN THAT TO THE VOTERS.

THAT REALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN.

HE RAISED THE BIENNIAL BUDGET 40%, AND THE PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE THAT JAMIE JUST TALKED ABOUT IS GOING TO IMPACT BUSINESS OWNERS.

WE HAVE THE WORST BUSINESS TAX CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN AGGREGATE, PLUS A HANDFUL OF MANY OTHER THINGS, ARE GOING TO CAST A VISION OR A PALLOR ON THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION THAT I DON'T THINK THAT HE CAN LIVE THROUGH.

SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT RIP CORD FOR HIM TO GET OUT.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, THE HARRIS ADMINISTRATION IS TALKING ABOUT GOVERNOR WALZ'S RURAL ROOTS BEING IMPORTANT AND HIM TAKING THOSE -- THAT ETHOS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BUT HE REALLY DIDN'T DO VERY WELL IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

SO I'M WONDERING HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK?

>> WELL, I'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES IN MICHIGAN, FROM COLLEAGUES IN WISCONSIN, THAT THEY ARE HEARING INCREDIBLY POSITIVE REVIEWS FROM THE GOVERNOR ON THE STUMP AND THAT HE'S APPEALING IN BROAD PARTS OF THE STATE.

I HEARD -- HAD A QUESTION FROM A NATIONAL REPORTER WHO SAID, HEY, HE WAS WEARING THAT CAMO HAT WHEN HE GOT THE CALL FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT.

THAT WAS AN ACT, RIGHT?

I SAID, YOU DON'T KNOW THE GOVERNOR VERY WELL, RIGHT?

HE HATES WEARING SUITS.

HE WAS THE BEST SHOT IN CONGRESS.

HE WAS SOMEBODY WHO LOVES TO GO HUNTING, LIKES WORKING ON HIS CAR.

HE'S VERY RELATABLE TO EVERYDAY PEOPLE.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S RARE, FRANKLY, IN A NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC POLITICIAN.

AND I THINK WILL HAVE REALLY BROAD APPEAL.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RURAL ROOTS?

HE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL WHEN IT CAME TO RURAL MINNESOTA VOTERS.

>> WELL, HIS DEFINITION OF RURAL IS NOTHING BUT ROCKS AND COWS, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO COME HOME TO ROOST.

THAT PEOPLE HO LOOK AT TIM WALZ AND THE WALZ ADMINISTRATION AND HIM BEING, AS I SAID EARLIER, MORE PROGRESSIVE AND EXTREME THAN KAMALA HARRIS, THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE RURAL AMERICA IS BEING LEFT IN THE DUST.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GAIN SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS TO OWN.

>> Eric: IMPACT ON THE HOUSE RACES?

DEMOCRATS ARE UP 70-64, ANY IMPACT ON THE DOWN-BALLOT RACES?

>> I THINK IT CAN ONLY HELP.

I THINK THAT HAVING GOVERNOR WALZ ON THE TICKET AND HAVING FOLKS VOTING FOR HARRIS/WALZ, VOTING FOR AMY KLOBUCHAR, I THINK THAT WILL HELP US.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE AVE ANY ILLUSIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORK HARD.

>> Eric: I'M GETTING THE HOOK.

GOOD TO SEE