Agreed, the MN Dems have a deep bench.
Though Collin Peterson is VERY Conservative, and if he gets the nomination he would be even more conservative than Ben Nelson in Nebraska so it would be like picking up half a seat in the senate if Peterson wins the election.
However I doubt Peterson would last long in the Dem primary.
If he makes a run for it, he helps us though. Conservative Minnesota Democrats would have it demonstrated to them just how welcome they are in their party. It might shake a few of them out of their reflexive (D) vote.
I don't know that it's as deep as people think. Minnesota hasn't had a Democrat governor in nearly twenty years and the only DFL statewide office holder is Attorney General Mike Hatch.
Will be an interesting race. I could easily support someone like Mark Kennedy or even John Klein if he chose to run.
Collin Peterson is a good democrat, like a Zell. He's staunchly pro-life and a friend of the NRA, but he's soft on taxes.
Peterson, or even Oberstar, has no chance of winning this primary. You'll see Franken, Mondale, and McCollum fighting on the Left. You've also got a Gubernatorial race in 2006, which will split the field.