Dayton and Parry: The gloves come off -- again

Gov. Mark Dayton and state Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca and Republican congressional candidate, seem ready to rumble right through the holiday season. On Friday, Dayton abruptly cancelled a meeting that included Parry after the state senator criticized Dayton's attempts to hold a unionization vote for the state's child care providers. The latest tussle came after a judge challenged the DFL governor's executive order on the vote, and Dayton said he would fight a temporary injunction in the case. Here's a quick rundown on what happened: Mike Parry For Congress e-mail:"It's no secret that labor unions helped buy the Governor's Office for Mark Dayton. In the past few months, he began to return the favor, most recently by trying to help unionize some of Minnesota's in-home, private child care providers." Dayton counter punch Friday:"Sen. Parry, this e-mail is inaccurate and deeply offensive. This is the second time you have falsely accused me in writing of actions which, since untrue, wrongly malign my character and integrity." Parry's upper cut on later Friday:"I was disappointed to hear that my recent remarks drove you to cancel the meeting we had scheduled for this morning. . .[since the meeting is canceled] I would suggest that you and I meet for coffee in the coming weeks to 'bury the hatchet'." The governor's left jab even later Friday:Our policy disagreements "are of a very different order from your campaign e-mail's slurs against my ethical conduct and my character. You accuse me of connivance with 'the labor unions' to 'buy the Governor's office', and then accuse me of beginning 'to return the favor. . .' Surely you know that either one would be immoral, unethical, and illegal." The good news? Dayton invited Parry for breakfast at the governor's mansion next week. And late on Friday, Parry accepted.