Sen. Landrieu makes friendly bet with colleague

Larry Bivins, The Advertiser

1/23/10:

WASHINGTON — Sen. Amy Klobuchar to Sen. Mary Landrieu: It's on!

For the these two Democrats, more is riding on Sunday's National Football Conference championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints than a trip to the Super Bowl. Bragging rights and a bit of good-natured humiliation also are on the line.

Klobuchar, who represents Minnesota, has promised that if the Vikings lose, she'll stir up a pot of gumbo and deliver it to Landrieu's office while wearing the jersey of Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Landrieu, who represents Louisiana, has promised that if the Saints lose, she'll bake a wild-rice casserole and take it to Klobuchar's office wearing the jersey of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.

"I hope for the sake of Mary's constituents that the Saints don't win, because I've never made gumbo," Klobuchar said.

And if the Vikings win, Klobuchar may have to adjust her taste buds.

"If the Saints can't pull it out, we'll just keep our fingers crossed that Minnesotans like their wild rice casserole with crawfish and Tabasco," Landrieu said.

Klobuchar, whose office is down the hall from Landrieu's on the third floor of the Hart Senate Office Building, incited the challenge by plastering her door and office lobby with Vikings paraphernalia.

"We did it all to taunt the senator," Klobuchar said.

Landrieu was more than game, said spokesman Aaron Saunders. He recalled a similar bet Landrieu had made in 2007 with then-Sen. Barack Obama when his home-state Chicago Bears beat the Saints in the NFC championship game to go to Super Bowl XLI.

"The senator is always a good sport when it comes to a friendly wager," Saunders said.

The Saints have never played in a Super Bowl in the game's 43-year history. The Vikings have played in four Super Bowls, the last in 1977, but have never won.