Labor Day marks the traditional start, in earnest, of election season. This year, it would be understandable if Minnesotans hoped that tomorrow's holiday would bring the end, rather than the beginning, of the 2010 campaign for governor.

We can't stand much more of this.

Last week's horror show included a Republican Party blogger demanding during a news conference being held by the DFL candidate, Mark Dayton, that Dayton produce papers from a 10-year-old divorce agreement. That cringeworthy moment was matched by a revelation in City Pages that the 20-year-old son of GOP candidate Tom Emmer had pleaded guilty to underage drinking (not driving), a charge that may have surprised someone, somewhere, if they are unfamiliar with 20-year-olds.

No father -- candidate for governor or not -- has a duty to comment about his child's encounter with a Life Lesson. Nevertheless, in a political climate where candidates are confronted by smug little operatives with cell-phone cameras waiting for them to trip over their tongues, Emmer felt compelled to declare his Daddy Disapproval, issuing an earnest statement that his son "made a serious mistake."

Poor kid. This was the same boy, by the way, who is seen in Emmer's TV ad saying that his father "is always talking about cutting taxes and reforming government." Looking back, that sounds more like a complaint than a boast.

Politics is an increasingly filthy business, but this year's campaign, which began a month earlier than usual because the primary election was moved up, is shameful, and there are still eight weeks to go. We have barely begun to hear substantive discussions about the gaping deficit that lies ahead and the battle for the soul of the state that is going on here. But we have been hammered with personal attacks and reminders that both major-party candidates have been sloshed on occasion -- a revelation that might be disturbing if you still believe in the Tooth Fairy.

Dayton, a recovering alcoholic, tried to preempt the issue last year by proactively announcing that he fell off the wagon a few years back but had regained his sobriety in 2007. He is believable. In fact, if you listen to him speak today, he sounds almost too sober, if there is such a thing. It'd be nice to hear him crack a joke. Any joke.

Emmer has two old DWIs on his record, one in 1991 and another back when Ronald Reagan was president. Reagan made me want to drink. But though Emmer has had no DWIs in almost 20 years, one liberal group still has tried to make an issue of his drinking and driving. That, in turn, may have led to the counterattack on Dayton's divorce records and the demand that Dayton produce court papers (it turns out the papers were removed by his ex-wife's lawyer, with the removal approved by the judge) that might have included intimate details that have no place at all in a campaign.

This all is disgusting. Minnesota has had some governors who slept face down on their desks, drooling. Today, we don't let governors drive. They have drivers and, if necessary, they have minders to keep them on task and out of the gutter. Vote for the candidate you think will do the best job, and don't worry about how they unwind when they go back to the mansion and uncork a few.

This campaign is on the verge of being taken over by the attack dogs, dumpster divers and dirt diggers who make following a campaign smell like following a garbage truck on a 90-degree day. It's hard to pay attention to anything but the flies.

Example: The bloggers who implied that Dayton lied about being a public school teacher in a poor part of New York City 40 years ago, in a crafty attempt to get everyone who has moved here from Staten Island to vote for him. The dogs backed off, snarling, and now say Dayton maybe told the truth but how were they supposed to know? They can't find old records on the Internet, because Al Gore hadn't invented it yet.

New Rule, as Bill Maher might offer: Just because you can't find it on Google doesn't mean it didn't happen, Dumbo.

And here's another rule, for the media, including bloggers: Unless you are discussing police records or grand jury indictments, this kind of crud is not worth repeating, or responding to, and is merely part of the mob scene our angry politics has produced.

A year ago, in a speech at St. John's University that I covered, former Republican presidential candidate Chuck Hagel pleaded for a return to civility in politics.

"Our public discourse has become so raw, so rude, so embarrassing," Hagel said. "It's debased our system. Any fool can get up and scream at someone."

That's who is leading the 2010 Minnesota governor's campaign:

The fools.

Nick Coleman is at nickcolemanmn@gmail.com.