With the legislative session now finally, blessedly over, I just have to breathe a sigh of relief and thank heaven for Minnesota Chief Justice Eric Magnuson.

If Magnuson had not been courageous enough to be the swing vote against Gov. Tim Pawlenty's attempt to wrest complete control of the state through his unallotment attempt, Pawlenty just might have, um, gotten everything he wanted.

I don't think we should have the highest court of the state sanctioning a statutory grant of authority to one man when the Legislature proved entirely capable of doing it by itself.

Score one for justice, and score one for bipartisanship, because we have just learned that there is nothing more bipartisan than self-interest.

We also learned from The Woman Who Would be Governor, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, that "lose" means "win." We learned from The Man Who Would be Governor, Tom Emmer, that he can be easily distracted from important votes by a hockey tryout, a softball game, or in the case of the bill to make it easier to expunge some crimes, the temptation to step out for a cookie.

Finally, we learned that the perfectly understandable response to the whole shebang is to pass out and bonk your head, which is what Rep. Bud Nores, R-Fergus Falls, did in the final hours.

On Tuesday, top officials of each party flew around the state (haven't they heard of The Twitter?) to display that they are as nimble as contortionists when it comes to patting their own backs. I'm especially impressed by their efforts to ensure that one-third of us poor folk will now have a reason to go to a Gophers football game: booze.

I say, well done.

The hangover from the past legislative rave was evident in the gaunt faces and wrinkled clothes, and in the final slogans that ruled the session:

It is what it is.

The best we could do under the circumstances.

The buck stops over there.

I'm certainly not the only one in a foul mood. Steve Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College, said the session that just ended paints an unfortunate picture of the state of the state, albeit one that mirrors the country.

"I just don't think we have a consensus among our politicians that is likely to solve the problems we have," he said. "Were there any profiles in courage? Not really. Both sides were looking for risk-averse answers, and we are the ones who are going to pay for it."

On one side are people who refuse to consider any more revenue streams, on the other those who see any spending cut to be "the end of the world as we know it," Schier said. And in the middle is Independence Party's Tom Horner, "a man without a country, so to speak."

In upcoming elections and certain escalating budget woes, those "disproportionately represented" factions will be rewarded by "an electorate in denial about realistic solutions to our problems," predicted Schier. "I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of voters are holding their noses at election time."

Former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson was in a surly mood Tuesday despite being on a stroll in Punta Gorda, Fla., when we spoke.

"It's cut-and-run financing!" he bellowed. "Cut-and-run! This agreement could have been done in two days!

"We need different leaders interested in putting the best interest of the state first and political ambition last! We're getting the reverse!"

I told Carlson I wished he'd speak his mind.

"The budget is the tool that measures a governor, and we are not getting a passing grade!" he said. "This is the worst mess left behind by any governor in the history of Minnesota!"

As for the DFL-controlled Legislature? "If they want to pass their problems on to the next Legislature, they should pass their salaries on, too!"

I asked Carlson if he enjoyed being far away from Minnesota for the session's end.

"It's beautiful!" he said. "I'm on Fisherman's Wharf! Gorgeous!

"But I'm still watching!"

jtevlin@startribune.com • 612-673-1702