The state's top politicians roasted and toasted retiring state Rep. Tom Rukavina over brats and Polish sausage Monday night in an Iron Range community center.

"My mother always told me that if you can't say something nice about someone, you shouldn't say anything at all," said Gov. Mark Dayton, at which point he walked off the stage to laughter, according to the Duluth News Tribune. Of course he came back with several Rukavina stories, before concluding that the 26-year legislator was a "terrific champion for the people of the Iron Range."

Some 400 people, including U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, packed the center in Mountain Iron.

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