By Mike Kaszuba

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, trying to energize the crowd at the state Republican convention, walked onto the stage Friday accompanied by the Johnny Cash song "I Walk The Line."

"You guys like the sheriff?" Stanek shouted, attempting to get the crowd buzzing. "You guys need to get fired up."

He reminded the delegates, who are meeting in downtown Minneapolis: "We are in the backyard of the DFL."