Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine was scheduled to be in Minneapolis Wednesday to campaign for Mark Dayton, a sign that the former senator's gubernatorial bid has gotten the attention of the national party.

Kaine planned to hold a late-morning news conference at the Hennepin County Government Center, flanked by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (a former candidate for governor) and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (who considered, but passed, on a run).

The state's Republicans wasted no time lambasting Kaine's visit, saying the former Virginia governor is merely "trying to put lipstick on Mark Dayton's pig of a plan to raise taxes and kill jobs."