Marty: Ray, check your "red button"

Not everything was hardball politics Thursday. As passions mounted between Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislators over state budget cuts – leading to the new DFL governor's first veto – there was plenty of political finger pointing, grandstanding and chest thumping. But there was also this exchange – just as the Republican-led Minnesota Senate was voting to pass $901 million in state budget cuts and send them to Dayton. "Ray, your 'red button' still works, doesn't it? Better check it," said Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, just as Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake, walked toward his seat to press his "green" button to vote for the cuts. Pushing the "red button" – which Marty did – signaled a vote against the budget cuts. Vandeveer simply smiled at Marty, who returned the smile. Then Marty, one of the Legislature's most liberal members, called out to his Republican colleague: "You tried it? It's broken? I thought so."