Minn. Gov. Candidate Wants to Nullify Federal Laws

Meet Tom Emmer, the Republican candidate for Minnesota governor. Emmer, a state legislator, enjoys the backing of incumbent Tim Pawlenty but is philosophically far right of the current governor: Emmer is an avowed "Tenther" who believes the Tenth Amendment gives states the right to nullify federal laws, TPM reports. In fact, he's proposed a state constitutional amendment to nullify all federal laws—especially Obamacare—unless the state legislature approves them.

Some other fun facts about Emmer:

• He'd like to see Minnesota's state government shrink by 20%.
• He enjoys the support of Sarah Palin, who dubbed him a "hockey dad," and whose approval may have been crucial for securing the GOP endorsement.
• A year ago, he slammed a fellow state rep for wanting to copy environmental regulations from Europe. Emmer let loose: "Oh oh, hey by the way, we also apparently have to look at this country and be extremely critical of the United States of America, and start kissing the rear end of the people on the other side of the Atlantic," he said. "That's ridiculous, and I'm sick and tired of hearing it. This is a great country."

(More Tom Emmer stories.)