Gustav

Sunday night, at their beautiful riverfront place in Minneapolis, Sam and Sylvia Kaplan, Minnesota’s political power couple, hosted a cocktail party billed as a bi-partisan welcome to politicians and journalists in town for the RNC.

The Kaplans’ airy, 10,000-square-foot house was filled with folks wanting to be in a festive mood, but having a hard time –- feeling conflicted. There was a strange feeling all around, a subdued party atmosphere I’ve felt before at family funerals -– you know those funerals where, yes, of course we’re sad that Grandma or uncle so-and-so has died, but it’s sure great to see the cousins from New York we hardly ever get to see but love it when we do.