The Norwegian consulate in Minneapolis and the Sons of Norway, the Minneapolis-based international fraternal organization, say they aren’t aware of any interaction over the weekend between two prominent Norwegian-Americans: Walter Mondale and Karl Rove.

Rove, architect of what former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan calls the administration’s “permanent campaign,” was in Rochester, Minn., to speak at the state Republican convention. Mondale is honorary Norwegian consul at Norway’s consulate in Minneapolis.

Both men made the Sons of Norway Viking magazine’s 2004 short list of five “Notable Norwegians.” (The others: athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharis, figure skater Sonja Henie and agronomist Norman Borlaug.)

In a way, Mondale has Rove to thank for his current job. As Brian Melendez, the state DFL Party chair, pointed out, it was Rove who hand-picked Norm Coleman (over Tim Pawlenty) to be the Republicans’ candidate for the U.S. Senate six years ago. Mondale took Paul Wellstone’s place on the ballot after the late senator’s death, but lost to Coleman in the general election a week later. That made Mondale available when the new gig was offered after Norway demoted the Minneapolis consulate to “honorary” status last year.