Jesse Ventura To Run for Senate (Minn)

[brooklynite]

Source: ABC News

In an interview with NPR's David Welna that ran today former Gov. Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Ind-Minn., says he will run for Senate, challenging incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., whom Ventura defeated for governor in 1998, as well as Democratic nominee and former Saturday Night Live humorist Al Franken.

...snip...

Ventura said of Coleman, "the guy has not had a job in the private sector his entire adult life. He's been collecting government checks since the day he got out of law school and went to work for the attorney general's office. So when Norm Coleman tells people in the private sector he feels their pain, how? He's never been in it. At least Al Franken knows what the private sector is. I would like to send him out and get a real job in the private sector."

Ventura called Franken an opportunist and a carpetbagger. "He hasn't lived here in 30 years, and he's only coming back to Minnesota for the convenience of his own political agenda. Why didn't he run in the states he was living in? Clearly, for being a Harvard graduate, he's not too smart on taxes, is he? Everybody laughs, saying I came from wrestling. But at least I knew when I wrestled in 40 states, I had to pay taxes in those 40 states. You just have to do the paperwork. I find it unbelievable that someone who could go to Harvard didn't know that or let it slip. Blaming his accountant is worse, because now he's turning into a politician. He's not accepting responsibility for his actions."

...snip...

A hypothetical race with Ventura shows Coleman with 41 percent, Franken with 31 percent and Ventura with 23 percent.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/jesse-ventura-t.html

[onehandle]

1. Fuck him. nt

[Toucano]

36. Three times. n-t

[JCMach1]

2. HE will assure Coleman wins...

IDIOT!

[Renew Deal]

3. Well, Coleman is safe.

:banghead:

[Love Bug]

4. Oh, swell.

BTW, the day Jesse won as governor, he was running third in the polls.

Dammit, Franken was going to have a hard enough time as it was, but this will really hurt him.

[still_one]

6. So if coleman wins, does that mean the people in Minnesota support the bush policies?

because coleman voted in line with bush throughout

[Love Bug]

22. No. If Colemen wins, it means the people of MN are too stupid

to look beyond the mud behing slung at Franken.

[still_one]

25. GEEEESH!!! nothing is easy. I heard Ed Schultz today say that ventura

may not run after all, but is doing this just to sell a book

I hope that is correct

[still_one]

5. Are the people in Minnesota that STUPID? It is hard for me to believe that the state

of Welstone and Humphrey would shift their vote from Franken would vote for this joke

However, it is also hard for me to believe that ANYONE in Minnesota would even vote for coleman

What happened to such a blue state, how screwed up are they?

[Owl]

7. "Are the people in Minnesota that STUPID?" In a word, YES.

[still_one]

9. Sorry to hear that. Things must of changed since I went to boarding school there

when I was younger

Don't they realize how they have been screwed over by the bush administration and coleman?

[sendero]

60. The people in this whole country..

... are that stupid and we have the president and the economy to prove it.

[nam78_two]

47. I don't understand it-this is anecdotal but in my personal experience it is very blue

:shrug: My fiance is from MN and so I have been there a lot-but the areas near Minneapolis and St.Paul are probably not that representative I guess..

[Ian David]

8. Ventura's a giant sack of shit. n/t

[Not the Only One]

10. Yep, Franken is dead in the water now.

Coleman can make sure he has social conservatives voting for him and not worry about anyone else. His job is pretty easy now.

[Bleacher Creature]

11. I haven't seen this story verified anywhere other than this one link.

Considering it's been out for almost two hours, it's strange that nobody else picked it up. In the end, it may be true -- but I would suggest that people reserve judgment. Jesse Ventura knows how bad Norm Coleman is as a Senator, and I don't think he would make a decision that would guarantee his re-election. Just a thought.

[tridim]

12. Jessie "The Nader" Ventura

You are a fucking asshole.

[frylock]

29. nader lost me with his continuing support of the war..

telecom immunity, etc. fuck you nader for making the dems acquiesce to president shithead.

[riverdale]

56. +1 Frylock

You are awesome. No wonder you are the head of the Aqua Team Hunger Force.

[Bake]

13. Jesse "The Mind" Ventura

He changed it when he ran for Gov., no longer Jesse "The Body."

This sucks.

Bake

[Dr.Phool]

14. If he promises to body slam Joe Lieberman

I'll move to Minnesota and vote for him!

:sarcasm:

[mountainvue]

39. Well he certainly doesn't have "the body"

anymore. He was on Leno promoting his book recently and he looks like a fat Ted Nugent.

[frylock]

15. good..

milquetoast dems are shitting in their boots.

[Owl]

16. Care to expand and explain that statement?

[frylock]

23. sure..

in 2006 I voted for democrats to end this war, put an end to illegal wiretapping, follow through on investigating the US State Attorney purge, etc. Since that time they have accomplished fuckall. If more people like Ventura are elected to office it will serve as a wakeup call to all the dems who continue to enable the current junta.

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. Which Democratic candidates did you vote for to do all of those things?

Did those candidates promise to do all of those things? Or was it just wishful thinking on your part?

[frylock]

28. i've been told numerous times that nader was wrong..

that there IS a distinct difference between the two parties. i had assumed that based on the republican's stance on the war, illegal wiretapping, etc. that the OPPOSITION party would actually OPPOSE those positions. i couldn't have been more wrong and Nader couldn't have been more right.

the wishful thinking on my part was that voting democrats would wise the fuck up and realize that their precious party really isn't any different than the repubs and do something to ensure that the dems that continue to enable shithead and his admin would not have a job. clearly it's easier to vote based on brand recognition rather than actually doing research on the candidates and their positions. my vote can no longer be taken for granted by a party that is not working in the best interests of the constituency.

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. Individual candidates take thier own stances, sometimes not the same as their own party's

Did any of the candidates you voted for get elected? If any of them were elected, have they done what they promised to do? Not what you wanted to believe they would do.

[frylock]

31. look dude, i know you and your views..

this convo is over. enjoy your war.

[Bandit]

38. Read the first twelve posts

If that isn't Dems shittin in their britches what is?

[Pierre.Suave]

17. I hate to derail this MN bashing fest, but...

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/24195449.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:2

Ventura denies reports he's running for Senate

<snip>

WASHINGTON — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is shooting down media reports that he's decided to run for Senate.

National Public Radio today reported that Ventura says he's running for the seat, quoting him as saying "I run" because of Senator Norm Coleman's support for the Iraq war. But Ventura tells the Associated Press he had been speaking hypothetically.

<snip>

[Dr.Phool]

18. Well, I guess Lieberman is safe now.

[Pierre.Suave]

19. Only until I get to him

If I ever meet Lieberman, its ON!

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. But neither has he said he won't run

Ventura says bluntly that no one knows whether he will run — not even his wife. He says the decision won't be made until next Tuesday, the filing deadline.

[Love Bug]

21. That's just Jesse milking as much publicity as he can from this

The man lives for attention.

[Pierre.Suave]

24. yes, I agree

that is just jessie being jessie...

[SomeGuyInEagan]

32. Yup - "Jessie being Jessie"

We moved to the Twin Cities after Ventura had been elected governor.

Even as governor - which one might think is a pretty high profile position - Ventura seemed to find other ways to place himself in the public eye. Afterward, he continued to find ways to place himself in the news. Now he is selling a book, out in April.

Jessie being Jessie ... the weight of that ego has got to be exhausting day after day. He may end up running for U.S. Senate - that's a lot of ego stroking to let pass by.

[Pierre.Suave]

34. I dont know how he does it...

day after day.

and welcome to DU fellow Minnesotan.

:hi:

[CBHagman]

68. But I'm still sending Franken a donation.

(Goes to kitchen for Franken mailing.)

See ya when I finish writing this check.:hi:

[Eugene]

26. AP: Ventura says he'll decide by next week on Senate run

Source: Associated Press

Ventura says he'll decide by next week on Senate run
Updated 2h 37m ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse
Ventura is declining to definitevely answer just
yet whether he's running for Senate.

National Public Radio on Wednesday reported that
Ventura says he's running for the seat, quoting
him as saying "I run" because of Senator Norm
Coleman's support for the Iraq war. But Ventura
tells The Associated Press he had been speaking
hypothetically.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-07-09-ventura-senate_N.htm

[Historic NY]

33. Only his ego is running, he must need some attention.

[theliberalking]

35. Doesn't Ventura hurt Coleman's chances?

I hear some say that Franken is now done, but isn't Ventura a conservative-leaning candidate? Enlighten me. I don't know much about him.

[JI7]

37. wasn't he a crappy Governor ?

fuck him and Coleman.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

40. Well, he was interesting

He really couldn't do much because the Minnesota House and Senate did little to work with him and frequently had his vetoes overridden. He had few if any fellow party members in the Minnesota House or Senate. He talked a lot about the need for a unicameral system in Minnesota. He was socially liberal while fiscally conservative.

His two main accomplishments that I recall were light rail and tax refunds. Others in Minnesota, please correct me if I am wrong or missing something.

His main campaign promise was to issue refunds to taxpayers (the state had a big surplus when he ran for office, I think at least $2+ billion), which occurred after he took office. In the last year of his term, I recall him talking about the bad times coming and calling for measures to avoid a big deficit (when his term ended in '02, the state's deficit was $4+ billion). But I can't recall what those measures were or if he really fought hard for them.

He pushed very hard for light rail (we now have one completed line in Minneapolis and expanding). That was a tough fight and not without controversies. House and Senate Republicans (and the "Taxpayers' League of Minnesota" - think Grover Norquist mindset) fought this expansion of public transit. Now, even Pawlenty - who fought against it as a state legislator - praises light rail (the ridership has greatly exceeded estimates, even before $4/gallon gas).

He favored more money for public education but opposed the teacher's union. He was pro-choice, for medical marijuana use, was against requiring the Pledge of Allegiance in Minnesota schools, said that prostitution should be legal (with controls to protect workers and clients), publicly said the economic sanctions against Cuba were wrong and publicly said that religion is a "crutch for weak-minded people."

But he was pretty thin-skinned and seemed to always be in the news for some remark - either poorly phrased thought related to the job or just a stupid thing to say. For someone who worked in entertainment - pro wrestling and local radio - he didn't seem to understand that once you put yourself out there, you're a target (sad, but true). And then there was the whole XFL side-job.

It was very interesting with him around.

[truthisfreedom]

42. Either Ventura or Franken would be better than Coleman. Maybe they could run together.

A kind of two-headed monster ticket.

[dflprincess]

43. He was a disaster and in light of the cuts to social programs (especially medical) and education

because of the deficits, I'd hardly call the tax refunds an accomplishment.

It's interesting that, when the state has a surplus, the hue and cry is that that money should be returned to the taxpayers because it "belongs to them" (forget about a rainy day fund) but when the state has a deficit nobody talks about how that also belongs to us and we have a responsibilty to cover it.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

53. I agree, Princess ...

I was not clear in my writing - I meant to convey that the taxpayer refund and the light rail line were the two main things he got done in office ("accomplishments").

I thought the refund was a very bad idea - the state was in a unique position to invest in education, infrustructure, parks, create a rainy day fund, etc., and he led the charge in giving it away. And the state would soon be receiving the tobacco settlement, which has since been used to help shore up the deficit that began under Ventura.

Sorry for the confusion.

[riverdale]

50. I hope we see him in office again.

Thank you for posting that.
Throughout his whole political career, I don't remember ever reading what Ventura's stance on the actual issues really was. That really enlightens me. With a track record like that, I would favor Jesse over almost any Democratic candidate I can think of. The only thing I disagree with him on the points mentioned is the teachers union. As a Senatorial candidate, I'd be interested in hearing his plans for Iraq and illegal wiretapping. I already know he'd be on my side regarding faith based programs! Seriously, he sounds like a breath of fresh air.

[dflprincess]

54. I'm sure your a wonderful person

but I was relieved to see your profile says you don't live in Minnesota - but only because you won't be able to vote for the oaf if he does run (besides, if he were elected to something again I'm afraid it might kill my mother and her sisters as they might become apoplectic over it, you don't want to kill my mom, do you?) :hi:

[riverdale]

55. v

What are Jesse's issue stances that you find so reprehensible? It seems to me a lot of people are hating on him just because he's on the wrong "team".

[dflprincess]

57. Blowing the state surplus on the politcally popular rebate

and the damage that has done to the state is a good enough reason to dislike him and never want him to hold office again (and shame on the Republicans and DFLers who went along with it.) He also managed to push through a big reduction in license tab fees. In Minnesota, the fee has been based on the vehicle's value so people like Jesse who owned several large, newer, vehicles at the time really benefited. The license fees go to roads we've had some problem keeping those in repair. And, his behavior was as embarrassing to Minnesota as Bush's is to the United States. I'm not thrilled with Franken, but he's a much better choice than Ventura.

[riverdale]

59. Fair enough

I don't think they need to be cutting those fees while you've got bridges falling down in Minneapolis. Paying for infrastructure is never a winner politically, is it?

[SomeGuyInEagan]

69. Our (Minnesota's) highways are a mess

It began before Ventura, but the whole license tab reduction further cut the funding for road maintenance and building/improving outdated designs.

Our state gas tax was stuck at ten cents per gallon for 20 years (last set in 1988) until raised this past session. Even business groups were lobbying *FOR* an increase in the gas tax! So bad that when the DFL-controlled legislature put a bill forward to raise it by five cents (down from a proposed and well-supported ten cents per gallon), some state Republicans offered support and votes (for which their party has essentially kicked them out, choosing to endorse a new candidate rather than the incumbent Republican). Even Governor Timmy "the Tool" Pawlenty - after the I-35 bridge disaster - spoke out in favor of an increase as he realized that our state is falling apart (he quickly changed his mind).

In the metro (Minneapolis-St. Paul and surrounding communities) and greater Minnesota, highways are full of holes. There are been little done in terms of expansion for the incredible sprawl of the Twin Cities over the past two decades, so congestion is far worse than it needs to be (I used to live in Los Angeles and Seattle - I know congestion). Now the state has closed or limited used of more bridges (St. Cloud and Winona) because of concerns of the safety of the bridge.

The license tab was a big event in the cuts to the funding. But this state has been ignoring its infrastructure for decades.

On the plus side, it looks like the I-35 Bridge is progressing well ... just in time for the Republican convention, no doubt.

[librechik]

41. Fuck!

it'll look like 2 clowns and a businessman running for the seat.

I suppose I should just appreciate the entertainment value. But I can't see how this will help Franken, or Minnesota, for that matter.

[LynneSin]

44. Thanks Jesse for giving us another 6 years of Coleman

:grr:

[nam78_two]

45. Oh fuck him-what an asshole

Bad news overload this week.

[ReadTomPaine]

46. Given his recent "look" he could be running for Castro's position in Cuba...

[MadMaddie]

48. Does he still have that half crown mullet....blech that is

a fucked up mullet if I ever saw one....I wonder what Rethuglican is funding him?

[Pastiche423]

49. He has hair?

[ReadTomPaine]

51. See post 46 and brace yourself. He has hair alright.

Yes, that's an actual photo of him.

[OKthatsIT]

52. So Ventura hurts Frankin's chances? How so?

If Ventura runs wouldn't he be hurting Coleman more? How many Dems would vote for Ventura, anyway?

[lutefisk]

58. Ventura is a lock for the 2008 Naderism award, for sure...nt

[Better Believe It]

61. So Franken Is Entitled To All Of Ventura's Votes?

So that's how it works!

Well, perhaps if he works harder and conducts an effective campaign against Coleman and Ventura, Franken could win!

Minnesota voters aren't stupid.

They just need to be inspired by someone who can relate to the working class and their lives and present a powerful populist message.

Sure hope Franken hasn't been "moving to the center" to snare some of those Republican voters. That will guarantee his defeat.

[dflprincess]

63. If we had instant run off voting this wouldn't be an issue.

but we don't and that's why Ventura may be a problem.

When Ventura won the governor's race he did so with 37% of the vote. Which means the state was stuck with a governor 63% of the electorate had not voted for. Regardless of who wins the race, it would be nice if they at least came close to a majority instead of winning with a small plurality of the votes. I also noticed that the Independence party has already endorsed another candidate so apparently the jerk would also be running against the candidate from his former party.

Franken moved back to Minnesota a couple years ago; for the last several years Ventura has spent most his time in Mexico. I'd like to have a senator who actually cared about the state. Ventura can talk a good line, but he doesn't give a damn how many bridges fall down - just as long as you buy the book he's currently hawking and continue to feed his ego.

And, while Franken has never been liberal enough for me, I will say that I haven't noticed his positions becoming any more conservative since he got the endorsement. The times I've heard him speak, he's been a bit more blunt than the average politician - not dancing around trying to be all things to all people.

[goforit]

62. LOL!!! Minnesota was happy to rid Ventura.....And he thinks he'll win??? LOL

[LuckyLib]

64. Minnesota is alot like the rest of the country -- growingsuburbs full of clueless SUV-driving folks

who have still not figured out who is screwing them over. Normie lays low, looks congressional, hangs with Bush-Cheney, and is a sleaze. Ventura was a result of whole heaps of folks NOT voting, or thinking it would be fun to see the goofball as governor. Franken could run circles around the both of them, but the Repug mud-slinging structure is very powerful in this state.

Paul Wellstone, we miss ya'!

[MnFats]

72. no, there is a slow turning...two of the richest suburbs, Edina and Bloomington...

..went for Kerry in the last prez election. by healthy margins.
..they finally realized they had been voting against theirr own best interest...

[brentspeak]

65. Actual "headline" (it's from a blog): "Jesse Ventura to run for Senate?"

Notice the question mark. Also notice that it's from ABC News' blog.

[stlsaxman]

66. He needs to be fisted... in his mouth. n/t

[WheelWalker]

67. JV will know the suffering of humiliation

[MnFats]

70. as one who has known him since waaaay before his mayorship. I thank you for your derision

he is a hateful, egotistical asshole who looks out for himself and no one else....

he will bring only shame and scorn upon our state....once again.

[spanone]

71. ventura is smarter than bu$h*.....not by much, though