Almanac: At the Capitol

It has been more than 5 years since I sat down to go one-on-one with Gov. Ventura and it felt like no time had passed at all. He was engergic, engaged and controversial as always. Frankly that's what has always made it fun. He is certainly a challenge, but I like challenges.

Jesse Ventura says he’s been disrespected by Minnesota and its public officials. He actually singled out his member of Congress Rep. Michele Bachmann as an exception because she sent him a hand-written note asking if she could ever be of service to him. That’s especially interesting since Ventura’s former Transportation Commissioner El Tinklenberg is running against Bachmann. Ventura won’t support Tinklenberg because he’s in the two party system.

He says he won't rule out running for U.S. Senate and he repeatedly ripped Franken and Coleman with some very harsh words. He said he lives in Minnesota more than Al Franken and when he wrestled for 30 years in different states he knew he had to pay taxes where he earned the money. He wondered why a Harvard grad like Franken wouldn't know that. Moving on to Coleman, he was angry the Republican Party was using an old wrestling image of him in ads and said he'd like to see some images of a long-haired war protestor from years ago who was Norm Coleman. Ventura said instead of "hell no, we won't go" he'd now say Coleman's slogan is "hell yes, clean up my mess."

Ventura does not think Gov. Tim Pawlenty is qualified to be vice president. He said Pawlenty hadn't accomplished anything as governor. Ventura says Pawlenty's veto of Central Corridor was "totally stupid." The former governor doesn't support John McCain anymore because of McCain's support of the war. Ventura called McCain "Bush the third." He says Obama won't change anything and called him a "gutless coward" for failing to stop the war immediately in Congress. Ventura said Democrats and Republicans are incapable of change.

The former governor also said he wasn't surprised his portrait was vandalized at the Capitol and had to be removed. He talked at length about the war, immigration, 9/11, 35W bridge collapse, Central Corridor and more. Jesse stayed for an hour and a half and was generally very chatty. I said "governor, I missed you" and he said "I can't say the same." I've always enjoyed the combat with Ventura. He was most surprised I had become a mom since we last talked and showed great interest in my child asking lots of questions. It was interesting to see his softer side is still there. He revealed more of that vulnerable side in talking about his daughter's upcoming wedding, Terry's health and Tyrel's exit from Minnesota.

Click here to see the interview!

-Mary Lahammer

Just like it's created some buzz for Al Franken, a big union endorsement should help these congressional candidates. Here's the press release:

AFSCME endorses Bonoff and Tinklenberg for Congress

Terri Bonoff and El Tinklenberg were endorsed for Congress today by AFSCME Council 5, one of Minnesota’s largest and most politically active unions. State Sen. Terri Bonoff (SD 43) is running for DFL endorsement for the 3rd Congressional District seat being left open by U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad’s decision to not run for reelection. El Tinklenberg is seeking DFL endorsement for the 6th Congressional District seat to challenge right-wing extremist and first-term Republican Michele Bachmann in the 2008 general election.

AFSCME Council 5 recommended endorsing Bonoff and Tinklenberg because AFSCME members thought they were the strongest pro-working family candidates for the seats. David Cohoes, chair of AFSCME Council 5’s West Metro PEOPLE district and an assistant public defender for Hennepin County, said “Terri Bonoff is our best chance to elect a pro-working families congressperson who will help solve our nation’s heath care crisis.”

Marcia Provost, chair of AFSCME Council 5’s Central PEOPLE district and a financial aid worker at St. Cloud Tech, said “El Tinklenberg worked well with frontline state employees when he was Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. In Congress, he will be an effective champion for transportation funding for Minnesota – unlike Michele Bachmann who has blindly followed Bush’s policies that have hurt out state.”

“AFSCME intends to jump into these races with both feet – just like we have done successfully in other races,” said Mike Buesing, president of AFSCME Council 5 and a road design technician for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. “AFSCME is fully committed to electing more pro-working families members of Congress, like Terri Bonoff and El Tinklenberg.”

In the 3rd Congressional District contest, AFSCME also screened DFL candidates Jim Hovland and Ashwin Madia. Republican candidate Erik Paulsen did not respond to invitations to screen with AFSCME.

In the 6th Congressional District contest, AFSCME also screened DFL candidate Bob Olson and Independence Party candidate John Brockberg. Incumbent Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann did not respond to invitations to screen with AFSCME.