Almanac: At the Capitol

U.S. Senate candidates U.S. Senate candidates Al Franken, Norm Coleman, Dean Barkley and Steve Williams debated outside of Redwood Falls. Energy was the top topic. Discluded candidates Priscilla Lord Faris, Jack Uldrich and Ole Savior are here standing by in protest.

Franken hit Coleman repeatedly saying the senator voted certain ways because "President Bush told him to." Coleman highlighted his experience in front of this rural audience, noting his 6 years on the agriculture committee.

Immigration, jobs and more farming issues came up. True to form, the Independents got the most laughs with their creative answers like Barkley begging for more than 8 days in Washington and Williams on immigration saying "the only people who need to be deported are the ruling parties in Washington."

Afterwards reporters asked Coleman why the crowd seemed to favor him; he said he's had the benefit of working with these people for 6 years. Coleman said Franken should "hit me in another forum." Franken told reporters he did hit hard on Coleman's ties to Bush because he voted with the president nearly every time.

A handful of Republicans got called into Gov. Tim Pawlenty's office to try to get a handle on the hot potato of REAL ID. Minority Leader Seifert says the governor has vetoed REAL ID along with an education bill. Pawlenty is talking to some of his fellow Republicans who could be override candidates behind closed doors. We had the story tonight of the executive order Pawlenty has proposed on REAL ID with what he apparently sees as some compromise language. Opponents of REAL ID do not see a compromise, they don't want any part of the federal mandate. They think Pawlenty has vetoed a REAL ID opt-out because of presidential candidate John McCain's support of it. Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee oppose it along with the Democratic candidates. Sen. Mee Moua said Pawlenty's vice presidential ambitions are getting in the way of his governing. The question for some of the lawmakers in the "woodshed" depends on when he issues the executive order, before or after an override. Lawmakers are questioning if the executive action is constitutional since it could undo a legislative action. The Senate is poised to override and the question is the House.

***Saturday update: Gov. Pawlenty has issued an executive order delaying the implementation until June 1, 2009 unless the legislature does otherwise. That detail is the new development from the draft we revealed on Almanac. Opponents of REAL ID who were interested in overriding Pawlenty's veto of the opt-out wanted at least a delay. They didn't think the draft went far enough. The question is if this executive action goes far enough to stave off an override.

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

Gov. Pawlenty is weighing in heavily in floor debates today. First Republican House Minority Leader Marty Seifert apparently heard from the governor along with the speaker and Pawlenty asked them to stop debating an education bill without a global deal and that it created a situation of "negotiating in bad faith."

Then the governor paid a visit to the Senate Republican caucus urging them to vote against an opt-out for REAL ID minutes before it hit the floor. The caucus will be split on this. This issue creates the most interesting coalitions. The liberal-conservative team of Moua-Limmer led the charge as we reported yesterday. The Senate passed it with plenty of room to override 50-16.

Meanwhile negotiations are picking up again between the governor and legislative leaders. They're popping in and out of meetings right now. They said they're still working on some tax issues. Property tax relief continues to be the sticking point--and perhaps the Senate's position. Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem just came out and said "we'd be done if it was up to Margaret" meaning the DFL House Speaker. He said a certain senior member of his chamber is the problem. Could he be talking about Pogey?