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