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

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?

REAL ID is back. The Senate Finance Committee just added an opt-out for Minnesota into another bill. Sen. Mee Moua's bill had to do with executive branch whistleblower protection. Ironic that this new bill would send the executive branch a bit of a bomb. Conservatives were considering joining liberals on an override of the governor's veto of the transportation bill that contained a REAL ID opt-out. John McCain is the only major candidate (Democrat or Republican) to support REAL ID. And we don't have to draw the line between Pawlenty and McCain for our astute readers. Conservative Senator Warren Limmer joined liberal Moua in making this happen. Limmer said he doesn't want this foisted onto the state from the fed and we should join the ranks of states opting out of this mandate. The bill heads straight to the Senate floor.

In the same quick committee we found out that Senate Bonding Chair Keith Langseth is officially on board on reviving Central Corridor light rail. The Senate Finance Committee just moved a new bill along on this as well. These amended bills are called "vehicles" in Capitol speak. Chair Dick Cohen asked a very rural Langseth if he was really in favor of this and Lanseth responded "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Langseth said he hopes to get Central Corridor to the Senate floor yet today and possibly quickly on to the governor. Pawlenty was clear again today that he won't sign money for the Central Corridor without an overall budget deal first. He said he didn't feel any pressure to sign the bill.

It feels like déjà vu all over again. DFL-led chambers are ready to send the Republican governor bills with no prior agreement setting up another round of vetoes. It sure seems like we're set for unallotment as many of us suspected all session. Leaders sent the governor a letter last night saying they are "poised to pass conference committee reports" while the governor responded that a property tax cap "is key to an overall agreement." He writes to Dems "You have been unable or unwilling to agree to such a cap." He reminds them that "If DFL leadership is unable to reach an agreement" than "we cannot afford projects like Central Corridor" or healthcare expansion.

When the governor and lawmakers are sending each other letters and sharing them with the press, it's never a good sign. I know Democrats are saying they may get some overrides on these budget bills but I'm not so sure. There may be a couple of Republicans willing to join Democrats on a few issues, but on an overall budget it would be a surprise if Republicans hand the governor another override in the House.

Update: Sen. Larry Pogemiller Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher are meeting with the governor at 10:30am, just the three of them. Now that is serious and could be a better sign for a deal. I wish dealmaking did happen in the open, but it just doesn't and the deal has a better chance of being cut with fewer people in the room.

Update to update: Property tax relief continues to be the priority and the sticking point of negotiations. Both sides are doing "runs" (sounds terrible I know but that's the lingo) to see what the effects of proposals will be. I'm told that will probably take a while, so don't expect a deal today. The governor says "there's hope" but he also said this is feeling a lot like last year with lots of vetoed bills. He's asked lawmakers to hold off on sending him "bombs" (bills he won't sign). The speaker says she does not want to be in the same situation as last year with last-minute chaos.

Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher wants a budget deal for the state's 150th birthday present on Sunday. It's a great PR angle, but depending whom you believe a deal is close or completely out of reach. Democrats all say it's "doable" if the governor wants a deal, but Republican Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem said negotiations are "on life support with funeral arrangements pending." Sen. Geoff Michel said he fears they're living in a world where there aren't global deals anymore. Last year there was no global deal on all the end of session issues for the first time in memory.

The speaker wondered if the governor is trying to hit 100 vetoes, if it was his goal. Sen. Michel said the governor is the goalie stopping bad legislation. None of this sounds good whether you like the hockey or not. There's still a lot of finger pointing and no face to face negotiations with 9 days left to pass bills and only really 6 days for lawmakers to meet in floor session.

Unalloting and special session are options for the governor. Senjem prefers unalloting. Minority Leader Marty Seifert said he has prepared a spreadsheet of cuts for the governor to make that would make the bonding bill vetoes look like the "Riveria" that includes cuts to "welfare and Iron Range slush funds." Democrats keep saying they will get a deal. The House needs a deal the most and seems to be the most optimistic. The new wrinkle is the revival of Central Corridor in a bonding bill all by itself. Rep. Alice Hausman says she wants to send a clean bill to governor to sign. Since he already vetoed it once and said he wanted a responsible budget deal first I'd bet another veto.