MN: The return of Ventura?
10:33 AM
The takeaway from the dueling news reports about former Gov. Jesse Ventura's political plans seems to be that the political maverick will keep people waiting until Minnesota's filing deadline of July 15 to find out his true intentions.
After sounding like a U.S. Senate candidate in an NPR interview broadcast Wednesday, Ventura later told a reporter that his quote about running ("That's the reason I run, not to sell books. I run because it angers me.") was about a hypothetical situation.
Columnist Paul Demko of the Minnesota Independent thinks a July fundraiser for the Independence Party, due to include high-profile guest Michael Bloomberg, could be a sign that the party is gearing up for a Ventura run -- Ventura was a member of the party when he ran for governor.
So why would Bloomberg, who's frequently been touted as a future presidential candidate, throw in his lot with this motley bunch? It's impossible to say for certain, but one intriguing possibility is Jesse Ventura. ... Might Bloomberg's visit be a hint that Ventura is actually serious about running and provide a jump-start to his fundraising efforts?One possibly relevant note from Ventura's successful run for governor a decade ago: That was also a three-way race involving Norm Coleman.
