Thought it was quieter in Minnesota, even with the construction equipment in the parking lot next door. . .
CNN.com | Ventura urges Cuban trade embargo be droppedHAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Jesse Ventura said Thursday the United States should drop its 40-year trade embargo on Cuba.
"How can we switch them to capitalism if we don't work with them?" the governor of Minnesota told CNN at a trade fair in the Cuban capital. "Then the evolution could well take place, you don't know."
[. . .] Ventura dismissed critics who have accused him of giving aid and comfort to the enemy by visiting the island nation. "I'm a capitalist from the word 'go,'" he said. "Anyone who's ever looked at my career knows I believe in capitalism."
Insert XFL joke here. Actually, there's been lots of rumbling about Ventura doing work outside his duties as gov., which he's addressed the same way he does all complaints; blaming it on the jackals in the media. It's part of his charm.
Charm may not actually be the word I wanted there, but I'm still getting up to speed.
He also urged Americans to be skeptical of reports by some U.S. government officials that the Cuban government is so short of cash it will not pay companies to trade with the island."Let's remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a fraud, and our government told us that was real," he said about the event that sparked U.S. military involvement in Vietnam during the 1960s.
In the August/September issue of Cigar Aficionado, the governor was quoted as saying, "I hate embargoes. Sure, partly because I'd love to have easy access to Cuban cigars, but mostly because embargoes won't work."
Ventura dismissed the suggestion that his desire for Cuban cigars might be coloring his feelings about the embargo. "My favorite cigar right now is made in the Dominican Republic," he said.
The great thing about lame duck politicians is, they'll say and do things that otherwise would go through multiple polls and surveys and triangulation because they just don't give a fuck anymore. Ventura, of course, never gave a fuck in the first place -- I'm still convinced he didn't think he'd win back in '98 -- so his entertainment value is about the same as it ever was.
Much higher if you don't actually live under his regime.
Has Jesse been a bad Governor? I know he hosted the XFL and hung out with the WW(F)(E) on a couple occasions but politically what has he done?
I just always enjoy his interviews...honesty and insanity are good bed buddies.
Probably shouldn't blame Ventura for this, but. . . between the tobacco settlement and the booming economy, the state was running a surplus when he was elected.
They are now running a deficit, and talking about cutting services. And also cutting taxes on the rich, to attract more of them.
But, y'know, they sent out rebate checks. With his name on them. Even to people who had moved out of state.
No tengo. Lo siento.