Why Jesse Ventura Is Fighting Against Marijuana Regulations Share Tweet Comments Former Minnesota Governor and retired WWE wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura hasn't brawled in the ring for decades. But since leaving political office, he has taken up the fight for legalizing marijuana, without regulating it restrictively. To promote his upcoming book - Jesse Ventura's Marijuana Manifesto - the hard-hitting critic of marijuana prohibition recently wrote an editorial for CNBC that outlines why he's against regulating marijuana for medical or recreational use. 1. Either it's fully legal or not To Ventura, a substance isn't legal if people have to worry about possessing too much of it. "I'm a purist," he wrote. "If a substance is legal, it should be legal. Yes, let's tax it, let's make money off of it, but let's not regulate it to the point where people live in fear of having too much of this 'legal' substance on them at a given moment." 2. Deadlier substances aren't regulated Ventura argues that it's absurd to regulate a relatively safe substance like cannabis while there are no possession limits on tobacco, even though it's proven to be a deadly substance with no medical value.

"When people buy cigarettes, they don't worry if they have too many packs in the trunk of their car, yet there is not one medical benefit of smoking cigarettes. It's common knowledge that cigarettes slowly kill you. So addictive substances that kill people: perfectly legal. A medical substance that has proven time and time again to have practically zero side effects and can actually help people: not fully legalized, and many Americans risk going to jail if they use it." He also pointed to alcohol as another example. "If you drink too much, it can cause liver damage, addiction, even death. According to the CDC, in 2014 alone, more Americans died from alcohol-induced causes (30,722) than from overdoses of prescription painkillers and heroin combined (28,647)....[Y]et I am not limited to the amount of alcohol I can purchase." 3. The marijuana double standard Cannabis users are forced to put up with a legal double standard, according to Ventura, who says that Americans would never allow the government to impose limits on how much alcohol they can buy. So why should marijuana consumers put up with limits on cannabis?

"If [alcohol's] such a deadly substance, then shouldn't it be regulated more? Could you imagine if the government did such a thing? Let's limit the amount of beer to a six-pack per person per day and see how much rioting there'd be in the streets! Look, if a substance is legal to purchase, then I should be allowed to purchase as much of it as I so desire. To me, that's the definition of a legal substance." 4. Legalization and drug testing don't mix To Ventura, you can't say something is legal if a person can lose their job for legally acquiring and using it. But that's the case in states like Ohio , where House Bill 523 legalized medical marijuana but upheld an employer's right to fire employees who test positive for cannabis use. "Hypothetically, as an approved medical marijuana patient in Ohio, I can take a medication that can drastically help my condition and then lose my job, or I can go on suffering and keep my job and therefore be able to support my family. See how House Bill 523 doesn't actually legalize anything?" 5.

Regulation could cost lives Although medical marijuana has recently been legalized in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio , it will take months or even years before lawmakers have figured out what rules and procedures they want to impose on the legal industry. Ventura argues that the time spent ironing out those regulations could cost lives due to accidental overdoses of prescription opioids. "Lawmakers estimate it will take anywhere between two months and two years to set up and implement all the asinine rules associated with [Ohio's] bill....I'd like to know what lawmakers are so afraid of when it comes to actually legalizing marijuana....It helps people manage chronic pain without addiction or death. We just lost Prince, one of the greatest musical icons of my home state of Minnesota, due to prescription pill overdose. If his doctor prescribed him marijuana, I believe he would still be with us today." Jesse Ventura Biography (Pro Wrestler/State Governor/TV Personality) Best known as: Former professional wrestler and governor of Minnesota Name at birth: James George Janos Jesse Ventura is the former professional wrestler who served as the governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003.

A former Navy Seal, he wrestled professionally from 1975 to 1984, usually playing a villain and using the name Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He then became an occasional movie actor and a radio personality before running for governor of Minnesota on the Reform Party ticket in 1998. 6'4" tall, muscular and bald, Ventura carried his wrestling image as a blunt-talking tough guy into the political arena and became a national political figure as well as pop culture celebrity. While governor of Minnesota he published I Ain't Got Time to Bleed and Do I Stand Alone? (both 2000), opinion pieces with a populist core. He chose not to run for re-election in 2002, and was succeeded the next year by Republican Tim Pawlenty . Ventura had a short-lived talk show on MSNBC in 2003 (Jesse Ventura's America), he published Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! in 2008 and in late 2009 made his debut as the host of Conspiracy Theory on TruTV.

Extra credit: Jesse Ventura made his feature film debut in the 1987 action movie Predator, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger … The Reform Party was founded in 1992 by another political outsider, Ross Perot ; in 2000, while governor, Ventura left the Reform Party and joined the Independence Party of Minnesota… Ventura made waves in 2001 when he agreed to be a TV commentator for the XFL football league while still serving as governor. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Interview With Former Wrestler and Governor Jesse Ventura Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! by Jesse Ventura. © 2008 Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. Updated January 04, 2016. I had the opportunity to speak to Jesse Ventura as part of the promotional tour he is doing for the soft-cover release of his book, Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me . I reviewed the hard-cover edition of the book last year and was fascinated by many of the stories he told while he was serving as the governor of Minnesota. This was by-far the longest interview I have done on the site.

We had a relatively normal Q&A for the first 20-minutes and then had a great political conversation for 15 minutes. By comparison, my average interview is a little over 10-minutes long. While the interview is long, it is also the most entertaining and important one I have done. Eric: Congratulations on the success of your book, Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me. Can you tell me what made you want to write the book and what has been added to the newly released soft-cover edition of the book? continue reading below our video Top 5 Grossing Movies of All Time Jesse Ventura: First of all, we’ll go backwards. What’s been added is my thoughts since Barack Obama’s election and what’s been happening in the country since the election. The book was printed prior to the election. It was actually printed last spring, a year ago. A lot of things have transpired in between so we managed to update it a little more with my thoughts on the election and the current direction we are going in now. Eric: Just out of curiosity, who did you vote for in the election? Jesse Ventura: I don’t vote for Democrats or Republicans. I protest vote.

The last election I think I voted for Ralph Nader. I do that because I will not vote for a Democrat or Republican. I’m a great believer that on all ballots now, be it state, local, or national, that we should have the option of “none of the above”. People kind of laugh at that but what it really means is that it is a vote of no confidence in government. I believe that in certain elections that “none of the above” could actually win. Eric: I think that was a plot in an old Richard Pryor movie with the “none of the above”. [Note: It was in Brewster's Millions] Jesse Ventura: I don’t know but to me it’s not comedic. It should be an option given to voters like me, who there is no candidate that inspires me to vote for them. Having said that, let me say this also, I did not vote for President Obama nor did I vote for John McCain. But I remember that when President Obama was elected that I turned to my wife that day and told her that I felt very good about this because I never believed in my lifetime that a black American could be elected President.

I’m very glad that in my lifetime that I had the opportunity to see that happen. Eric: In addition to the book, you also have a new television show coming out. What can you tell me about that? Jesse Ventura: Well hopefully it is. They claim that we’re coming out but I guess that I as the star am the last to know. As far as I know it’s not coming out yet. They haven’t informed me that it is. We have completed it. It is a conspiracy show that I host where we go into different conspiracies. The sad thing we realized in shooting the pilot was that you will get no cooperation from the government at all on anything. Our government today doesn’t feel obligated to answer any questions from the citizens. And that’s really the big picture of what the show is about. The fact that today we have a government that you can’t ask questions of. Eric: Last year, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain all appeared on RAW cutting wrestling style promos in hopes of getting some votes. What did you think of that and which one of them cut the better wrestling promo? Jesse Ventura: I don’t know because I didn’t see them and I don’t watch.

Eric: And what did you think of them actually going on Monday Night RAW? Jesse Ventura: Well, why not? Wrestling has always had a huge following through the years. I’m sure that there are wrestling fans that vote. So why wouldn’t you? I just felt sad that McMahon would choose to become the status quo and embrace the two party system as he did. I always thought Vince was more of a rebel but I guess he is more of a go-along get-along guy. Prev Jesse Ventura, Ex-Minnesota Governor And Pro-Wrestler, Says 'No' To Anti-Gay Amendment (VIDEO) | The Huffington Post Jesse Ventura, Ex-Minnesota Governor And Pro-Wrestler, Says 'No' To Anti-Gay Amendment (VIDEO) 09/14/2012 02:13 pm ET | Updated Feb 02, 2016 2k Former governor of Minnesota, actor and pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura has joined the campaign against a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman in Minnesota. " The constitution should not be used to oppress people. The constitution is used to protect people.

Love is by far bigger than government can ever be," said Ventura, who has been married to his wife, Terry, for 37 years. In this video posted on YouTube Friday by Minnesotans United for All Families , Ventura and his wife firmly declare their support for same-sex marriage as they urge other Minnesotans to vote "no" this November. "Government should not be telling people to fall in love with…to cohabit with. We're supposed to be the home of the brave, land of the free," said Ventura, who served as governor from 1999 to 2003.

"This is not a Democrat issue, this is not a Republican issue… which means it affects each and every one of us regardless of whatever our political persuasion is." In May 2011, the Minnesota State Legislature voted to put a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballots in Minnesota that will read: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in Minnesota?” According to a recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling, the amendment will probably " go down to the wire ," as 48 percent of voters are said to support the ban while 47 percent oppose it. "What if one day someone decided to take what's really important to you and put it on a bill and try to get it to change the constitution so that you could never even have a chance to get it back?... If you don't stand up for their rights, you're going to lose some of your rights too ," Terry said, appealing to the voters who may choose "yes" later this year. "How in the world can two people professing how much they love and care for each other and that they want to be with each other forever -- how can that be bad?

No matter who you are," she said. The Venturas are not the first straight allies who have come forward in support of the LGBT community. Click through this slideshow to see other examples of straight celebs who have taken a stand: Straight Allies Jesse Ventura - Biography - IMDb Jesse Ventura Biography Showing all 78 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (51) | Personal Quotes (19) Overview (4) 6' 4" (1.93 m) Mini Bio (1) Jesse Ventura was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Bernice Martha (Lenz), a nurse who was of German descent, and George William Janos, a steam fitter of Slovak ancestry. In November 1990, professional wrestler turned actor Jesse Ventura was elected to a four-year term as mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis with a population of around 56,000. After his mayoral term, he purchased a small hobby farm in nearby Maple Grove, Minnesota and moved from Brooklyn Park.

In November 1998, Ventura, as a member of the Reform Party, was elected Governor of Minnesota. Jesse served as governor from 1999 to 2003 and did not run for a second term. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Joseph Sexton (sextonjt@peganet.com) Spouse (1) ( 18 July 1975 - present) (2 children) Trade Mark (2) Unique voice and cunning wit Shaven head and mustache (as governor) Trivia (51) Did color commentary for the Minnesota Vikings radio network Former mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN. Elected Governor of the state of Minnesota on the Reform Party ticket for the 1999 to 2003 term. A volunteer football coach at Park High School in Champlin, Minnesota. A 1969 graduate of Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis, Took the name "Ventura" from the California city of that name which, in turn, is named after San Buenaventura. The about-to-merge towns of St. Augusta and Luxembourg, Minnesota, are considering naming themselves Ventura.

[2000] Jesse's son, Tyrel, is an aspiring film director. Announces he will not run for re-election as governor of Minnesota, and will step down after current term (18 June 2002) Son Tyrel (b. 1980). Daughter Jade (b. 1984). Last WWF appearance as a color commentator was WrestleMania VI (1990). Served as color commentator alongside play-by-play broadcaster Gorilla Monsoon (aka Robert Marella for the first six WrestleManias. In a 1999 interview for Playboy magazine, he declared organized religion "a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers." In response to the subsequent criticism over that statement, he later clarified that he did not dislike most religious people, but criticized the views of religious fundamentalists, calling their views "weak and destructive.". Is a Vietnam veteran although he did not actually see combat. WWE Hall of Famer. Signed on to color commentate XFL games for the one season that it existed.

In 1984, just before a scheduled Madison Square Garden main event with Hulk Hogan , Jesse was rushed to the hospital in San Diego with a pulmonary embolism. Treatment of the blood clot required blood thinners, any bleeding in the ring would have been dangerous. He claimed it was due to being exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Right around the time Hulk Hogan entered WCW, he left the company. A week before he had his embolism, Bobby Heenan was scheduled to be his new manager. With Jesse out, Bobby began managing Big John Studd . During the 2000 Minnesota State Fair, at the Jesse Ventura booth, T-shirts were being sold by donation that read "Got Underwear" He doesn't wear underwear. Wrote his autobiography a couple of years back when he was still governor of Minnesota. The title of his book was "I Ain't Got Time to Bleed", which was also one of his memorable lines in Predator (1987).

Partially attributed for birth of the term "smart growth", but only because he said he didn't want any "dumb growth." His staff turned the term to the positive and it's now called "smart growth." Prior to being elected governors, he and Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared together in three films: Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987), and Batman & Robin (1997). During the filming of the movie Predator (1987) became close friends with star Arnold Schwarzenegger . While a professional wrestler in the 1980s he began lobbying his fellow wrestlers to form a labor union. Once news of this reached Ventura's then friend Hulk Hogan , Hogan informed World Wrestling Entertainement owner Vince McMahon , who immediately put a stop to the proceedings. Hogan never bothered to tell Ventura what he did. Ventura eventually learned for himself in the 1990s, at which point he ceased to consider Hogan a friend. Opted not to go for a second term as Minnesota governor, citing lack of privacy and being in the public eye so much.

He said he made this decision solely based on the fact that at the time he was elected, many political figures were under scrutiny for their past histories and were having their personal lives thrust into the spotlight. Ventura said he did not want his family put into that position and accused the media of scrutinizing his family rather than focusing on important policy issues. Worked with Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War but never actually trained as one. Splits his time living in both Mexico and Minnesota with his wife. He has expressed interest in applying for dual citizenship in Mexico. Jesse Ventura played one of Wesley Snipes's CryoCon henchmen in Demolition Man. He had a fight scene with Sylvester Stallone and it was cut out and shown in a TV spot back when Demolition Man was being released. Is of Slovak and German descent. Both of his parents are World War II veterans. After being discharged from active duty from the military in 1973, Ventura joined a biker gang called the Mongols. Shortly after Ventura left the gang in 1974, the gang went into open warfare against the Hell's Angels, which was a rival gang.

However, Ventura was not involved in any criminal activity during his time in the gang. His gubernatorial campaign earned only $300000, compared to the millions that both the Republican and Democratic candidates received. Considered running for the Senate in Minnesota in 2008 as an independent. However, he eventually decided against the idea, citing a potential lack of privacy for his family, especially his children. This was one of the concerns that prompted Ventura to refuse to seek a second term as governor in 2002. Ventura also stated part of his decision not to run was that being a Senator would have required considerable changes in his schedule, given that he also had been living part-time in Mexico for a few years at the time he considered a run for the Senate. Al Franken ended up winning the election as a Democrat. Was a member of the Underwater Demolition Teams when he was in the Navy. The Underwater Demolition Teams were merged with the Navy SEALs in 1983, 8 years after Ventura left the Navy. Republican Tim Pawlenty succeeded him as Minnesota governor in 2003. Ran for governor on the Reform Party ticket.

However, Ventura quit the Reform Party in 2000 due to growing infighting in the party that made Ventura denounce the party as "hopelessly dysfunctional.". Worked as a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones for a brief time. Has an older brother who is also a Vietnam veteran. Was a visiting fellow at Harvard in 2004. Was mayor of the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park from 1991 to 1995. Published author. Was involved in a controversy in 2012 when former Navy Seal Chris Kyle claimed that he punched Ventura in 2006 at a bar in California after Ventura allegedly made derogatory remarks about the military. Ventura denied the allegations, saying that he never met Kyle. In retaliation, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Kyle for defamation.

Announced plans to host a new political show on MSNBC [February 2003] Teaching a seminar on third-party politics for the Spring 2004 term at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government [February 2004] Utters one of the best action movie lines of all time in Predator (1987) when after a comrade exclaims, "You're hit, you're bleedin' man!", Jesse (Blain) unblinkingly responds with, "I ain't got time to bleed". Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election of the United States. Personal Quotes (19) [what he says his motto was as a wrestler (not as a politician)] Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat. [interview in Minnesapolis Star-Tribune] You need to hunt something that can shoot back at you to really classify yourself as a hunter. You need to understand the feeling of what it's like to go into the field and know your opposition can take you out. Not just go out there and shoot Bambi.

[on the possibility of running for US President] I'm a great believer in destiny, and if I'm destined to be there, it will happen. If I'm not, it won't. I think, in 2008, we need a pro wrestler in the White House. [on the state of religion and politics in the US as of 2008] If Jesus came back today, I think he'd throw up. Yes, I do, because it's so slanted toward the incumbent to win, it's ridiculous. In the Congress today, we don't even have competitive races in all but about 15 across the country, because they control the districting and they make the districts so well -- this is Democrat, this is Republican. They all work it out in the back room. So, yes, I think term limits would be terrific. I don't believe anyone should be allowed to serve one day longer at one job than what we let our president do, and that's two four-year terms.

[on Larry King Live, July 2008; when asked if he thinks there should be congressional term limits] [Regarding his views on religion]: I'd like to clarify (my comments published in Playboy) about religious people being weak-minded. I didn't mean all religious people. I don't have any problem with the vast majority of religious folks. I count myself among them, more or less. But I believe because it makes sense to me, not because I think it can be proven. There are lots of people out there who think they know the truth about God and religion, but does anybody really know for sure? That's why the founding fathers built freedom of religious belief into the structure of this nation, so that everybody could make up their minds for themselves. But I do have a problem with the people who think they have some right to try to impose their beliefs on others. I hate what the fundamentalist fanatics are doing to our country. It seems as though, if everybody doesn't accept their version of reality, that somehow invalidates it for them. Everybody must believe the same things they do. That's what I find weak and destructive.

[Ventura's advice to Arnold Schwarzenegger after the latter was elected Governor of California in a 2003 recall election] Think about what you want to say, and talk from your heart. Scripts are for actors. [discussing the resignation of Sarah Palin as governor of Alaska] She's a quitter. Let me put it to you this way, and by not being sexist: She could never make it as a frogman or a Navy SEAL. Because if you utter the words in BUDS training, or Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training, "I quit," you're gone. I don't remember one person in my class that quit. I remember every person that I graduated with. It offends me over the fact that she told the people of Alaska she wanted to be their governor, and that's a four-year commitment. And now right in the middle, she quits? Well, if she's got plans on running for higher office, I would never vote for her, because if it gets too hot in the kitchen she's liable to quit. I don't think she was put under any more scrutiny with the media than I was as an independent. My children were attacked in Minnesota.

Everything I did was put under the microscope, but the point is you don't quit. When you make an obligation and you take an oath, doesn't that mean anything anymore? I didn't need this job. I ran for governor to find out if the American dream still exists in anyone's heart other than mine. I'm living proof that the myths aren't true. The candidate with the most money isn't always the one who wins. You don't have to be a career politician to serve in public office. You don't have to be well-connected. You don't even have to be a Democrat or a Republican. You can stand on your own two feet and speak your mind, because if people like where you're coming from, they will vote you in. The will of the people is still the most powerful force in our government. Wasting your vote is not voting your heart and not voting your conscience. That's a wasted vote. [2005 interview] If America is changing because of the War on Terrorism, then the terrorists are winning.

Because we may beating them on the battlefield, but if we're getting our freedoms taken away and America changes because of what terrorism does and the fear of terrorism and government there to 'protect' us, then in my opinion the terrorists are winning. I live in Mexico for half of the year. You know, I live with those brown-skinned people that we're so afraid of that we're going to build walls and barbed wire fences and all of this stuff and we're going to turn my country into East Berlin, because we fear these brown-skinned people who manage to come up here looking for economic advantage; looking to help their families the same way you want to help yours. And to me, when I look at the United States turning into East Berlin, it is not the country that I served when I was in the military. [Ventura describing his views of both the Democratic and Republican parties] I view the traditional two parties as in some ways very evil. They've become monsters that are out of control. The two parties don't have in mind what's best for Minnesota. The only things that are important to them are their own agendas and their pork. Government's become just a battle of power between the two parties.

But now that Minnesota has a governor who truly comes from the private sector, a lot of light's going to be shed on how the system is unfair to people outside the two parties. [explaining his support for gay marriage] Love is by far bigger than the government can ever be. Are we that selfish a nation where health care can be such a divisive issue? Where is mainstream America today? To me, the doctor issue us a human right. I don't care if you're an illegal alien or whatever, if you're sick you should be able to have treatment. It amazes me that we've got people out there holding signs and making our president look like a Nazi, because he supports a change in the system. Here's another point: If government-run health care is so bad, does that mean we've been screwing over our veterans for close to a hundred years? My father would go nowhere else but to the Veteran's Administration hospital. The one here in Minnesota is state-of-the-art, brand-new, and completely government-run, and I don't see anyone protesting about that! If it's good enough for the veterans, shouldn't it be the same for all of us?

There's a reason that they call me "The Body." [explaining how he adopted the name 'Jesse Ventura'] I got the good fortune of being able to name myself. When you go into the world of pro-wresting, especially as a villain, it's not always good to use your real name. And I always loved the name Jesse, I pulled out a map of California, and I started matching Jesse up and when I read 'Jesse Ventura' the light went off. I remember sitting one time at a party and someone asked me my nationality and I said, "Well, I'm Czech," and my 85 year old aunt spun around in the chair and her finger went up and said, "You're not Czech, you're Slovak!" See also Tickets on Sale Monday (Oct. 11) to See Former Governor, Wrestler Jesse Ventura at WSU | WSU News | Washington State University Tickets on Sale Monday (Oct. 11) to See Former Governor, Wrestler Jesse Ventura at WSU October 8, 2004 PULLMAN, Wash. – Tickets will go on sale Monday (Oct.

11) to attend a Washington State University public lecture by former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura at 8 p.m. Oct. 29 as part of Dad’s Weekend. Ventura , a visiting Harvard Fellow, will discuss current political issues ranging from grass-roots political organization to the importance of third-party movements on American government. Tickets are $7 for WSU students and $10 for the general public and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will be in Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. They can be purchased at all TicketsWest outlets, by phone at (800) 325-SEAT or online at . Tickets for a prelecture banquet will also be available and come with VIP passes to the lecture and a brief meet-and-greet session with Ventura . Contact Tim Hogg, event coordinator for The Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy, at (206) 354-2864 for more information. Ventura was elected the 38th governor of Minnesota in November 1998. Shocking the political establishment, Ventura became the first-ever Reform Party candidate to win statewide office by defeating Democrat Hubert H.

(Skip) Humphrey III and Republican Norm Coleman. Ventura promised to keep new voters engaged in the political process by maintaining “common sense policies” that reduce reliance on government. He was also a strong proponent of public education and crime reduction during his term as governor. Ventura was born James Janos on July 15, 1951, to Sgt. George Janos, a steamfitter for the city of Minneapolis , and 1st Lt. Bernice Janos, a nurse anesthetist. Immediately after high school, Ventura joined the Navy and was trained as a SEAL. He served in the Navy for six years during the Vietnam era – four on active duty, two in the Reserve. For 11 years, was a professional wrestler. Known then as Jesse “The Body” Ventura , he retired from wrestling in 1984 and became an actor, appearing in several films, including “Predator” with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He later became a radio talk-show host. Following his term as governor, Ventura headed east to teach at Harvard’s elite John F. Kennedy School of Government as a visiting fellow.

The Institute of Politics group study, run by the former governor, focuses on third-party politics, the way third parties influence the landscape of American government and the future of independent political movements in America . The Associated Students of WSU’s Student Entertainment Board and The Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service are sponsoring the event. “This event will occur just days from the first election that the vast majority of students at WSU will be able to participate in. We felt it is essential to provide the students with a voice of difference,” said Joel Elmer, director of the student entertainment board. Categorized Jesse Ventura | Pro Wrestling | Fandom powered by Wikia [ show ] Early life Ventura was born James George Janos on July 15, 1951 in Minneapolis , the son of Bernice Martha (née Lenz) and George William Janos, both of whom were World War II veterans. Ventura has an older brother who served in Vietnam. His father's parents were from what is now Slovakia, and his mother was of German descent. Ventura has described himself as Slovak. Ventura was raised a Lutheran.

Ventura (then still using his legal name of Janos) attended the now-closed Cooper Elementary School and graduated from Minneapolis' Roosevelt High School in 1969. Navy career From September 11, 1969, to September 10, 1975, during the Vietnam War era, Ventura served in the United States Navy. Ventura graduated with BUD/S class 58 in December 1970 and was part of Underwater Demolition Team 12 and later as a reservist with SEAL Team 1. Ventura has frequently referred to his military career in public statements and debates. He was criticized by hunters and conservationists for stating in an interview with the Minneapolis StarTribune in April 2001, "Until you have hunted men, you haven't hunted yet." In January 2002, Ventura, who had never specifically claimed to have fought in Vietnam, disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat. He did not receive the Combat Action Ribbon, which was awarded to those involved in a firefight or who went on clandestine or special operations where the risk of enemy fire was great or expected.

However, Ventura, who was stationed at Subic Bay in the Philippines, was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal, which was given to military personnel who took part in the contributions to the war effort in Vietnam. Post Navy Near the end of his service in the Navy Ventura began to spend time with the "Dago" chapter of the outlaw motorcycle club the Mongols, in San Diego. He would ride onto Naval Base Coronado on his Harley-Davidson wearing his Mongol colors. According to Ventura he was a full-patch member of the club and even third in command of his chapter. While the club may have been involved in some criminal activity Ventura avoided any problems with the authorities. In the fall of 1974, Ventura left the bike club to return to Minnesota. Shortly after his leaving, the Mongols entered into open warfare with their rivals the Hells Angels. In Minnesota Ventura attended North Hennepin Community College in the mid-1970s. At the same time, he began weightlifting and wrestling . He was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones for a short time before he ventured into professional wrestling and changed his name.

Professional wrestling career Early career He created the stage name Jesse "The Body" Ventura to go with the persona of a bully-ish beach bodybuilder, picking the name "Ventura" from a map as part of his "bleach blond from California " character . Ventura also picked the name Jesse, claiming he liked the name. As a wrestler, Ventura performed as a villain and often used the motto "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!" Much of his flamboyant persona was adapted from "Superstar" Billy Graham , a charismatic and popular performer during the 1970s and '80s. Years later, as a broadcaster, Ventura made a running joke out of it claiming that Graham stole all of his ring attire ideas from him. Singles and tag team success In 1975, Ventura made his debut in the Central States territory, before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where he wrestled for promoter Don Owen as Jesse "The Great" Ventura. Sometime later, he adopted the more permanent nickname, "The Body".

During his stay in Portland, Oregon , he had notable feuds with Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka and won the Pacific Northwest Wrestling title twice (once from each wrestler), and the tag team title five times (twice each with Bull Ramos and "Playboy" Buddy Rose , and once with Jerry Oates). He later moved to his hometown promotion, the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota, and began teaming with Adrian Adonis as the "East-West Connection" in 1979. The duo won the promotion's World Tag Team Championship on July 20, 1980 on a forfeit when Verne Gagne , one-half of the tag team champions along with Mad Dog Vachon , failed to show up for a title defense in Denver , Colorado . The duo held the belts for nearly a year, losing to "The High Flyers" ( Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell ). Retirement and commentary Shortly after losing the belts, the duo moved on to the World Wrestling Federation , where they were managed by "Classy" Freddie Blassie . Although the duo was unable to capture the World Tag Team Championship , both Adonis and Ventura became singles title contenders, each earning several title shots at World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund .

Ventura continued to wrestle until September 1984, when blood clots in his lungs ended his in-ring career. Ventura claimed the blood clots were a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. Ventura did return to the ring in 1985 forming a tag-team with "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth . Often after their televised matches Ventura would taunt and challenge fellow commentator Bruno Sammartino but nothing ever came of this. He also participated in a six-man tag team match in December 1985 as he, Roddy Piper , and "Cowboy" Bob Orton defeated Hillbilly Jim , Uncle Elmer , and Cousin Luke in a match which was broadcast on Saturday Night's Main Event.

After a failed comeback bid, he began to do color commentary on television for All-Star Wrestling (replacing Angelo Mosca ) and later Superstars of Wrestling (initially alongside Vince McMahon and Sammartino, and with McMahon after Sammartino's departure from the WWF in 1988), hosted his own talk segment on the WWF's Superstars of Wrestling called "The Body Shop", and did color commentary on radio for a few National Football League teams (among them, the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Ventura most notably co-hosted Saturday Night's Main Event with Vince McMahon and the first six WrestleManias (1985–1990) and most of the WWF's pay-per-views at the time with Gorilla Monsoon (the lone exception for Ventura being the first SummerSlam , in which Ventura served as the guest referee during the main event). Following a dispute with Vince McMahon over the use of his image for promoting a Sega product, McMahon—who had a contract with rival company Nintendo at the time—released Ventura from the company in August 1990. In February 1992 at SuperBrawl II , Ventura joined World Championship Wrestling as a commentator.

His professional wrestling commentary style was an extension of his wrestling persona, as he was partial to the villains, which was something new and different at the time, but would still occasionally give credit where it was due, praising the athleticism of Dynamite Kid and Randy Savage (who was championed by Ventura for years, even when he was a fan favorite ). The lone exception to this rule was the WrestleMania VI match between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior . Since they were both crowd favorites, Ventura took a neutral position in his commentary; even praising Hogan's display of sportsmanship at the end of the match when he handed over the WWF Championship to the Warrior after he lost the title. The praise of Hogan's action was unusual for Ventura because he regularly rooted against Hogan during his matches. Hogan and Ventura were, at one point, close friends. Ventura, however, abruptly ended the friendship after he discovered, during his lawsuit against Vince McMahon, that Hogan was the one who had told Vince about Ventura's attempt to form a labor union in 1984.

Ventura was released by WCW President Eric Bischoff for allegedly falling asleep during a WCW Worldwide TV taping at Disney MGM Studios in July 1994, though its been speculated the move may have had more to do with Hulk Hogan's arrival shortly before. Litigation In 1987, while negotiating his contract as a WWF commentator, Ventura waived his rights to royalties on videotape sales when he was falsely told that only feature performers received such royalties. In 1991, having discovered that other non-feature performers received royalties, Ventura brought an action for fraud, misappropriation of publicity rights, and quantum meruit in Minnesota state court against Titan Sports. Titan removed the case to federal court, and Ventura won an $801,333 jury verdict on the last claim. The judgment was affirmed on appeal, and the case, 65 F.3d 725 (8th Cir.1995), is an important result in the law of restitution.

Return to the World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment In mid-1999, Ventura reappeared on WWF television during his term as Governor of Minnesota, acting as the special guest referee for main event of SummerSlam held in Minneapolis. Ventura would continue his relationship with the WWF by performing commentary for Vince McMahon's short-lived XFL. On the March 20, 2003 episode of SmackDown! , Ventura appeared in a taped interview to talk about the match between McMahon and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XIX . Less than a year later, he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 13, 2004 and the following night at WrestleMania XX , he approached the ring to interview Donald Trump, who had a front row seat at the event. Trump affirmed that Ventura would receive his moral and financial support were he to ever reenter the world of politics. Alluding to the 2008 election, Ventura boldly announced that "In 2008, maybe we oughta put a wrestler in the White House". On the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw , Ventura appeared to give comments about Vince McMahon.

Ventura was guest host on the November 23, 2009 episode of Raw during which he retained his villainous persona by siding with the number one contender, Sheamus over WWE Champion John Cena . This happened while he confronted Cena about how it was unfair that Cena always got a title shot in the WWE while Ventura didn't during his WWE career. After that Sheamus attacked Cena and put him through a table. Ventura then made the match a Table match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs . During the show, for the first time in nearly 20 years, Vince McMahon joined Ventura at ringside to provide match commentary together. Political career Mayor of Brooklyn Park Following his departure from the WWF, Ventura took advice from a former high school teacher and ran for mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1990. Ventura defeated the city's 25-year incumbent mayor and served from 1991 to 1995. Governor of Minnesota Ventura ran for Governor of Minnesota in 1998 as the nominee for the Reform Party of Minnesota (he later joined the Independence Party of Minnesota when the Reform Party broke from its association with the Reform Party of the United States of America).

His campaign consisted of a combination of aggressive grassroots events and original television spots, designed by quirky adman Bill Hillsman, using the phrase "Don't vote for politics as usual." He spent considerably less than his opponents (about $300,000) and was a pioneer in his using the Internet as a medium of reaching out to voters in a political campaign. He won the election in November 1998, narrowly (and unexpectedly) defeating the major-party candidates, St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman (Republican) and Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). After his victory, bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the slogan "My governor can beat up your governor" appeared in Minnesota. The nickname "Jesse 'The Mind (from a last-minute Hillsman ad featuring Ventura posing as Rodin's Thinker) began to resurface sarcastically in reference to his frequently controversial remarks. Ventura's old stage name "Jesse 'The Body (sometimes adapted to "Jesse 'The Governing Body) also continued to appear with some regularity. After a trade mission to China in 2002, he announced that he would not run for a second term.

He accused the media of hounding him and his family for personal behavior and belief while neglecting coverage of important policy issues. Ventura later told a reporter for The Boston Globe that he would have run for a second term if he had been single, citing the media's effect on his family life. Governor Ventura sparked media criticism when, nearing the end of his term, he suggested that he might resign from office early to allow his lieutenant governor, Mae Schunk, an opportunity to serve as governor. He further stated that he wanted her to be the state's first female governor and have her portrait painted and hung in the Capitol along with the other governors. Ventura quickly retreated from the comments, saying he was just floating an idea. Political positions As Minnesota Governor, Ventura succeeded in several initiatives. One of the most notable was the rebate on sales tax. In each year of his administration, Minnesotans received a tax-free check in the late summer. The state was running a budget surplus at the time, and Ventura believed that the money should be returned to the public. In political debates, he often admitted that he had not formed an opinion on certain policy questions.

Ventura frequently described himself as "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." He selected teacher Mae Schunk as his running mate. Later, he came to support a unicameral (one-house) legislature, property tax reform, gay rights, and abortion rights. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, he affirmed his support of gay rights, including gay marriage and gays in the military, humorously stating he would've gladly served alongside homosexuals when he was in the Navy as they would've provided less competition for women. While funding public school education generously, he opposed the teachers' union, and did not have a high regard for the public funding of higher education institutions. Additionally, Ventura supported the use of medicinal marijuana, advocated a higher role for third parties in national politics, and favored the concept of instant-runoff voting. He also opposed the death penalty. Ventura was elected on a Reform party ticket, but he never received support from Ross Perot's Texas faction. When the Reform party was taken over by Pat Buchanan supporters before the presidential elections of 2000, Ventura left the party in February 2000, referring to it as "hopelessly dysfunctional".

However, he maintained close ties to the Independence Party of Minnesota, which also broke from the Reform party around the same time. Despite being a supporter of third parties in the past, Ventura has since declared he no longer supports the third party movement and advocates that all political parties, including third parties, be abolished. Feeling that the two-party system has corrupted the government, Ventura has expressed concern that if a third party became as successful as the Republicans and Democrats, it "will likewise have to corrupt itself. If you already have a two-headed monster, why would you need three?" Lacking a party base in the Minnesota House and Senate, Ventura's policy ambitions had little chance of being introduced as bills. Initially, the residents of Minnesota feared Ventura's vetoes would be overturned. He vetoed 45 bills in his first year, and only three of those vetoes were overridden. The reputation for having his vetoes overridden comes from his fourth and final year, where six of his nine vetoes were overturned. He vetoed a bill to require Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. During the first part of his administration, Ventura strongly advocated for land-use reform and substantial mass transit improvements, such as light rail.

He made the light rail project a priority, obtaining additional funding from the Minnesota state legislature to keep the project moving. The Hiawatha Line was completed in 2004. During another trade mission to Cuba in the summer of 2002, he denounced the economic sanctions of the US against Cuba, stating that the sanctions affected the Cuban public more than it did its government. Wellstone memorial Ventura greatly disapproved of some of the actions that took place at the 2002 memorial for Senator Paul Wellstone, his family, and others who died in a plane crash on October 25 , 2002. Ventura said, "I feel used. I feel violated and duped over the fact that the memorial ceremony turned into a political rally". He left halfway through the controversial speech made by Wellstone's best friend, Rick Kahn. Ventura had initially planned to appoint a Democrat to Wellstone's seat, but he instead appointed Dean Barkley to represent Minnesota in the Senate until Wellstone's term expired in January 2003.

Political criticisms After the legislature refused to increase spending for security, Ventura attracted criticism when he decided not to live in the governor's mansion during his tenure, choosing instead to shut it down and stay at his home in Maple Grove. Critics pointed to the loss of jobs for several working-class people at the mansion and the extra cost of reopening the mansion later. In 1999, a group of disgruntled citizens petitioned to recall Governor Ventura, alleging, among other things, that "the use of state security personnel to protect the governor on a book promotion tour constituted illegal use of state property for personal gain." The petition was denied. During his tenure as Governor, Ventura drew frequent fire from the press in the Twin Cities. He referred to reporters as "media jackals," a term that even appeared on the press passes required to enter the governor's press area. Shortly after Ventura's election as governor, author and humorist Garrison Keillor wrote a satirical book about the event, spoofing Ventura as "Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente," a self-aggrandizing former "Navy W.A.L.R.U.S. (Water Air Land Rising Up Suddenly)" turned professional wrestler turned politician.

Initially, Ventura responded angrily to the satire, but later, in a conciliatory vein, said that Keillor "makes Minnesota proud". During his term, Ventura appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, in which he responded controversially to the following question: "So which is the better city of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis or St. Paul?". Ventura responded, "Minneapolis. Those streets in St. Paul must have been designed by drunken Irishmen". He later apologized for the remark, adding that it was not intended to be taken seriously. Post-Gubernatorial Political Ambitions While Ventura has not held public office since the end of his term as governor in 2003, he has remained politically active and has occasionally stated intentions of running again for political office. In an interview on CNN's The Situation Room on April 7, 2008, Ventura hinted that he was considering entering the race for the United States Senate seat then held by Norm Coleman, his Republican opponent in the 1998 Gubernatorial race.

A poll commissioned by Twin Cities station Fox 9 put him at 24 percent, behind Al Franken at 32 percent and Norm Coleman at 39 percent in a hypothetical three-way race. However, Ventura announced on Larry King Live on July 14, 2008 that he would not run; Ventura's decision not to join the race was partly rooted from a fear of a potential lack of privacy for his family, a concern that contributed to his refusal to seek a second term as governor. Al Franken ended up winning the election as a candidate for the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. In his 1999 autobiography I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, Ventura stated he did not plan on running for the presidency but did not rule out such an idea. He spoke at Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic", organized by the Campaign for Liberty, on September 2, 2008. At the event, Ventura implied a possible future run at the U.S. Presidency.

At the end of his speech, Ventura stated before a live audience that if America proves itself worthy, then "in 2012 we'll give them a race they'll never forget!" In 2011, Ventura expressed interest in running with Ron Paul for the 2012 presidential elections if the latter decided to run as an independent. On November 4, 2011, Ventura said at a press conference about the dismissal of his court case against the Transportation Security Administration for what he claims are illegal searches of air travelers, that he is "thinking about" running for President. There had been reports that officials from the Libertarian Party have tried to persuade Ventura to run for the presidency on a Libertarian ticket although the party chairman Mark Hinkle stated, "Jesse is more interested in 2016 than he is in 2012. But I think he’s serious. If Ron Paul ran as a Libertarian, I think he definitely would be interested in running as a vice presidential candidate.

He’s thinking, ‘If I run as the vice presidential candidate under Ron Paul in 2012, I could run as a presidential candidate in 2016." David Gewirtz of ZDNet wrote that he thinks Ventura has a chance of winning, if he declares his intention now (November 2011) and runs a serious campaign, but that it would be a long shot. On December 29, 2011, Ventura announced his support for Ron Paul on the Alex Jones Show for the 2012 Presidential Election as "the only anti-war candidate." Acting career Ventura acted in the 1987 movie Predator, whose cast included future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and future Kentucky Gubernatorial candidate Sonny Landham. Ventura became close friends with Schwarzenegger during the production of Predator. He appeared in two episodes of Zorro filmed in Madrid, Spain, in 1991.

He had a starring role in the 1990 sci-fi movie Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, and supporting roles in The Running Man, Thunderground, Demolition Man, Repossessed, Ricochet, The Master of Disguise (in which he steals the Liberty Bell), and Batman & Robin – the first two and last of these also starring Schwarzenegger. Ventura also made a cameo appearance in Major League II, as "White Lightning". He also appeared as a self-help guru (voice only) in The Ringer trying to turn Johnny Knoxville into a more confident worker. Ventura also had a cameo in The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" as a Man in Black alongside fellow 'MiB' Alex Trebek. In 2008, Ventura filmed the independent comedy Woodshop, starring as a high school shop teacher named Mr. Madson. The film was released September 7, 2010. Other media In 1989 Ventura co-hosted the four episodes of the DiC Entertainment children's program Record Breakers along with Gary Apple.

In 1991, the pilot episode for "Tag Team", a television program about two ex-professional wrestlers turned police officers, starred Ventura and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper . Between 1995 and his run for governor in 1998, Ventura had radio call-in shows on (KFAN 1130) and (KSTP 1500) in Minneapolis – Saint Paul. Jesse had a brief role on the television soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1999. Ventura has been criticized for privately profiting from his heightened popularity. He was hired as a television analyst for the failed XFL football enterprise, served as a referee at a World Wrestling Federation match , and published several books during his tenure as governor. On his weekly radio show, he often criticized the media for focusing on these deals rather than on his policy proposals. Media parodies Ventura has been portrayed frequently by comedian James Adomian since 2009 on the popular Earwolf podcasts Comedy Bang Bang and Sklarbro Country, with the "Ventura" character uncovering a wide range of absurd conspiracies.

Adomian also played Ventura in a YouTube parody of Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, investigating the secret truth behind professional wrestling. Post-gubernatorial life Ventura was succeeded in his office by Republican Tim Pawlenty. He began a cable television show in October 2003, on MSNBC called Jesse Ventura's America. The show was broadcast once a week, on Saturdays, unlike many MSNBC shows which are on five nights a week (this show was originally planned for five nights a week as well, but MSNBC executives changed their minds). At the time of its airing, Jesse Ventura's America was the only national television show filmed in Minnesota. Among his guests were Charles Barkley, Gray Davis, Arianna Huffington, Rob Kampia, and Kathy McKee. However, the show was short-lived and ended on December 26, 2003, only a couple of months after the show began. Ventura later claimed that the show was cancelled because of his opposition to the Iraq War. In 2004, Harvard graduate student and fellow Navy veteran Christopher Mora promoted the idea that the academic establishment had failed to reach out to citizens experienced in public service, but who did not fit the traditional idea of a politician.

He successfully lobbied for the selection of Ventura, who started teaching a study group at Harvard University for the Spring 2004 semester as a visiting fellow at the Kennedy School of Government's Institute of Politics (IOP). His 90-minute study group focused on third party politics, campaign finance, the war on drugs, and other relevant political issues. Ventura scheduled multiple famous friends to appear for his seminars including Dean Barkley and Richard Marcinko. On October 22 , 2004, with Ventura by his side, former Maine Governor Angus King endorsed John Kerry for President at the Minnesota state capitol building. Ventura did not speak at the press conference. When prodded for a statement, Governor King responded, "He plans to vote for John Kerry, but he doesn't want to make a statement and subject himself to the tender mercies of the Minnesota press". In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos.

Ventura served as an advisory board member for a group called Operation Truth, a non-profit organization] set up "to give voice to troops who served in Iraq." “The current use of the National Guard is wrong....These are men who did not sign up to go occupy foreign nations”. Ventura also became critical of the War in Iraq, arguing that Iraq had no involvement in the 9/11 attacks. On The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Ventura compared the 2003 invasion of Iraq to a scenario of invading Korea in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. In August 2005, Ventura became the spokesperson for BetUS, an online Sportsbook. In 2005, Ventura repeatedly discussed leaving the United States. In September 2005, Ventura announced on The Mike Malloy Show that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. and moving to Mexico due to, among other things, censorship.

In September 2006, Ventura endorsed and campaigned with independent Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman], and Independence Party of Minnesota's gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson and Team Minnesota. In April 2008, a book authored by Ventura, titled Don't Start the Revolution Without Me, was released. In it, Ventura describes a hypothetical campaign in which he is a candidate for President of the United States in 2008, running as an independent. In an interview with the Associated Press at the time of the book's release, however, Ventura denied any plans for a presidential bid, stating that the scenario is only imaginary and not indicative of a "secret plan to run". On MinnPost.com, Ventura's agent, Steve Schwartz, describes the book thus: "[Ventura is revealing] why he left politics and discussing the disastrous war in Iraq, why he sees our two-party system as corrupt, and what Fidel Castro told him about who was really behind the assassination of President Kennedy." Bush/Cheney administration and torture In a May 11, 2009 interview with Larry King, Ventura twice stated that George W.

Bush was the worst president of his lifetime, adding "President Obama inherited something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. You know? Two wars, an economy that's borderline depression." On the issue of waterboarding, Ventura added: Ventura then stated that he had no respect for Dick Cheney because he is "a guy who got five deferments from the Vietnam War. Clearly, he's a coward. He wouldn't go when it was his time to go. And now he is a chickenhawk. Now he is this big tough guy who wants this hardcore policy. And he's the guy that sanctioned all this torture by calling it 'enhanced interrogation'." Ventura also expressed interest in being appointed ambassador to Cuba should U.S. relations with Cuba continue to improve. On a May 18, 2009 appearance on The View, Ventura asked Elisabeth Hasselbeck if waterboarding is acceptable, why were the Oklahoma City bombers, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, not waterboarded. "We only seem to waterboard Muslims." Comparing the waterboarding of detainees to the North Vietnamese torture of American P.O.W.s, Ventura asserted, "We created our own Hanoi Hilton in Guantánamo.

That's our Hanoi Hilton." "'Enhanced interrogation' is Dick Cheney changing a word. Dick Cheney comes up with a new word to cover his ass." On May 20, 2009, Ventura appeared on Fox & Friends. When Brian Kilmeade told Ventura that he would stop supporting waterboarding when "they're dead", Ventura responded, "Really? Have you enlisted? Have you enlisted or are you just talking?... Go walk the walk, don't talk the talk." Questions regarding 9/11 In April and May 2008, Jesse Ventura, in several radio interviews for his new book, Don't Start the Revolution Without Me, expressed concerns about what he described as some of the unanswered questions of the September 11 attacks. His remarks about the possibility that the World Trade Center was demolished with explosives were also repeated in newspaper and television stories following some of the interviews.

Ventura was interviewed on the Alex Jones radio show on April 2, 2008 where he said that he felt that many unanswered questions remain, and he believes that World Trade Center Building 7, which was not struck by a plane, collapsed on the afternoon of 9/11 in a manner which resembled a controlled demolition Ventura stated: He also states the Twin Towers appeared to be pulverized to dust, that they fell at virtually free-fall speed, and that no other massive steel-framed buildings had ever collapsed in this manner due to fire before. On May 18, 2009, when asked by Sean Hannity of Fox News, how George W. Bush could have avoided the attacks of September 11, 2001, Ventura answered, "Well, you pay attention to memos on August 6th that tell you exactly what bin Laden's gonna do." Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura In August 2009, it was announced that Ventura would host TruTV's new show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura. "Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces," truTV said in a statement.

On the program, which debuted on December 2, 2009, Ventura travels the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics before passing judgment on a theory's validity. According to TruTV, the first episode drew 1.6 million viewers, a record for a new series on the network. The second season of the series debuted in October 2010 and aired 8 episodes through December 2010. A third season is in the process of being made and will air sometime in 2012. American Conspiracies and 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read American Conspiracies is a book Ventura wrote with Dick Russell, published by Skyhorse Publishing in 2010 which discusses conspiracy theories related to several notable events in United States history. 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read was also written by Ventura with Dick Russell and published in 2011. The book describes documents that Ventura claims the government does not want the public to be informed of, although he stated the documents were not stolen and were only on the public domain.

Lawsuit Against the TSA In January 2011, Jesse Ventura filed a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration for being subject to controversial pat-downs. Ventura has asserted that these pat-downs violate citizens' Fourth Amendment rights. Ventura's attorney has claimed that while he is not seeking any monetary compensation, Ventura wants an acknowledgment from the court that his rights were violated and that the TSA halt future pat-downs on him. Ventura stated that as a former politician and a military veteran and posing no threat, it is inappropriate for him to be subject to pat-downs. Since filing the lawsuit, Ventura has been flying privately. The lawsuit was dismissed in November 2011 under the ruling that Ventura should have filed the lawsuit in the Court of Appeals. In related comments to the media following the lawsuit's dismissal, Ventura stated he believed America had become "fascist" for the secret ruling and subsequent mainstream media blackout. The former Governor said he would seek dual citizenship in both the United States and Mexico, having lived in Baja California Sur for a number of years. He also said he no longer felt patriotic and would raise a fist during the playing of the national anthem at public events.

Ventura has declared he would no longer fly commercially and has repeatedly stated "I love my country, not my government" in post-press-release interviews. The ultimate outcome of the TSA constitutional matter remains undetermined, and Ventura has not stated whether he would continue his lawsuit. Jesse Ventura (Author of American Conspiracies) Nonfiction , History , Politics Influences edit data Jesse Ventura is an American politician, actor, author, veteran, and former professional wrestler who served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Ventura served as a U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team member during the Vietnam War. He had a long tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1951, James George Janos, later known as Jesse "The Body" Ventura, was born in Minneapolis to George and Bernice Janos. Janos joined the U.S. Navy and spent time in the Vietnam War. He was briefly a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones. Janos developed a rigorous workout routine, and his newly muscular physique attracted the attention of famous Midwest wrestling promoter Bob Geigel.

He began wres Jesse Ventura is an American politician, actor, author, veteran, and former professional wrestler who served as the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. Ventura served as a U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team member during the Vietnam War. He had a long tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1951, James George Janos, later known as Jesse "The Body" Ventura, was born in Minneapolis to George and Bernice Janos. Janos joined the U.S. Navy and spent time in the Vietnam War. He was briefly a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones. Janos developed a rigorous workout routine, and his newly muscular physique attracted the attention of famous Midwest wrestling promoter Bob Geigel. He began wrestling professionally in the mid-1970s and changed his name to the one that made him famous, Jesse "The Body" Ventura. He continued wrestling in the national spotlight until 1984, when emergency hospitalization due to blood clots in his lungs made him miss a title match against Hulk Hogan, and ended his professional wrestling career.

He spent the next five years as a wrestling commentator for various television and radio programs. He acted in a handful of films, including several Arnold Schwarzenegger movies: "Predator" (1987), "The Running Man" (1987) and "Batman & Robin" (1997). In 1990, Ventura ran against and defeated the 18-year incumbent mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minn., serving until 1995. He campaigned for governor as a third-party candidate, and was one of the pioneering politicians who reached out to new voters via the Internet. He was elected as Minnesota governor in 1998, and proved to be a progressive politician, strongly backing gay rights, abortion rights, funding higher education, third-party politics, mass transit, property tax reform and opening trade relations with Cuba. Ventura Decided not to run for reelection because he wanted his family to regain their privacy.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation awarded the former governor the 1999 "Emperor Has No Clothes Award" for his "plain speaking" on religion and, as governor, for rejecting proposals to entangle state and church, including refusing to proclaim for Minnesota a "Day of Prayer." As governor, Ventura vetoed a bill that would have required students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. Ventura, on refusing to sign a National Day of Prayer in 1999, said: "I believe in the separation of church and state. We all have our own religious beliefs. There are people out there who are atheists, who don't believe at all. They are all citizens of Minnesota and I have to respect that" (Minnesota Independent, "Despite court decision, National Day of Prayer will endure in Minnesota," by Andy Birkey, April 20, 2010). In his 2009 book Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! (co-authored with Dick Russell), Ventura writes: "I was the only governor of all fifty who would not declare a National Day of Prayer.

I took a lot of heat for that, and my response was very simple: Why do people need the government to tell them to pray? Pray all you want! Pray fifty times a day if you desire, it's not my business! . . . If I declare National Day of Prayer, then I've got to declare National No-Prayer Day for the atheists. They are American citizens too" (p. 58). "For me, the lines between church and state seem to become more blurred by the day. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, thought — and religion. Nowhere is it mandated that we're the Christian States of America. . . . That's made us, I think, a stronger and more democratic nation. . . . It's abundantly clear that our Founding Fathers wanted to prevent our government from establishing a 'national church'" (p. 59).

Question: Retired professional wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura, is a former governor of which US state?
Answer: Minnesota