Jul 13, 2008 10:43 am US/Central
Ventura May Make Announcement On 'Larry King'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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The implications of a Jesse Ventura campaign on the senate race began emerging last week after Ventura spoke on National Public Radio. (File)
AP
Former U.S. Senator Dean Barkley, who has worked closely with former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, has said that he doesn't know whether Ventura will take a run at the upcoming Minnesota senate race.
But his gut tells him that he will likely run.
And it could be announced as early as Monday evening, as Ventura is currently booked to appear on "Larry King Live." King's Web site says Ventura will speak about his decision "first and only" on King's show.
"If I had to guess, I'd guess he's leaning towards running," said Barkley. "The fire's there, the reasons are there. He's mad enough where I think he just might.
In an interview with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning, Barkley said he took part in a closed-doors meeting on Friday with Ventura and other associates at Northwoods Advertising offices to discuss the viability and possible strategy for initiating a senate bid.
After the meeting, which went on for an hour and a half, Ventura told Barkley and the others he needed the weekend to think about his decision.
Currently, the two main candidates are the incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman and his Democratic challenger Al Franken.
The implications of a Ventura campaign on the senate race began emerging last week after Ventura spoke on National Public Radio about the possibility of his bid, in terms some saw less as speculative talk and more as preview of coming attractions.
"And all you Minnesotans take a good hard look at all three of us. And you decide if you were in a dark alley, which one of the three of us would you want with you?" he said during the NPR interview.
He later said he was speaking hypothetically.
Whatever the case, polls were quickly held that showed Coleman and Franken holding a not-insurmountable lead on Ventura.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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