Jesse Ventura to run against Al Franken for Senate

Jesse Ventura, the guy you'd want beside you in a dark alley

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura told NPR's David Welna today that he will run for the Senate, against Sen. Norm Coleman (whom Ventura beat in a race for governor in 1998). He will also be running against Al Franken.

Ventura said the main reason he's running is because of Coleman's support for the war in Iraq. "That's the reason I run," he says. "I run because it angers me...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?

Go, Al, Go!:::::::::::Al Franken swamps his senate competition in fund-raising

Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken raised almost $2 million in the recent reporting period, according to the Associates Press, and pulled in more money either his Democratic rival or the Republican incumbent, Senator Norm Coleman.

Franken, the comedian-turned-writer-turned-talk show host-turned-candidate, announced yesterday that he raised $1.9 million in the second quarter of the year. The incumbent said he raised about $1.6 million in the period, and Democrat Mike Ciresi, a pathetic $750,000.

"It's unusual for a challenger to have this kind of quarter," Steven S. Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis told the wire service, "It is a very impressive showing."

Once again, this is going to be a fun election. . .

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