Hotdish Monday – Jesse “The Cop” Ventura?

Coleen Rowley takes one last look at the 2nd District race, speculation begins regarding Tim Walz’s 2008 challenger, and Jesse Ventura has a potential run in with the law…

more insideColeen Rowley explains her loss to Republican John Kline (MN 2) in today’s Pioneer Press editorial page, putting the blame firmly on the media who refused to cover real issues in the race.

For a long time, I thought our independent news media would conduct “reality checks” on the falsehoods in Kline’s negative ad campaign. But it just didn’t happen. No media took Mr. Kline to task for saying he was “too busy” to engage in the normal public debates, or to answer voter guide questions. And no media made much effort to expose the distortions Mr. Kline was making in his ads or mailers. When they were mentioned at all, it was to say that our “race” (grouping us together) was one of the most negative in the country, ignoring the fact that all of the negativity came from Kline’s campaign.

Rowely addresses a need for media to “referee the facts,” in the next election cycle.

Speaking of 2008, one local political blogger is already suggesting Republican challengers to take out Congressman-elect Tim Walz.

Walz is a colorful character, but he will be vulnerable come 2008. I would encourag the also-colorful and amusing Republican state senator from Owatonna, Dick Day, to challenge Walz. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1990 and has served as minority leader. He has fairly high name recognition in the state (for a state legislator) and has proven himself to be a tough and savvy legislator. He’s very well liked and well known in Owatonna. He would prove to be a tough challenger to Walz.

Walz cannot go without a strong challenger in 2008. We need a Republican who can beat him. Dick Day could pull it off.

Draft Dick Day for Congress!

Walz may not be sworn in yet, but it would appear that it is never too early to start planning.

And for those of you wondering what former Governor Jesse Ventura is up to, he may be traveling to Muncie, Indiana to be a reality-show police officer.  Having been highly impressed by his performance as an FBI agent in the X-files series, I can think of no better cop, personally.

Will a stint in the Surreal Life house be far behind?