JESSE VENTURA on Bush, Chaney & Waterboarding

[Lost Soal]

On Larry King Live Jesse Ventura takes on the Bush administration chickenhawks and Rush Limbaugh, and defends Colin Powell. After being waterboarded himself in the SERE program, Ventura makes no bones about it. Waterboarding is torture. I'd like to see Hannity have Ventura on his show to debate the issue.

King's reaction to Ventura's straight talk on how terrible of a President W was is amusing. He's shocked...just shocked I tell you, that anyone would talk so badly about our former President.

KING: Joining us now, Jesse Ventura, former wrestler, former governor of Minnesota, former Navy SEAL, the author of "Don't Start The Revolution Without Me." That book is now out in paper back. Welcome to have you back, Jesse. There you see the cover of the book. How's Obama doing?

JESSE VENTURA, FMR. GOV. OF MINNESOTA: Too early to tell, Larry, really. In my opinion, George Bush is the worst president in my lifetime.

KING: Have an opinion, will you?

VENTURA: I will. I will. And he's the worst president in my lifetime. So Barack Obama, President Obama inherited something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. You know? Two wars, an economy that's borderline depression. So it's far too early to judge him 100 days in. I think if you have me back about two years from now, I can give you a much better of how he's doing.

KING: He poked fun at himself at the White House correspondents' dinner Saturday night. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Finally, I believe that my next 100 days will be so successful I'll be able to complete them in 72 days. And on the 73rd day, I will rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: He's very likable.

VENTURA: Oh, yes.

KING: Right?

VENTURA: Very intelligent, which is a change from our previous president.

KING: All right already with Bush.

VENTURA: No, I live in Mexico now, Larry. So I do a lot of reading. I don't watch much TV. This year's reading, I covered Bush's life. I covered Guantanamo and a few other subjects. And I'm very disturbed about it.

I'm bothered over Guantanamo because it seems we have created our own Hanoi Hilton. We can live with that? I have a problem. I will criticize President Obama on this level; it's a good thing I'm not president because I would prosecute every person that was involved in that torture. I would prosecute the people that did it. I would prosecute the people that ordered it. Because torture is against the law. KING: You were a Navy SEAL.

VENTURA: That's right. I was water boarded, so I know -- at SERE School, Survival Escape Resistance Evasion. It was a required school you had to go to prior to going into the combat zone, which in my era was Vietnam. All of us had to go there. We were all, in essence -- every one of us was water boarded. It is torture.

KING: What was it like?

VENTURA: It's drowning. It gives you the complete sensation that you are drowning. It is no good, because you -- I'll put it to you this way, you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders.

KING: Even though you know it's not going to happen -- even though before it, you know you're not going to drown.

VENTURA: You don't know it. If it's -- if it's done wrong, you certainly could drown. You could swallow your tongue. You could do a whole bunch of stuff. If it's it done wrong or -- it's torture, Larry. It's torture.

[.....]

KING: A lot of things to go into, Jesse. What do you make of the Cheney/Limbaugh --

VENTURA: I don't have a lot of respect for Dick Cheney. Here's 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 chicken hawk. 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.

KING: Do you think Rush Limbaugh's a better Republican than Colin Powell?

VENTURA: No, not at all. In fact, if you compare the two, let's look at Colin Powell, who's a war hero, who strapped it on for his country, and didn't run and hide.

KING: Twice.

VENTURA: And then you look at Dick Cheney who ran and hid. I have no respect for Dick Cheney. I have tremendous respect for General Powell.

Every time I see Jessie do an interview I like him more and more. He's direct to the point and speaks a damn sight more sense than most politicians (current or former), and his dameaner is probably the reason he doesn't get invited onto the likes of Hannity & Co because they know they won't be able to intimidate him or shout him down.

[momochan]

Also in Ventura's favor is that he's willing to dis religion in public, or so I heard.

[Gil Hamilton]

Also in Ventura's favor is that he's willing to dis religion in public, or so I heard.

Well, he has dissed religion in the past, but that's missing the point. The point is that he's willing to speak his mind no matter what and be as upfront as a bull.

[Julhelm]

Do you think he'd be able to run for POTUS with any real chance? That'd be interesting to say the least if it were to happen.

[Gil Hamilton]

Do you think he'd be able to run for POTUS with any real chance? That'd be interesting to say the least if it were to happen.

Jesse Ventura becoming President, aside from being an Independent, has about as much chance of becoming president as I do of ginning up cold fusion in my bathtub. Religious conservatives hate his guts and he has the media working against him, giving his habit of honestly speaking his mind and thus providing count countless "gaffes" for them to latch on to.

[DrMckay]

Didn't they pick a wrestler for President in the movie Idiocracy? Yeah, that sounds real good.

[tim31]

I knew he was a wrestler. I also knew he had carried a minigun and been a self-described 'sexual tyrannosaurus' in Predator. But I didn't know he'd gone into politics. Geez!

[General Zod]

I knew he was a wrestler. I also knew he had carried a minigun and been a self-described 'sexual tyrannosaurus' in Predator. But I didn't know he'd gone into politics. Geez!

Really? Welcome to ten years ago.

[Intio]

Well, he has dissed religion in the past, but that's missing the point. The point is that he's willing to speak his mind no matter what and be as upfront as a bull.

That also involves calling in to the Alex Jones show and supporting him over much of the 9/11 'truther' stuff. I remember Jesse lamenting the fact that he wasn't still in a position of political power where he could find out more on what 'really' happened that day.

[Elfdart]

Didn't they pick a wrestler for President in the movie Idiocracy? Yeah, that sounds real good.

Just be glad it wasn't Roddy Piper or Michael Hayes.

[Samuel]

I knew he was a wrestler. I also knew he had carried a minigun and been a self-described 'sexual tyrannosaurus' in Predator. But I didn't know he'd gone into politics. Geez!

Really? Welcome to ten years ago.

Every actor in the movie became governer. Ventura got Minnesota, Arnold got California and Predator got Alaska.

[weemadando]

Holy crap - it's nice to see someone come out and call it like it is. Especially when that person is one who everyone used to write off as being just a celebrity moron.

[Lost Soal]

I knew he was a wrestler. I also knew he had carried a minigun and been a self-described 'sexual tyrannosaurus' in Predator. But I didn't know he'd gone into politics. Geez!

I knew he was an actor, Governor and wrestler, however the fact he was a SEAL and served in Vietnam was news to me

[Havok]

Do you think he'd be able to run for POTUS with any real chance? That'd be interesting to say the least if it were to happen.

Jesse Ventura becoming President, aside from being an Independent, has about as much chance of becoming president as I do of ginning up cold fusion in my bathtub.

People said similar things about having a black President in our lifetime not too long ago. If he could get the backing of the people like Obama did, I could certainly envision him as a President in 8, 12 or 16 years from now. Some how I doubt he would actually want the job though.

Anyone from Minnesota that can shed a little light on his time as Governor there?

[18-Till-I-Die]

Well, actually a few years ago, he was on Larry King then too and started talking about the imigration issue and...i was really shocked. I mean he just shot apart the whole notion of "Mexicans=TEH BAD!" in like two breaths, and frankly made the whole issue seem absurd to even worry your head over. My girlfriend, who is Mexican by the way, leaned over to me and said, "Dude, did we just see that?" cause the idea of a politician actually being honest about their opinion and trying to do the right thing was so bewildering. They had on some Republican guy too, to come on a spout the usual Lou Dobbs-ish racism about how them dirty Wetbacks is stealin' ur Jobs!!!11 and the dude looked like Ventura had raped his cat after he stopped talking.

I can honestly say, Ventura is one of if not THE only politician that i have ever seen who talks and seems like he's neither A--lying, or B--blowing smoke up my ass. When he talks, he seems both genuine and trying to do the right thing.

Frankly i'd vote for Ventura over any previous Democratic or Republican any day, if only because he seems both intelligent and genuine, and as a plus i find his views are about as close to 1-for-1 with my own as i've yet found.

[General Zod]

Do you think he'd be able to run for POTUS with any real chance? That'd be interesting to say the least if it were to happen.

Jesse Ventura becoming President, aside from being an Independent, has about as much chance of becoming president as I do of ginning up cold fusion in my bathtub.

People said similar things about having a black President in our lifetime not too long ago. If he could get the backing of the people like Obama did, I could certainly envision him as a President in 8, 12 or 16 years from now. Some how I doubt he would actually want the job though.

Anyone from Minnesota that can shed a little light on his time as Governor there?

The fact that he seems to buy into the 9/11 truther bullshit would be a huge black mark against him. Not to mention how he treats the media; all those interview spots would quickly dry up if he insults the wrong group of reporters. I couldn't see him making it past the primaries.

[Solauren]

No one saw him winning the governorship, and he did it. IIRC by a comfortable margin no less.

But, back on track, I love to hear Jesse speak his mind. Too bad he buys into the 9/11 Truther stuff.

Could be he dislikes George Bush so much he's letting that color it, because otherwise, Ventura is a rather intelligent man.

[Phantasee]

I dunno about his whole thing about 'serving your country RAH!' thing. But I saw part of his interview, and he brought up the War on Drugs (or Larry did). He has a very good point of view on it: "People are gonna do drugs, Larry. It's a fact of life." or something like that. He believes regulating the drugs is better, because that caused Al Capone to lose his power, and it will take away the power of the drug cartels today.

So he ain't no dumb wrassler, I tell you.

[Havok]

The fact that he seems to buy into the 9/11 truther bullshit would be a huge black mark against him. Not to mention how he treats the media; all those interview spots would quickly dry up if he insults the wrong group of reporters. I couldn't see him making it past the primaries.

Is there a source where I can read up on this Zod?

[Connor MacLeod]

He wasn't just governor, he served as mayor from 91 to 95 too. He got in alot due to (as I remember) some clevery and memorable campaign commercials (Anyone heard of the Jesse Ventura doll? It started out as a gimmick for getting him elected. Still makes me laugh even now) though he spent less campaigning than alot of people did. He beat out Coleman and Skip Humprhey in a 3 way race but it was close. There were alot more gimmicks after that 'My Governor can beat up your governor" and stuff like that. He picked a teacher to run with hm I think.

His big promise that I remember was a tax refund to Minnesota that came out of all the extra money we had lying around at the time, but he wasn't big on funding colleges. I remember that last part because I remember college professors bitching like hell about how evil Ventura was for cutting state funding to colleges. This also lead to raised tuitions where I attended, but I'd like to note as well that the college I attended (at least) had a tendency to spend money like water in self aggrandizement. They spent a huge amount of money on a big, fancy, nice looking new library and NEVER to my knowledge ever tried cutting their own spending, so go figure.

Just looking some stuff up to jog my memory, he was "self described" as a fiscal conservative and socially liberal. He favored things like light rail, property tax reform, and gay rights and abortion rights. I also think he favored medical uses for marijuana. He also tried to not make the pledge of alleigance mandatory in schools I believe.

[Connor MacLeod]

The fact that he seems to buy into the 9/11 truther bullshit would be a huge black mark against him. Not to mention how he treats the media; all those interview spots would quickly dry up if he insults the wrong group of reporters. I couldn't see him making it past the primaries.

Is there a source where I can read up on this Zod?

I googled a bunch of sources and it comes up that way. nothing as far as a genuine article, but there's a buncha youtube links and blogs and stuff (From both sides) that seem to support that. Just google "Jessie Ventura 9/11 Truther". I'm not going to link to anything simply because I dont see anything verifibiable and I dont know what you'd consider reliable anyhow.

[General Zod]

The fact that he seems to buy into the 9/11 truther bullshit would be a huge black mark against him. Not to mention how he treats the media; all those interview spots would quickly dry up if he insults the wrong group of reporters. I couldn't see him making it past the primaries.

Is there a source where I can read up on this Zod?

This seems to be the best source on the claim, with a youtube link to the interview of him saying it. Can't check the video itself until later though, no audio on this PC.

[Intio]

Yep, you should be able to listen to the Alex Jones interviews on YouTube. I think there was also an interview on a show from one of the right-wing American pundits (can't remember his name right now) where he began to mention it in the interview, then was interrupted until the topic changed.

Maybe there are more interviews and appearences he made on this issue, but those are the ones I know of. In any case he doesn't seem to be as rabid as some of the 'truthers' out there... you get the sense that he would listen to reasoned explanations if they were presented to him.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Didn't they pick a wrestler for President in the movie Idiocracy? Yeah, that sounds real good.

Just be glad it wasn't Roddy Piper or Michael Hayes.

Osama What you gonna Do when the Hulkamaniacs come for you.

Can you smell what Sec State The Rock is cooking....

I am getting my bad brain on again....

[Solauren]

I don't know Yosemite.

A Hulk Hogan/Arnold ticket in 2012 might get the Republican's the election....

DON'T GIVE THEM IDEAS