[Temple Owl]

Who is Dean Barkley? Anybody know anything about him?

[Seruzawa]

Good for you, Jesse.

[Tired of Taxes]

Apparently, he was with the Reform Party:

http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/bios.html

[martin_fierro]

Whew. For a second there I thought:

[shortstop]

RFrom Google:  
Dean Barkley was appointed director of Minnesota Planning by Governor Jesse Ventura in January 1999. A leader and one of the key developers of the Minnesota Reform Party, Barkley ran for the U.S. House in 1992 and the U.S. Senate in 1994 and 1996. An attorney since 1977, he practiced law at Palmer, Hanjani, Barkley and Barley in Loretto before coming to Minnesota Planning. He also is a director of the Minnesota Compact, which advocates clean campaigns, and has been a director of Common Cause. 

[Reelect President Dubya]

Dean Barkley, Director of Minnesota Planning

[willgolfforfood]

This guy is supposed to look after the interests of the STATE, not the people of the state. That's what they have the House for.

Good try, though, Jesse.

[Fred Mertz]

Doesn't this split the Senate now? Who's in charge?

[TBP]

Will Barkley caucus with Republicans, Democrats, or neither? If he caucuses with Republicans, that puts them back in control from now until January, at least, regardless of the outcome of the Talent-Carnahan race.

However, the fact that this guy was with Common Cause disturbs me. That is a BIG red flag. I think he's likely to vote with the Dems.

[IronJack]

Barkley ran against Wellstone in 1996, as an Independent. I think I also heard him say that he had run in 1992, also for the Senate. I know I've heard his name, but I'm danged if I can recall where.

[J. Semper Paratus]

Uh, uh...uhhh...uh, uhh.. he has to be better than Uhhhhh, Mondull.

[Catspaw]

Let's put it this way: because Jesse said he wouldn't make himself, he named Barkley. He's one of Jesse's closest advisors. Naming him is about the same as naming Ventura.

[stylin19a]

Just wonderin...
Does a short-term appointed Senator receive all the retirement rights of a duly elected full-term senator..I.E...pension etc. ??

[jws3sticks]

"I'll do what I can do to help the people in the state of Minnesota," Barkley responded. "I'll caucus by myself in a bathroom, if I have to."

If that is true, he'll be meeting with a lot of D@rats who prefer the bathrooms to the cloak rooms to mix and meet(SIC).

Jesse must be really pi$$ed at the whole process. Too funny.

Go - Jesse - go!!!

[Cicero]

A fellow named Alben W. Barkley was Truman's Vice President, known back then as "the Veep." I wonder if they are related? These days most politicians seem to get their jobs through nepotism.

[tictoc]

"Will the senator from West Virginia yield?"

[Snuffington]

Who is Dean Barkley? Anybody know anything about him?

A liberal ex-Democrat. He jumped on Perot's Reform Party bandwagon in an attempt to win a Senate seat. Getting trounced in two Senate elections by the Republican and Democratic candidates made him the senior Reform Party official in the state when Ventura came along. Ventura appointed him to state office, and made him one of his key advisors. Barkley was responsible for recommending a series of liberals for Ventura to appoint.

Ventura feels indebted to him for helping his administration get off the ground.

[Saundra Duffy]

This is a slap in the face to all Republicans in Minnesota. Hopefully, this third party is already dead. But if this move ends up helping the democraps, a lot of people are going to be pissed! GO, COLEMAN! For victory & freedom!!!

[taildragger]

Temple,

This move sucks period. If the GOP gains control, Coleman is one of the seats that on taking the oath would give the GOP ASAP. It also can be done w/ the MO seat. But Jesse just pissed on that, a pox on both you house so I will screw you both.

With all due respect to his service as a Navy Seal, this bald headed moron just ticks me off more and more with every political move he makes, I can't wait for him to leave the stage, what a jerk.

[grumpster-dumpster]

Help me out here....

Doesn't this mean that the Senate is now composed of 2 Independents; 49 DemocRATS; and 49 Republicans? Since the Vice President cas't the "tiebreaking" vote...does this now mean that the Republicans control the Senate?

Personally, I look for the RAT Jeffords to make the switch fully to DemocRAT late this week.

[ravinson]

Give 'em hell, Jesse!

The Ventura Press Conference is worth a listen. He says that the people who organized the Senatorial candidate debate held over the weekend (which Mondale skipped) should have stuck a cardboard cutout of Mondale on the set and asked it questions.