Nick Coleman and I don't always see eye to eye -- rarely, in fact -- but his May 19 column calling for the candidacy of Jesse Ventura for the U.S. Senate was right on.

Jesse certainly embarrassed himself -- and, at times, our state -- when he was governor, but he has a talent for surrounding himself with very intelligent and competent aides. His numerous accomplishments as our governor speak for themselves.

Jesse has an uncanny knack for seeing government for what it really is today -- a messed up, misguided body full of self-serving career politicians. As silly as it may seem on the surface, Ventura may be exactly what Minnesota, our Congress and Washington need today -- an honest man with lots of old-fashioned common sense, traits that are grossly missing in Norm Coleman, Al Franken and, for that matter, most of Congress.

DAVE RAND, MINNEAPOLIS