DFL candidate for governor Matt Entenza Wednesday praised Minnesota's former Independence Party governor and gently criticized the current Democratic president of the United States.
Both were unusual stances for a Democrat who faces a tough primary fight in less than two weeks.
"One of the hallmarks that was widely recognized during the Ventura administration was a governor who stepped in and picked up the best people," Entenza said. Former Independence Party Gov. Jesse Ventura left his one-term unpopular but won kudos for his non-partisan, efficient administration.
Entenza picked up some of those Ventura people Wednesday for a newly announced "leadership team."
Among the 24 member team: Dave Jennings, a former GOP Minnesota House speaker who was Ventura's commerce commissioner, El Tinklenberg, who ran for congress as a Democrat and was Ventura's transportation commissioner, and Dave Fisher, Ventura's administration commissioner.
Entenza said the picks weren't designed to attract independents in the primary because the non-aligned probably won't vote in the DFL candidate picking.
But Entenza, whose wife was a strong Hillary Clinton backer during the 2008 Democratic race, went on to talk about the disappointments Democrats have with President Barack Obama.
"Let's face it. I don't think I am speaking out of school here: There is a lot of unhappiness amongst Democrats feeling that the Obama administration has not been as successful as they had hoped," Entenza said.
