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.

When repeatedly asked, Entenza would not say if he was disappointed with the Obama administration.

"I never had a scorecard for them so I can't tell you," Entenza said.

But, unprompted, he did return to anti-Obama theme.

"Particularly with some of the disappointments some people have had with the Obama administration, they want to know that they have a governor who has the ability to step in and get things done," Entenza said.