Ventura names Barkley to succeed Wellstone

Star Tribune | 11-4-02 | N/A

[Temple Owl]

Ventura names Barkley to succeed Wellstone

On the eve of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate vote in decades, Gov. Jesse Ventura threatened to throw the election into still more disarray today with the appointment of state planning commissioner Dean Barkley to complete the term of Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash on Oct. 25.

Ventura announced his plans for filling the vacant seat at 10 a.m. -- just as a scheduled debate between Democratic candidate Walter Mondale and Republican hopeful Norm Coleman began.

Barkley would "put the people's interest before the party's interest" in the Senate, Ventura said. He said his announcement had been triggered by the dispute over whether third-party candidates would be allowed in today's broadcast debate.

"Today, three very powerful institutions -- the DFL, the Republican Party and the media -- are conspiring to limit the hard-earned rights of ordinary citizens to rise up and compete for elected office without having to be a Democrat or a Republican," Ventura said.

Ventura earlier had said he would not appoint an interim senator until after the election on Tuesday.

© Copyright 2002 Star Tribune. All right

[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. 

[Russ]

How does he put together a staff for his Washington office
and all the regional offices in Minnesota when he only has
two months to serve? Who's going to go to work for him for
that short time? This whole thing is a joke!

[justshutupandtakeit]

So much for the "Ordinary Citizen." What happened did the garbage man refuse to lower himself to the Senate?

[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.

[HamiltonJay]

2 Months? You gotta be kidding! This election is going to be in the courts for YEARS, particularly if Mondale loses!

[johnny7]

It's a slam dunk! Charles in charge!

Nothing good comes out of Minnesota. Ventura belongs as an announcer for the WWE.

I blame the stupid voters... they would vote for Hitler if given the chance.

[Russ]

Barkley can only serve until January no matter how this election turns out. He cannot continue after that time under
any circumstances.

[sittnick]

Any former director od common cause (www.commoncause.org) will caucus with the Dems. The guy is a lefty.

[Blood of Tyrants]

"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."

Before the 17th Amendment, that was so. Now the Senate is nothing more than redundant.

[Ravenstar]

Why ?? whew! Don't you know Charles Barkley is a Republican?!!

Ravenstar

[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.

[Guillermo]

My guess is that he votes for neither.