Body-Slam Politics

Is everybody ready to rumble now that a real wrestler is in the gubernatorial ring in Minnesota?

When Jesse ("The Body") Ventura starred on the professional wrestling circuit in the 1970s and '80s, he was usually cast as the bad guy. Decked out in a feather boa, sequins and the kind of oversize designer glasses Elton John made famous, the 6-ft. 4-in. Ventura would flex his muscles, glower at opponents and spit out such gems of wrestling wisdom as, "Win if you can, lose if you must, but ALWAYS cheat!"

Now that he's a candidate for Governor of Minnesota, Ventura, 47, has hung up his boa and no longer espouses cheating. But to the state's Democrats and Republicans,...

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