CIA studied Jesse Ventura's candidacy / CIA operating within state governments

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http://www.dickrussell.org/articles/pugmire.htm#continued

The St. Paul Pioneer Press offered a sneak peek Thursday Jesse Ventura's forthcoming book, "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me." In one excerpt, Ventura describes a post-inaugural meeting with CIA agents. He also claims a CIA operative was on the state payroll. Even a Ventura confidant is questioning the account. But the surprising revelations are at least partially true.

St. Paul, Minn. — Shortly after taking office in 1999, Jesse Ventura writes he was asked to attend a meeting at the state Capitol. He says 23 CIA agents were waiting for him in a basement conference room.

Ventura's account of the meeting is detailed in an advance copy of his new book, which is scheduled for release in April. He claims the agents' questions focused how he campaigned for office, or as Ventura writes "how had the independent wrestler candidate pulled this off?"

Memories can fade after nine years, but a meeting with 23 CIA agents is something that might stand out. John Wodele, who served as Ventura's director of communications, said the meeting was news to him.

"I don't recall any indication that the governor had met with a CIA agent," he said. "Now, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. But I was not aware of it.

Turns out there actually was a Ventura meeting with the CIA in 1999. CIA Spokesman George Little confirmed the event today in a written statement, but he offered few details.

Little said that "on occasion CIA officers meet with senior state government officials, as they did in this case, to discuss issues of mutual interest."

Little shed less light on another revelation in Ventura's book. The former Independence Party governor says he was "stunned to learn that there is a CIA operative inside every state government." Ventura says the Minnesota operative was a deputy commissioner, who was working with a dual identity.


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edited to add disclaimer

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Well, then. That's fuckin' scary.

CIA operatives in every state government, working under dual identities. How wonderful.

I do love the final sentences, though:

Brian McClung, a spokesman for Gov. Tim Pawlenty, said the governor talks on occasion with diplomatic, defense and intelligence officials. But he said Pawlenty does not comment on matters relating to intelligence.

That's for sure.

:rofl:

[DS1]

2. Maybe they just wanted to know where he got those fabulous boas

[seemslikeadream]

3. Larry Craig?

[melody]

4. 23 CIA agents? As a Discordian, I can only be amused

None of this surprises me. With this much money involved, of course the CIA will be there.

[NoodleyAppendage]

5. Sounds like the CIA was interested to learn techniques to aid in their installation of gov abroad.

I suspect this is less sinister and more about the CIA wanting to learn some political tricks to help in their longstanding role as the "fixer" of elections abroad...particularly those we've propped up or installed in the Southern Hemisphere.

J

[quadriga]

8. "less sinister"

Yeah, rigging elections in foreign countries isn't sinister at all. :rofl:

[NoodleyAppendage]

12. It's sinister, just less so. n/t

J

[leveymg]

18. Agree. Doubt the CIA has much interest in Ventura or Minn for their own sake.

Unless, of course, Minnesota State Gov't goes communist. Or, there are some real WWF fans in Langley.

[aquart]

6. Gosh, I thought that was illegal.

Really, really, really illegal.

[quadriga]

13. illegal is the "new legal"

You have to be a poor person to break the law in this country.

[bluesmail]

7. no shit, scary and creepy

wonder what the total is for the country and who's really paying the paychecks. scary indeed

[MinM]

9. Special Unit Senator (SUS)

CIA Operatives - Not just for international spying anymore? :shrug:

Democratic Underground - LAPD's Special Unit Senator was headed by a CIA guy named Pena - Democratic Underground

and apparently they never were. :kick:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vjxBCVFj10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKqOem8G-o

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10. This was covered in 'RFK Must Die'

correct?

[MinM]

11. 'RFK Must Die'

Two of the best researchers on the case Jim DiEugenio and Lisa Pease have critiqued Shane O'Sullivan's dvd 'RFK Must Die':

Shane O'Sullivan's RFK Must Die

RFK Must Die is Shane O'Sullivan's new documentary on the assassination of Robert Kennedy. The film, just released on DVD, takes its title from Robert Blair Kaiser's 1970 book on the case. In almost every major aspect it is a one-man show: O'Sullivan wrote, produced, and directed it. He also narrates it, which is the first of some poor choices, since his voice carries a high-pitched Irish lilt.

The film is divided into four sections: The Last Campaign, The Investigation, The Manchurian Candidate, and Did the CIA Kill RFK? Before getting to its negatives, let me list what I see as the film's attributes. Some of the interview subjects, to my knowledge, appear for the first time. Sandra Serrano, the first witness to publicly discuss the famous Girl in the Polka Dot Dress, makes her first appearance on camera in decades. Sirhan's brother Munir and controversial defense investigator Michael McGowan also appear. And O'Sullivan has unearthed some interesting Ambassador Hotel kitchen pantry photos, which appear to show that someone was digging bullets out of the walls. This would indicate that there were more than eight bullets-the limit of Sirhan's revolver-fired the night of the assassination.

Vincent DiPierro, a part-time waiter at the Ambassador at the time of the assassination, is also interviewed. He reveals that there was a bullet hole in his sweater that night. Any one bullet found anywhere in the pantry would indicate more than eight bullets were fired, and in turn would mean a second gun was firing..

# DiEugenio is not convinced that O'sullivan discovered CIA characters (Joannides, Campell etc)
# Jim talks about Scott Enyart and how O'Sullivan completely excluded him
# Michael Wayne and stray bullets... not mentioned by O'Sullivan
# Lynne Mangan's discovery of a faked photo... not mentioned
# Many other convincing details left out
# Rampart Station infiltrated by a "Secret Team" all the way to the Attorney Gen /Governor's office

Did the CIA Kill Bobby Kennedy? Probably - but not with THOSE guys

there's also a book about the case with the same title

by Robert Blair Kaiser

[Octafish]

14. CIA agents campaigned in 2000 for Bushler in Florida.

Charles W. Kane.

http://www.campaignwatch.org/refsup6.htm#ap120700

The guy claimed to be retired, but you know what they say about the company and the mob: "Once you're in, you can never get out."

[MinM]

15. Dirty Tricks (2010)

Using 'the google' on 'the internets' this popped up first for 'dirty tricks':

Dirty Tricks (2010)

Plot Outline:
The wife of Richard Nixon's attorney general comes to her husband's defense in the aftermath of Watergate.

Cast
(Credited cast)

Sharon Stone ... Katharine Graham
Brad Pitt ... John Dean
Jim Broadbent ... Richard Nixon
Annette Bening ... Helen Thomas

could be a good one if they don't whitewash it like "The Good Shepherd" did (esp. with regard to James Jesus Angleton). More relevant today would be a story about how GOPeratives today (i.e., Roger J. Stone, Jr., Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff..) have become even more sophisticated.

Listen here to hear how GOP dirty tricksters basically brought down the 2 Democratic candidates that concerned Nixon to get George McGovern.

[leveymg]

19. The Bushes are part of The Family since the beginning. Well, they used to be, anyway.

I think they've been pretty much shunned by the rest of the clan at this point.

[L. Coyote]

16. How many intelligence professionals occupy elected public office?

If someone like Valerie Plame ran for public office, who would know the real past professional life of the candidate?

Are there any Members of Congress with a covert intelligence past?

Was George Bush covert CIA before he ran for Congress?

How many of the veterans in Congress worked in military intelligence?

[MinM]

17. Sen Robert Bennett (R-UT) .. Rep Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

and of course Porter Goss before Bush named him to head up the CIA. Those are a just few off the top of my head.