Gov. Jesse Ventura as Football Commentator

St. Paul, Minn. Nov. 16 -- For the record, Jesse Ventura’s new boss promises to be understanding if the governor has to skip football games to attend to state business.

Ventura announced Thursday that he will spend several Saturdaynights next year in the NBC booth as a commentator for the upstartXFL, a joint venture between the network and the World WrestlingFederation.

Critics SquawkThe one-year contract, for which monetary terms were notdisclosed, allows Ventura to call in sick if state emergenciesarise. But that wasn’t enough to quiet detractors of Ventura’smoonlighting.

“He’s clearly using the prestige and the name of his office toenrich himself financially,” said Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville.“And even if that’s not illegal, I find it very troubling.”

Despite similar criticism in the past, Ventura’s approval ratingremains high—more than 70 percent at last count. And some peopleshrugged off Thursday’s announcement as vintage Ventura.

“People need to lighten up a little bit,” said Kevin Smith,41, a Two Harbors trash collector. “I think the constraints put onsome people are a little too tight these days.”

Said Carolyn Carlson, 58, of Willmar: “It’s fine as long as itdoesn’t interfere with what he’s doing as governor. ... Thegovernorship comes first.”

Priorities, PrioritiesVentura said his role as governor will take priority, but somestate lawmakers are worried anyway. Ventura heads into the 2001session with an overflowing agenda, and some legislators saythere’s no room for a second job.

“The governor has got to understand that he was elected to do a24-hour-a-day job,” said Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe.“That’s what being governor of the state is. You don’t know whenthe tornadoes are going to sweep through. They don’t stay away fromSaturday nights.”

House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty, R-Eagan, said Ventura hasbeen “kind of an absentee landlord” the last two years.