Ventura says attorney general should be appointed, not elected

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura says the state's attorney general should be appointed, not elected.

"Technically, the attorney general is supposed to be the lawyer for the governor," Ventura said on his weekly radio show Friday.

"How can you feel comfortable having, being defended by a lawyer who maybe has political aspirations and belongs to a different party?" he asked.

Ventura stressed that he didn't mean any disrespect to the current attorney general, Mike Hatch.

But he said Minnesota governors should have the same power as presidents, who appoint their attorneys general.

The comments show Ventura "misunderstands the purpose of the office," responded Hatch's spokeswoman, Leslie Sandberg.

"The attorney general does not represent the governor. The attorney general represents the people. The attorney general is supposed to independently interpret the state's legal policy and act as a check on the administration."

Hawaii is the only state where a governor appoints an attorney general, Sandberg said.