Jesse Ventura in CNN political race coverage

On Budget & Economy: Government spending hurts the economy

On Crime: Presidential pardons: if you don't like it change the system

VENTURA: I think you need to look at the system. The president didn't really do anything wrong because our system allows him to pardon anybody. He could pardon Charles Manson if he so chose to do so. The president is given that much leeway to do it. President Clinton isn't the first one to pardon a controversial figure. Many, many presidents have done it. If you don't like the system, change the system.

Q: Would you change it?

VENTURA: Yes, I probably would. I think that it should go to more than one person to have that ability. You know, maybe possibly you would look at bringing in the chief justice of the Supreme Court and maybe the attorney general or whatever. I think maybe if you had three elected people or three different people, it might work a little better. But then again, I'm not at the federal level, so I might be out of line, too, in saying that.

On Government Reform: Avoiding candidate debates cheats the American public

JESSE VENTURA: I think it's despicable. Here in Minnesota when I ran, at the point of the primary, I was only polling 10%, which means that if you went by their criteria, I would not have been allowed to debate and subsequently would have not won the election. It shows great fear on their part in the fact that a candidate like me can be at 10% and can turn around in a mere six weeks and win. It's obviously clear to me that they don't want that to happen again. I think it's cheating the American public.

DONALD TRUMP: It's disgraceful. It's amazing that they can get away with it. I think they're very concerned. I think they're extremely nervous about it. I also think that probably the law will be changed in this case, or the rule may be changed in this case, because it's just inconceivable to me that they can allow this to happen.

On Government Reform: Get money out of politics, could be better spent elsewhere

VENTURA: I think that it touches on the subject but it doesn't go nearly as far as it ought to go. We're trying to pass that type of legislation here to try to get the money out of politics. This last election, it was like 3 or 4 billion dollars were spent across the nation to elect candidates. Now imagine what we could do with that money if it wasn't being spent for that.

On Government Reform: We need to upgrade our voting process

On Gun Control: It's up to gun owners to ensure their weapons aren't misused

On Principles & Values: Encouraged Trump in 2000 Reform primary, but didn't endorse

GOV. JESSE VENTURA: If Donald decides to become a candidate, it will be at that point in time. But I can't sit out here and say, "Yes, I'm endorsing Donald Trump" when he's not a candidate, because if he makes the choice, which is certainly his choice and the people close to him to make that choice. If he decides to the negative that, no, he doesn't want to get in as a candidate, well, then that makes me look kind of stupid. You know, and I don't like looking stupid.

[OTI explanation: Donald Trump briefly entered the Reform Party presidential primaries in 2000, but lost without winning primaries in any states. Pat Buchanan won 47 states and the Reform Party nomination; John Hagelin won 3 states. Jesse Ventura and Ross Perot were the major founders of the Reform Party; Ventura's faction encouraged Trump to enter the primaries.]

On Principles & Values: Independent governor means not having to hire party cronies

VENTURA: You really kind of stand on an island, and you have to take your own punches and weather the storm as it goes along. I like that. I've been kind of a renegade my entire life and career. I'm very comfortable doing that. But the nice thing is, too, I don't have to answer to a political party, and I don't have to hire party cronies. I can get the best person for the job regardless of their party without having to hire within a party.

Q: Would you consider in 2004 running for president?

VENTURA: I'm flattered, but at this point in my life I don't think I would want the job, because the president really lives in a bubble. The president in itself is an oxymoron in a way because he is the leader of the free world, but he has no freedom himself at all. You can't go anywhere because of national security without being heavily guarded. It is really like living in a prison in its own way.

On Principles & Values: It can be detrimental for a politician to be honest

VENTURA: It wasn't really a mistake, but it did cause my family and myself heartache. Because I was bluntly honest, and when you become a politician, it can be very detrimental to be honest. It's easier to lie because if you're really truthful, sometimes the truth hurts. What I have learned as governor is that I represent the state of Minnesota. So in doing that, I sometimes tend to hold back now a little more on my personal opinions on some things.

On Tax Reform: Supported Bush tax cuts; it was over-taxation money

If you look at the president's cuts, the lower income gets the bigger percentage. Why are we penalized for being successful? Why does government take this attitude that somehow if you're successful you should have to apologize for it? Look who pays most of the taxes. 1% of higher- income people pay almost a third of the income tax anyway. My view is that the people that pay it ought to get the relief. If you're going to do it the other way, then call it a subsidy.