Ventura calls vandalism of portraits 'despicable'
by The Associated Press 
 
ST. PAUL -- Former Governor Jesse Ventura says the vandalism against the Capitol portraits of him and two other former Minnesota governors is ``despicable.''

The Minnesota Historical Society says it plans to remove and repair the portraits of Ventura, Harold LeVander and Elmer L. Andersen after discovering they had been drawn on with a red marker.

Ventura tells Minnesota Public Radio on Thursday that he's not upset that his portrait specifically was targeted, but rather that any of the portraits would be defaced.

Ventura said it also bothered him because he knows how much work his friend and former tag-team partner, artist Steve Cepello (seh-PEHL'-oh), put into painting his portrait.