A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Monday, February 1, 1999

With all the criticism Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan (D) has received for heeding the plea by Pope John Paul II not to execute a murderer, he may not have time for leisure reading. But just in case he does, the staff of Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft (R) – whose seat Carnahan will likely seek in 2000 – faxed the governor 12 pages from Ashcroft's latest book. Ashcroft wrote, "It would have been arrogant and irresponsible for me to commute ... the death sentences passed on newly converted Christians" during his two terms as governor.

"We got something to be proud of in Minnesota. You know what that is? We hold our [Department of Natural Resources] commissioner to a higher standard than the president of the United States." – Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura, at a gathering of the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Ventura's choice to head the agency was criticized for violating fishing regulations. (The Pioneer-Planet, St. Paul, Jan. 31)

• Death Row Mercy Brings 'Lessons' From Ashcroft (The Post-Dispatch, Feb. 1)

Calif. Man Pushes for 'None of the Above'
Pebble Beach millionaire Al Shugart is pushing a ballot initiative to allow Californians to vote for "none of the above." Nevada is currently the only state where voters have that option.
• Initiative Would Put 'None of Above' on Ballot (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1)

Calif. Candidates No Longer Have to Show Their Face on Campaign Mailings
A federal court ruled that a California law requiring candidates to put a picture of themselves on campaign mailings was an unconstitutional limit on anonymous speech.
• State Law on Candidates' Mailers Ruled Illegal (Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1)

Whitman Breaks Leg on Swiss Slopes
Two weeks after New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) took a spill on the ski slopes, New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman broke two bones in one leg while skiing during a trip to Switzerland for an economic conference.
• Whitman Breaks Leg on Slopes With Economic Moguls (The Star-Ledger, Newark, Feb. 1)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com