Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura told the nation that Norm Coleman is a hypocrite who has lost the election for U.S. senator and should give up his fight against Al Franken for a second term.

In a wide-ranging interview Monday night on CNN with Larry King and in his trademark blunt style, Ventura also called former Vice President Dick Cheney a coward for avoiding service during the Vietnam War and made a pitch for himself to be appointed ambassador to Cuba.

King asked the former pro wrestler whether he was embarrassed for the state he once led as the Coleman-Franken battle has stretched beyond six months.

"No, not at all, it's the procedure," said Ventura, in a sportcoat, open collar and his trademark bald head adorned with a shaggy mullet. "When you have an election that's that close, you want to get the right decision, I would think."

What he would like to see is for Coleman to abandon his court battle with Democratic rival Franken, who holds a 312-vote post-recount lead.

"Coleman's always been a hypocrite," said Ventura, who "shocked the world" when as the candidate of the Reform Party (now the Independence Party) he defeated Coleman and Democrat Skip Humphrey for the open governor's seat in 1998.

"He never does what he says," Ventura added. "He said on Election Night [in 2008], when he won, that Franken should drop out and he should be the senator. Well, the same should hold true after the recount."

Ventura was referring to when Coleman went before supporters on the day after the election and urged Franken to waive his right to a recount, saying that the prospect of changing the result was remote, that a recount would be costly to taxpayers and "I just think the need for the healing process is so important."

Calls and e-mails to the Coleman campaign for reaction have yet to be returned.