Day 1038: Jindal’s Hail Mary

I mean the above title wholly as a football allusion. No Catholic puns intended, honest.

NOLA.com: Jindal Vetoes Pay Raise Bill

Stuck between Republican lawmakers in Louisiana and pressure from voters and the larger national Republican scene, Jindal was forced to make a move, sided with his national backers, threw the ball and killed the pay raise. Jeffrey thinks it is because he wants Clancy DuBos to like him again, but I personally credit Candy Crowley’s tough and candid questioning of Jindal on the issue when there were two seconds left in the CNN’s Late Edition interview. Yes, I’m being sarcastic and no, DuBos still doesn’t like Jindal.

Some in and outside Louisiana think that the pay raise veto is Jindal pushing back the liberal agenda in his legislature. Earlier this month, 13 members of the the Louisiana House and Governmental Affairs Committee voted for the pay raise, while 4 voted against. 8 of that 13 are Republicans. Does it seem like much of a liberal agenda now?

My take on this is that the Republican Party is losing ground and needs more success stories going into November’s election. This is why

• * “utterly predictable cosponsors” David Vitter and Larry Craig have the audacity to co-sponsor the Marriage Protection Act despite their personal dalliances,
• * Jeff Sessions, David Vitter and five other Republicans are acting to block “a widely respected, bipartisan program to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa,” citing abstinence, although one of them and, who knows, more can’t keep their own wangs in their pants and
• * every conservative talking head from Newt Gingrich on down to Louisiana’s own governor denies any oil spills caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to promote rampant drilling in US waters, while even oil company executives state unequivocally that future work should increasingly concentrate on renewable/sustainable forms of energy.

Whether or not Jindal runs for Vice President, his Valorous Slaying of the pay raise is yet another Oooh Look Shiny Ball! to hold in the face of swing voters and Republican voters disgusted by their party who are looking to jump ship. Despite hypocrisies and outright untruths, conservative voters will hold these acts to be self-righteous and Louisiana will remain the Red State it was destined to be. Thank God.