Bobby Jindal, a possible recall and political reality

Well, this has got to have some effect on the national political prospects for Bobby Jindal, the rising star from Louisiana. (Can a star rise from the South?) Jindal, the Louisiana governor, on Monday vetoed, after promising not to, a pay raise that the state Legislature had voted for itself.

We're not exactly talking big bucks here. The current base pay for legislators is $16,800, and the Legislature wanted to more than double it to $37,500.

Why does this matter? Well, voters tend to hone in on "flip flops" -- note the baggage Mitt Romney carries (see the comments on this post). So the specifics of whether Jindal should or should not have vetoed the measure Monday is less important than the fact that he was tacking like, well, John Kerry out windsurfing.

Why Jindal's change? An uprising among voters, in the form of a recall petition. The Times-Picayune sums up the brief history: "Jindal was widely criticized for failing to stop the raise before it was passed and his initial refusal to veto it. He said he had promised lawmakers that he would not use his veto, but he also pledged during his gubernatorial campaign last year to prohibit an immediate legislative pay raise."

So to recap, first Jindal promised to stop the pay raise, then told legislators he wouldn't stop the pay raise, then -- looking at his own political mortality -- reversed direction again and stopped the pay raise. Jindal fell on the sword Monday, thanking "the people for their voice and their attention" -- that would be the recall petition -- and added: "The voters have demanded change. ... I made a mistake by staying out of it."

But you have to wonder what the odds table says now about Jindal's chances for the co-pilot seat on the Straight Talk Express.

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[richard]

who cares? jindal will not be any any vp list anytime soon.

if people are worried about a half black guy named obama, what do you think they'll have to say about an indian guy named jindal who speaks with an accent?

america is BARELY ready for a half black guy for president, forget about an indian guy with an accent, even for vp.

america is slow to change.

[JWargo]

Personally, I think there are a lot of similarities between Obama and Jindal- RACE NOT BEING ONE OF THEM.

Both relatively young men are on a fast track to success with little experience to support their endeavors. Both have accomplished relatively little of importance in their political careers thus far.
Check out this Chris Matthews' interview with a Dem. Senator/Obama supporter who could name a single Obama Senatorial accomplishment. Pretty bad and embarrassing stuff there...
http://www.greenfaucet.com/hanlons-pub/obama-a-lightweight-nahhh

[Frank]

I dont see the similarities. Jindal was elected as Governor of a state requiring enormous cleanup and executive abilities. He will have more experience in 6 months at the helm of LA than Obama had playing footsie in the US Senate his entire "career" of 4 years.

Similar political instincts, maybe. Similar abilities. maybe. But the comparisons end there.

[Rick]

Jindal is such a flip-flopper I think he would fit PERFECTLY with McCain - hand in glove for VP!

[Kitty Collins]

Those of us still angry that the Senate entirely voted to go to war, with the exception of some geriatric Democrat incumbents-for-life, don't mind so much this "lack of accomplishment" thing.

[Mary Kitt-Neel]

I don't think it will hurt him at all, since he is a Republican. They love it when executives put the brakes on legislative types, especially when it involves keeping them from voting themselves a pay raise. With the economy what it is, I would think the situation might actually improve Jindal's standing nationally.

(BTW, I am not a Republican.)

[me]

@richard:

I believe the accent you speak of is from Louisiana. He was born in the USA.

[Gamble]

JWard

Your right Obama had no legislative accomplishments, but Jindal has many. How about completely altering the direction of Louisiana medicare, $440 million in debt, to $220 in surplus! How about the fact that When Jindal took over after Katrina he has rejuvinated an otherwise bleak economy, and their are several forture 500 companies now moving in.

He has only been governor for a few years, so you're right he shouldn't be made VP (why be ruined by McCain anyways?)...but don't make the mistake of thinking he is just like Obama in the way of making no legislative accomplishments.

[R. Miller]

Oh please! It's obvious the author has it in for this guy and doesn't possess the intellectual honesty to distinguish between changing a position by listening to the voters and changing to pander to them.

John Fracking Kerry was a traitor, a liar, and a coward. He also possessed personal ambition and a leftist agenda. He would do or say anything to be elected president. He would wink to his supporters who knew he really didn't believe what he was saying.

John Kerry, atheist secular progressive had to put up a front of being a faithful Christian. John Kerry, who falsely accused fellow soldiers of war crimes and voted against EVERY new weapon system in the past two decades, had to pretend he cared about soldiers and the military.

Bobby Jindal, in contrast, was conflicted between doing what he thought was appropriate and what the public at large was telling him they wanted. In a representative democracy, elected officials always have a conflict between their own opinions and the opinions of their constituency.

Kerry supported the Iraq War and then opposed it completely out of political expediency. He didn't want to don again the badge of "traitor" just before his presidential campaign. Jindal changed his position because he LISTENED to the people of his state.

The difference between the two men is the difference between a demagogue and a leader. Apparently, the author of this article cannot tell the difference.

[A L Flanagan]

He's a young rising star in a party short of them. Why would he hitch a ride on the Straight Talk Express all the way to a humiliating defeat in November? How would that help him?

[Rob]

What? a Politician that listened to the people and made a decision based on what the people wanted. I do not think it matters what what he told the politicians, if he ran for office saying he would not support a bill and then keeps his word by vetoing it then whats all the fuss. As i see it we are all humans but it is the humans that can see that they are wrong and do something about that are the ones worth voting for.

[letmegetthistraight.com]

@JWargo . And that's a reflect by default upon whom? Certainty not the candidate. STOP your cyber terrorism and disinformation propoganda. If you'd had the intellect you could easily have visited Sentor Obama website or "Google" to inquire and discern the correct listing of the senators "work." However, it is my assumption that short of being an idiot I submit that your illness is much deeper and more complex than the obvious. Perhaps one might suggest that you feelings expressed are racially motiovated. "Closeted"

[louisiana girl]

A black man and a woman were the neck-and-neck contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination this year. America is changing and you can bet McCain is seriously considering Jindal as his running mate.

Louisiana made a huge mistake relying on racism to elect Kathleen Blanco in 2004 instead of Jindal, and paid dearly during the aftermath of Katrina. Although I am not a Republican, I admire Jindal and think that a McCain-Jindal ticket would be hard to beat.

[morton]

What is this love affair between the press and John McCain. No politician has flip flopped more on major issues that John McCain. However, the article only mentions Romney and Kerry. The straight talk express is a total joke. McCain will say anything to get elected. He once had vision and a moral compass. He lost that some time a go.

[bruce becker]

MCCain's experience in wartime: shot down, tortured, turned-coat and made propaganda for the Reds, felt sad and considered suicide, came home and had multiple adulterous affairs. Did I miss anything real here?

No? What about his current stance to waterboard prisoners? Oh, I remember, he was tortured in Vietnam, which is why he agreed to make propaganda films for the Reds. So he must think the Geneva Convention is toilet paper.

[Fernando F.]

So the guy listen to the people and now he is criticized? We have been complaining about George Bush and his "capacity" of not changing his mind all these years. Now the guy vetoes a more than double raise for themselves and the media are making comments that he is flip-flopping. In my concept some flip-flops are good if you correct something.

[Manya Silver]

I think something should be said to the fact that legislators only make $16,800. That is a little more then a dollar over minimum wage in NJ. But in LA they have no minimum wage. I vote for an enactment of minimum wage over the federal rate and at least $25,000 for legislators in LA!

[Jim page]

This Guy's flip floping should not surprise anyone.He is a typical Republican polician. They lie and cheat whenever possible. They lied to get us into an unncessary war, which McCain supported. Now, McCain wants to carry on the same lying and cheating for four more years. So he is courting people like this Jindal for VP,to balace his old age so that they can continue to lie to us. Crooks like crooks.Liars like liars.If you want more wars and Republican economic mismanagement then vote for McCain . His cohort Jinal is already telling you what they will do.Flip flop.

[GHM]

jindal

The people are sick and tired of all the lies and crap you and your fellow replublican say and do.
You are as bad as McSame and Bush and Cheney and Rove AND THE REST OF THE THIEFS!
WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!

[Michael]

Bobby Jindal's only rightful place on a presidential ticket would be at the top of one.

He'd be a welcome alternative to either one of the pre-approved credit card offers we currently have to choose from this November.

As a lifelong Democrat I do realize that God is going to strike me down dead for this but here goes anyway:

I'd soooooo vote for Ronald Reagan right now...

Who knew the actor would turn out to be the real thing and the real thing(s) would turn out to be actors?

:)

M

[PK]

Jindal admitted he made a mistake which most politicians don't. Even though he may have flip-flopped, he did listen to the popular voice and made the right decision in the end!

[Kelly]

I was very upset when he announced he was not going to veto it and am very pleased that he has succumbed to the pressure. He is not willing to give school support staff a $1000 per year raise. We work 10 months out of the year and most in our fair state don't even hit the $20,000 mark for their entire career ( I am very fortunate to be working in the highest paid parish in the state which now starts off at $20,000 for para educators. I have recently found out that there are some custodians that bring home $600 per month). Shame on him! He should not have even considered backing this. Sad part is that what is on the record is his veto. A couple of years from now that is all the country will see. Oh, and by the way, the amount of the raise would have been applied to their BASEPAY. Nothing mentioned about the $6000 unvouchered expenses. With the raise it would be $43,500 for 3 months of work. Hmm, America not ready for a non- white? I don't see race having anything to do with this. His moral compass and his spine are in sight here. Is Jindal a Flip-flop? Nah, he is just a flop!

[Fernando F.]

If an American shoots down 5 enemy airplanes he is a hero. if a Vietnamese soldier shoots down McCain soldier the US declares McCain the hero. I don't get it. McCain is an amazing person for enduring those years as prisoner but to call him a hero because he was shoot down is kind of contradictory. I can see how being a prisoner prepares anybody to be President.

[starbug]

I'm no big fan of Bobby Jindal (nor of any other sanctimonious right-wingers who have to keep bleating about their alleged religious devotion as if it were a very special, divine case of heartburn,) but if we recalled every elected official who ever broke a promise, we'd have to give up on elections completely and adopt an absolute monarchy instead.

[laughing]

What I don't understand here is why the pay raise was a bad thing in the first place. Under $17,000 to be on a state legislature is absurd. In the past, these were "part time" positions, but modern political reality has made these nearly full time positions. If you want quality representation by the people, you have to make it possible for the average person to be in the legislature. Currently it isn't. Hell, ever $40,000 isn't impressive pay for the amount of hours these people put in. Give them $60,000, make it an official full time position, and I bet the quality of lawmaking goes up tenfold. Isn't ten or so million extra a worthy investment for quality lawmaking?