In the wake of the brou-haha over RNC Chairman Michael Steele's apology to Rush Limbaugh over his comments about him:
"So let's put it into context here. Let's put it into context here. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment. Yes, it's incendiary. Yes, it's ugly."
Then not even 48 hours goes by before we get this from Mr. Steele:
""My intent was not to go after Rush - I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh. I was maybe a little bit inarticulate ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership."
So what did the Lousiana GOP have to say about this? Here's Governor PBJ on CNN's Larry King Live:
King: All right, governor, here was Rush Limbaugh at this weekend's CPAC Conference. Watch.
Rush Limbaugh: What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?
King: Governor, do you think people are thinking about capitalism now or are they thinking about problems?
Jindal: Look, clearly, the American people are worried about paying their mortgages, keeping their jobs and paying their health care bills. I think Rush is a great leader for conservatives. I think he articulates what a lot of people are concerned about.
King: Do you want him [Obama] to fail?
Jindal: I don't want those policies to be adopted. I want my country to succeed, but I don't want policies to be adopted.
King: What if the policies work?
Jindal: Well, again...
King: What if they work?
Jindal: This is where we have a fundamental disagreement. I don't think it's going work ... to spend in excess of our revenues.
And just for the sake of comparison, here's what Joseph "Holy" Cao's Chief of Staff told Big Red Cotton:
Cao's chief of staff Clayton Hall says on the record:
"No... the problems in this country are too big. Rush Limbaugh can say whatever he wants to say. Congressman Cao does not want the president to fail."
So I asked him does Cao want the stimulus package, which he voted against, to fail. Hall gave a curt "No".
Heh. There's a schism within the LA GOP regarding the power of Rush. Obviously, Governor PBJ is a wimp. Cao, like Oyster notes, knows kung fu.
What about the rest of Louisiana's GOP delegation?
I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed.
A local Louisiana newspaper, the Abbeville Meridionial, published a mea culpa to its readers for championing former President Bush in both of his presidential campaigns. While the apology is welcome, perhaps they ought to take a closer look at another of their "champions" ... Governor Bobby Jindal:
We now believe he will go down in history as the worst president ever and deservedly so due to his ineptness, incredible incompetence, and his lack of truthfulness, intelligence and compassion. Throw in arrogance and you run the gambit of what it takes to be the worst president in history.
(As I travel to Baton Rouge from New Orleans for class, let this help tide you over for the morning.
I must say that poor ole Newt doesn't understand that Governor PBJ ain't no reformer ... he's more of the same "drowning the government in the bathtub" type of Republican, which is why the "gold standard" of ethics is a big, big issue that I will be highlighting over the next few days during my study breaks for summer class finals. Further, while Governor PBJ may lauded nationally for his "reformer" credentials, we here in Louisiana know the real score ... - promoted by ryan)
Just two weeks ago, the legislative pay raise issue in Louisiana had all but consumed Governor Bobby Jindal. As he continued to tell voters he would not veto the increase that had rallied major statewide opposition, his poll numbers continued to drop. And when he did finally veto the proposal, his delay in doing so seemed to upend any realistic chance of a vice presidential slot on the McCain ticket. But like Lazarus being raised from the dead, low and behold, Jindal is still very much in the VP mix.
There were signs all over the media in the past few days indicating the Jindal is still in the hunt. A profile in this past Sunday's New York Times Magazine had "America's anchorman" Rush Limbaugh reaffirming his support of Jindal getting the number two spot. Limbaugh has had Jindal at the top of his list from day one, and apparently the pay raise flap has not caused him to waver.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote a lengthy profile this week in Human Events magazine calling Jindal "the most transformational governor in America today," and strongly re -affirmed his support for Jindal on the McCain ticket. Gingrich could not have been more effusive. "In just six months, Bobby Jindal has accomplished more than most elected officials accomplish in a lifetime." Pretty strong stuff from one of the GOP's most respected spokesman. Gingrich did mention the pay raise flap in passing, but dismissively concluded that "Jindal's correction has cemented his reputation as a principled conservative reformer."
