The Jindal Menance

As always, Barack Obama was eloquent in his speech last night which was generally well received by the public based on available polls. The true issue will be whether or not the stimulus package begins to take effect and whether or not irresponsible banks can be reigned in and caused to start making loans again to get the economy moving. The Republican response was delivered by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who if one will bother to do their homework is in reality a far right religious extremist. Sadly, the Washington Post is carrying a boot licking column entitled "The Jindal Phenomenon" today that utterly disregards the extreme nature of Jindal's views. This lack of balanced reporting and lasiness on the part of reporters is precisely how the nation has been sold poor political leaders, not to mention the Iraq War. One would almost believe that the column's author, Michael Gerson, was a paid propagandist for Jindal. The real Bobby Jindal is far different than what Gerson depicts. Here are some samplings of the real Jindal, first from the Guardian:

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He was born and raised a Hindu, but converted to Catholicism and also has links to Protestant churches. Unusually for a Rhodes scholar, he believes in creationism, a viewpoint that increases his appeal to Christian evangelicals. Jindal's politics are firmly on the Republican right: he is opposed to abortion, embryonic stem cell research, gay marriage and the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling. One of the most controversial incidents from his past was a claim to have witnessed an exorcism, though he has since partly rowed back on that.

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One Louisiana blogger has complied 37 reasons to vote against Bobby Jindal, including:

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Bobby Jindal voted with President Bush 90% of the time and with the Republican Party 97% of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly.

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On August 29, 2005, Bobby Jindal called FEMA’s coordination with the State “tremendous” during an interview on CNN.

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Bobby Jindal opposed Emergency Appropriations for Louisiana hurricane recovery (HR 1591, Vote 186, March 23, 2007).

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Bobby Jindal believes in teaching creationism and/or “intelligent design” in the classroom.

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Bobby Jindal supports Social Security privatization.

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Bobby Jindal voted to cut $70 billion in taxes for the wealthiest Americans (HR 4297, Vote 135, May 10, 2006).

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Bobby Jindal voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate on prescription drug prices (HR 4, Vote 23, January 12, 2007).

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Bobby Jindal’s multi-pointed “health care plan” fails to address the elderly or the physically disabled. Despite the fact that the elderly and the disabled account for the bulk of Louisiana Medicaid spending, Jindal supports Medicaid privatization (without any consideration for those most in need).

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And on gay rights, Jindal is clearly an enemy of gay equality and received a zero (0) rating from the Human Rights Campaign. A detailed rundown of Jindal's position on issues can be found here at On the Issues. Truth be told, Jindal is not some new kind of Republican. Rather, he represents the same poisonous GOP policies, just clothed in a different ethnic package. It is sad that the Washington Post cannot do a better job of doing its homework.