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politics
What the Heck Was Bobby Jindal Talking About?
The Louisiana governor had a tough act to follow Tuesday night. But Bobby Jindal, decidedly another rising star among the GOP's ranks, gulped down his fears and strode through the hallways of his mansion to deliver the "Republican Response" to Barack Obama's pep talk for America.
Bearing resemblance to an essay I wrote in the fourth grade, Jindal's speech was titled "Americans Can Do Anything." Obama had just spoken about making the country stronger than ever, like a majestic phoenix rising from the ashes of the nation's collapsed banking system. On the way, Obama even promised to cure cancer. How is Jindal supposed to respond to that?
He did the only thing he could do -- or at least what his speechwriters had planned out for him. He talked about Obama's historic presidency. He spent an unusually long time talking about how his own parents came to Louisiana from India, and they couldn't pay for his birth delivery, but his dad worked out a deal with a doctor, and then one time he went to the grocery store with his dad, and his dad was awed by the amount of food on the shelves, and then he said, "Bobby, Americans can do anything."
At an apparent loss for a segue into his official response to Obama, Jindal opted to tell another anecdote -- this time about when he visited a sheriff during Katrina, and the sheriff was yelling into the phone, and Jindal asked him why he was so mad, and the sheriff said that volunteers with boats who came to rescue people on their rooftops couldn't get permission to save people because "some bureaucrat" forbade them from rowing without proof of insurance and registration. Then Jindal said that was ridiculous, and the sheriff yelled into the phone again, and --
Hey, Bobby, do you have any specifics about the economy, or anything?
After what seemed like hours later, Jindal finally got to his point: Republicans rightfully wanted to lower taxes to "create more jobs." But the darn Democrats axed the plan. Instead, he said, they passed a wasteful bill that puts aside $140 million for "volcano monitoring."
Hey, Democrats! What you "should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C.," Jindal awkwardly quipped.
Jindal also highlighted other vague GOP principles: to "address the crisis in health care," "make sure every child in America gets the best possible education" and "promote confidence in America."
And for all his talk about Democrats' quibbling and misguided politics, he chided them for not being "bipartisan" enough. Everyone should "put aside partisan politics and work together," he said. No word yet on whether his fellow Republicans, nearly all of whom voted against the stimulus package, got that message.
Jindal, who gained political points among some Republicans when he said last week that he will refuse some stimulus money, also may have forgotten to look over his notes after Obama's address. One of the first things Obama said was, "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."
Yet Jindal for some reason countered with, "Don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover, or that America's best days are behind her."
Jindal, whose tie matched the stripes on the American flag behind him, closed his national debut by invoking the abolition of slavery, the triumph over the Great Depression, victories in not one but two world wars, equalities gained from the civil rights battle, the extinguishing of the "Soviet menace" and the courageous response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man," he said, "and the American spirit will triumph again."
Bearing resemblance to an essay I wrote in the fourth grade, Jindal's speech was titled "Americans Can Do Anything." Obama had just spoken about making the country stronger than ever, like a majestic phoenix rising from the ashes of the nation's collapsed banking system. On the way, Obama even promised to cure cancer. How is Jindal supposed to respond to that?
He did the only thing he could do -- or at least what his speechwriters had planned out for him. He talked about Obama's historic presidency. He spent an unusually long time talking about how his own parents came to Louisiana from India, and they couldn't pay for his birth delivery, but his dad worked out a deal with a doctor, and then one time he went to the grocery store with his dad, and his dad was awed by the amount of food on the shelves, and then he said, "Bobby, Americans can do anything."
At an apparent loss for a segue into his official response to Obama, Jindal opted to tell another anecdote -- this time about when he visited a sheriff during Katrina, and the sheriff was yelling into the phone, and Jindal asked him why he was so mad, and the sheriff said that volunteers with boats who came to rescue people on their rooftops couldn't get permission to save people because "some bureaucrat" forbade them from rowing without proof of insurance and registration. Then Jindal said that was ridiculous, and the sheriff yelled into the phone again, and --
Hey, Bobby, do you have any specifics about the economy, or anything?
After what seemed like hours later, Jindal finally got to his point: Republicans rightfully wanted to lower taxes to "create more jobs." But the darn Democrats axed the plan. Instead, he said, they passed a wasteful bill that puts aside $140 million for "volcano monitoring."
Hey, Democrats! What you "should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C.," Jindal awkwardly quipped.
Jindal also highlighted other vague GOP principles: to "address the crisis in health care," "make sure every child in America gets the best possible education" and "promote confidence in America."
And for all his talk about Democrats' quibbling and misguided politics, he chided them for not being "bipartisan" enough. Everyone should "put aside partisan politics and work together," he said. No word yet on whether his fellow Republicans, nearly all of whom voted against the stimulus package, got that message.
Jindal, who gained political points among some Republicans when he said last week that he will refuse some stimulus money, also may have forgotten to look over his notes after Obama's address. One of the first things Obama said was, "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."
Yet Jindal for some reason countered with, "Don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover, or that America's best days are behind her."
Jindal, whose tie matched the stripes on the American flag behind him, closed his national debut by invoking the abolition of slavery, the triumph over the Great Depression, victories in not one but two world wars, equalities gained from the civil rights battle, the extinguishing of the "Soviet menace" and the courageous response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man," he said, "and the American spirit will triumph again."
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Previous 20 Comments
Satie
2:32AM 2:32AM Feb 28th 2009
Jindall looked like a South Asian version of Jethro Bodine to me. Republicans are becoming a regionalized party that will self-implode.
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((( HiRoader )))
3:53AM 3:53AM Feb 28th 2009
What the Heck Was Bobby Jindal Talking About?... Jindal is just parrot-ing regurgitation of every "Conservative Talk Radio" commentary since Obama's one ((month)) in office... The difference is the Jindal conservative party fiscal affiliated message has been "out of touch" with the middle class for eight years while this "economic crisis developed" in the 1st place.., and yet they expect the gullible supporters to eat up thier instant economy-conscience "remedies" to cure the (economic pneumonia) that they expose the country to... Jindal's message comes with subtle agitation & instigation.., The American people in the last 4 presidents have been exposed to issues with just alot of blah,blah for results.. abortion, illegal immigration, regulation of banks & credit contracts profits,corporate welfare, fiscal octa-moms, foreign outsourcing etc... The haves profit, The have-nots suffer.. Campaigns & elections mean (shyt) to the lobbying haves,.. The have-nots are divided, manipulated and confused to their own detriment... The pentagon buget is estimated $400.billion yearly heavily loaded with contrators(taxpayer funded) Yet homeland security is budgeted only 40 billion a year with the countries economy exposed to medical & education cost... The Bush administration was wrong on "illegal" immigration as well as the over budget for the War... Yet the Jindal rants won't acknowledge the conservative failures...
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Nancy
6:24AM 6:24AM Feb 28th 2009
Has anyone noticed that Jindal lied about the incident with the sheriff and allowing the boats in to pick-up people stranded. I am from Florida. Anyone staying at home was crazy to begin with. Secondly, Jindal had no problem with taking money from the Government after Katrina, in fact the forces are leaving this weekend. If he doesn't have a problem with taking money from the government for hurricane, than why does he have a problem with taking money to help the homeless, unemployed, etc. What, if it isn't a natural disaster than the residents have to bail themselves out. Why don't you donate your money or your home to help out the people. Maybe if you experienced what the citizens are going through you wouldn't be so anxious to refuse the money that may help them.
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kacz
10:06AM 10:06AM Feb 28th 2009
Bobby Jindal is definitely a conservative and for his speech following President Obama's speech to Congress it was just an example of his (and their) cluelessness of the severity of the state our country's problems. His little story about his family was cute but pointless. His backdrop was hillarious and whoever told him to come out smiling must have read too many Alfred E. Newman books. Right from the get go his appearance gave a "what, me worry" kind of look and attitude. How could anyone seriously consider anything he had to say. I am a moderate and tend to have some conservative leanings from time to time, however, Bobby Jindal could never, ever be a leader for anything I value dear to me.
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wg
10:36AM 10:36AM Feb 28th 2009
Notice during media debates between Republicans and Democrats the Republicans never offer any solutions it's all complaining and criticizing. If you beleive the media swings a vote then that's your problem. Most intelligent people base decisions on experience and some research. That's why the Republicans sound confused (bloggers) because all you're doing is going by what you hear...dumb
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tim
1:19PM 1:19PM Feb 28th 2009
This moron makes even Sarah Palin look smart.
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DeeDee
4:30AM 4:30AM Mar 2nd 2009
I am from Louisiana and Bobby Jindal is so busy running for President in 4 years until he forgot to stay at home and deal with the State he is Gov. of.
And as far as storms, Katrina vs Gustave, and the Govs reaction. Please remember Katrina was the first of it's magnitude. Bobby Jindal was given a script that was already written from the Failures of Katrina. Everything he was so successful at with the two Storms that he had to be the fearless leader of was already in place from the Failures of Katrina. All he had to do was walk in and read the script. From the failures of Katrina, everything was already laid out and in place so there would not be another failure like Katrina. So of course he was able to shine with those hurricanes, but he did not have to figure anything out, it was already in place. All he had to do was step up to the mic and read.
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mahalapril
1:20PM 1:20PM Mar 2nd 2009
DEEDEE- Obama was campaigning for president also years before. In his one year in the senate he voted present most of the time. I wonder if Obama debates Palin, who is very charismatic, how many ahs Obama says before being able to answer Palin. You have seen the debate of Palin and Biden. Did Biden beat Palin ? Sarah Palin was attacked by liberal-biased media malpractice. Palin knows more newspapers than all the democrats combined because Palin is a journalism major. Couric's [who probably does not read any newspapers or who have no knowledge of anything except the prepared written questions]was insulting to Palin. Why asked that question to a VP candidate. Probably because Couric knows nothing about executive experience [balancing a successful state budget and fighting even own party against corruption as Palin did as a governor] national security experience and politics. All Couric does is read a teleprompter just like Obama. Sarah Palin is the commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guards and Palin is briefed frequently about national security because Alaska has offensive nuclear and defensive nuclear weapon shield missiles and early warning systems because of it's close proximity to Russia. Obama said the surge in Iraq won't work. Obama said during the primaries that he will talk with the terrorists and rogue nations without preconditions and that Iran is a small country and not a military threat, not realizing that Iran trains,finance and export islamic terrorist fanatics all over the world and also developing nuclear weapons.These are the reasons during the primaries that Biden and Hillary said that Obama is naive,inexperienced and not fit to be commander -in-chief and they were not lying then. The democrats are so afraid of Palin because she can beat any democrat including Obama and Hillary because of her charisma and ability to energize people as proven by her drawing power in the election.This is the reason that the democrats have already started attacking demeaning Sarah Palin even if the next presidential election is still 4 years away.
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Kris Marshall
8:16AM 8:16AM Mar 5th 2009
It was curious to watch Jindal as he used two major examples to demonstrate his claim that less government would be better. The Katrina reference was, of course, silly as it was clear to even casual observers that the problem was the failure of a detached and imperious presidency to act in time to save the lives of New Orleans residents and woefully wasted the funds availabe by allowing FEMA to be eviscerated by an inept and unqualified political appointee. His story regarding his parents inablity to pay for his birth shouted the need for national health insurance. Somehow, Jindal believes that it demonstrates just the opposite. It is time that Jindal, and all Republicans, realized that most Americans do not live in Mayberry where "doc" will just wait around for his paycheck. Lacking health insurance, Jindal if conceived today, might face low weight, neurological damage and more due to lack of prenatal care, a strong possibility of being still born or dying as an infant due to lack of routine medical treatment. In fact, his parents might do well to return to India for his birth to insure the best medical care, just as many Americans now do to avoid the outrageous cost of life saving procedures in the US.
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