If you listen to Gov. Jindal for any length of time, you’d come away with the impression that the man is NOT impressed with the response of the federal government to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The reality of that attitude depends, I suppose, on which side of the political fence one happens to occupy. Listen to Republicans, and you’d think that the federal government possesses some sort of magic bullet that they’ve thus far refused to use. Jindal, and others with an “R” behind their name explicitly blame the President and the federal government FOR NOT MAKING THINGS ALL BETTER RIGHT NOW!! Never mind the fact that the federal government is not in the spill cleanup (or creation) business, suddenly it’s the government’s responsibility to fix things when all Hell breaks loose.
Of course, Jindal has been one of the loudest and most shrill voices when it comes to advocating for smaller government and less “government interference in the lives of hard-working Americans”. Then a crisis happens, and who’s the first to decry the federal government’s “slow” response? If you guessed Bobby Jindal, well, you’ve won something special (I just can’t remember what or where it is). As it turns out, though, one of the people that Jindal should be pointing an accusing finger at is…himself. While he’s been decrying the lack of resources the federal government has provided to Louisiana, he’s completely ignored the fact that the feds have authorized him to mobilize up to 6,000 Louisiana National Guardsmen, to be paid for by BP. Thus far, Jindal has called up 1,053. Given that one of the most crushing needs along the Louisiana coast is manpower, Jindal’s oversight (and rank hypocrisy) is particularly disturbing. Calling up the 6,000 guardsmen wouldn’t cost Louisiana taxpayers a dime…yet Jindal has thus far declined to avail himself of this option. And Jindal isn’t the only Gulf Coast governor who thus far has declined to take advantage of this free manpower. No, it’s far easier to bludgeon the federal government for their “slow” response…perhaps because it beats the Hell out of admitting and accepting responsibility for your own failure or leadership.
Bobby Jindal couldn’t lead a pack of hungry Cub Scouts to a Dairy Queen. His hypocrisy in criticizing the federal government is truly epic and world class when viewed in light of his own ineptitude and failed leadership. While I can’t speak to whether or not he even genuinely cares about the plight of his constituents, he certainly has mastered the art of the angry, self-righteous press conferences. Sound bites won’t solve this problem, but he certainly seems to think that they’re doing wonderful things for his political career.
