Tuesday, October 21, 2014

A thing to mark down on your calendar

Bobby Jindal is going to make a decision.
Gov. Bobby Jindal would not respond Tuesday to the flurry of GOP congressional candidates grading his governorship, often with below average marks, repeating what he called his accomplishments and saying the only accurate grade was “incomplete.”

Jindal also told a news conference that he was not interested in any other future office but president of the United States. He specifically ruled out running for the U.S. Senate or U.S. House.

“If I were to stay in politics it would involve the 2016 running for president. There’s no other elective office I would seek,” Jindal said, adding that a decision a presidential run would be made, probably, after the holidays.
As to that business about being "graded" by fellow Republicans, it's a thing that's been coming up in candidate forums.  Jindal is currently very unpopular (on account of his having been an exceptionally crappy Governor). President Obama is also unpopular in Louisiana (on account of... other reasons.) So it's become fashionable.. although pointless.. during the debate season to ask candidates to rate both of these lightning rod figures on "a scale of 1 to 10." This has caused Republicans standing for office to squirm a little.

Senate candidates Bill Cassidy and Rob Maness gave Jindal a "7" and a "5" respectively after each hemmed and hawed a bit about how Jindal has "taken some licks." 

Yesterday, Garrett Graves awarded Jindal a perfect 10 "on coastal restoration."  Graves and Jindal spent much of the past year working to shut down the SLFPA-E lawsuit against oil and gas companies responsible for ripping apart the Louisiana coast. So the "10" there is as much an act of self-congratulation.. if you can call it that.

The only Republican not too worried about Bobby Jindal is Congressman Vance McAllister. Although, the Jindal people are pretty peeved at him.
Delivering stump speeches that roast Republican party officials may have finally caught up with Congressman Vance McAllister, R-Swartz.

The bad blood, however, dates back much further than the ongoing contest in the 5th Congressional District. GOP leaders backed McAllister’s opponent in last year’s special election, after the incumbent bucked Gov. Bobby Jindal’s stance on Medicaid expansion. And they implored McAllister to resign earlier this year after a video was released of him kissing a married aide.

Asked if the party would wholeheartedly support McAllister if he makes the runoff against Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, a Democrat, Louisiana Republican Party Executive Director Jason DorĂ© said it would be a “tough decision.”
So, in addition to Jindal's announcement that he's running for President, let's all keep an eye out for that state Republican Party endorsement of a Democrat too, right?

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