Jindal Was The Only Governor To Skip Biden’s Conference Call On The Stimulus
Jindal Was The Only Governor To Skip Biden’s Conference Call On The Stimulus
Yesterday, the White House held a conference call between Vice President Biden and governors of U.S. states and territories. The purpose of the call, according to the White House pool report, was to “exhort the states to collect and submit quarterly numbers of jobs created and saved by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act by the deadline of Oct. 10.” Forty-nine state governors or their representatives joined the call. The one person who skipped it? Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). From the pool report:
The invite was sent to 55 states and territories; if the governor could not join the call, a Lt. Governor, Chief of Staff or ARRA designee called in. There was one no-show state: Louisiana. Three no-show territories: Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa.
Biden has been aggressively reaching out to U.S. mayors and governors to help them use stimulus funds. In July, Time reported that Biden had been able to get every governor on the line except Sarah Palin of Alaska, Rick Perry of Texas, and Jindal.
Jindal has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Recovery Act — at the same time he goes around the state and takes credit for the federal dollars he was handing out. In July, Jindal declared the legislation a “stimulus that has not stimulated.” Yet he had no problems with handing out giant checks with his name on them…that contained millions of dollars of Recovery Act funds for job training programs, housing assistance programs, homelessness prevention programs, police training, criminal justice technology upgrades, and community development block grants.
A Jindal appointee has even blocked the state transportation department from placing signs indicating that projects were funded by the stimulus:
State projects financed with federal stimulus dollars will have no signs that say that, said Mark Lambert, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation and Development.
Lambert said the decision was made by DOTD Secretary William Ankner.
“He directed that signs not go up,” Lambert said of Ankner.
Lambert noted, however, that “road and bridge work paid for with state surplus dollars included signs that pointed out the source of the funds.” His explanation was that the state signs were cheaper. ThinkProgress contacted Jindal’s office to ask why the governor skipped the Biden call, but we did not receive a response.
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ACORN stole the signs as they were kicked out the State.
Oh, Wait! ACORN was NEVER in Louisiana…
Jindal is better suited to be a Carnival barker than a Gov.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:44 pmThe sad thing about Governor Jindal is that he seemed so well-spoken when I saw an interview of him last year during the election. I thought, “Hey, this looks like an ok guy!”
But, alas, actions speak louder than words, and the flip-flopping hypocrisy is making me dislike him more and more. :/
September 25th, 2009 at 12:49 pmAs heard on Olberman yesterday “If hypocrisy was a disease among politicians there wouldn’t be any of them left”.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:51 pmSounds like Jindal is trying to have it both ways.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:52 pmBobby Piyush Brady Jindal – A typical Republican weasel……
September 25th, 2009 at 12:54 pmWow. Even Sanford showed up? The guy who was successfully sued by his own legislature into accepting stimulus funds?
Jindal has a looooong way to go if he wants that GOP nod in 2016.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:56 pmhuh? jindal gave a boring and rediculous rebuttal to the sotu address and was deemed a failure almost immediatly by the right wing.
You are easily impressed or totally misguided.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:57 pmJindal was too busy doing exorcisms.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:58 pmI bet Jindal can whip up some fantastic Weasel Curry.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:59 pmwell if the sings was cheaper for the state, then why not combine them pay for by state and fed moneys.
see we all are working together to fix our problems.
but then again that would mean you have to pull your heads out of your 4th point of contact.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pmThe interview I’m referring to was before the elections in 2008, though admittedly, he probably had plenty of time to prepare, so that probably helped how he sounded and looked. I did not see the rebuttal of the SOTU.
What can I say, I am easily impressed at times and it was my first impression of Gov. Jindal. Though I’m certainly not impressed with him now.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:06 pmPapirini says:
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What can I say, I am easily impressed at times and it was my first impression of Gov. Jindal. Though I’m certainly not impressed with him now.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Monkey shit fights in a zoo are more impressive than that awkward twit….
September 25th, 2009 at 1:09 pm***
i can’t believe jinny would
do something like that.
!
September 25th, 2009 at 1:12 pmjoe cantwell says:
***
i can’t believe jinny would
do something like that.
!
Why not, j_c?
As Americans,
we can do anything!
September 25th, 2009 at 1:20 pmJunior should get whacked in the face for being such an ass..Just turn off ALL funds for LA and see how long he can hold his breath….Jerk..
September 25th, 2009 at 1:22 pmFrom the post;
“A Jindal appointee has even blocked the state transportation department from placing signs indicating that projects were funded by the stimulus:
“State projects financed with federal stimulus dollars will have no signs that say that, said Mark Lambert, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation and Development.
“Lambert said the decision was made by DOTD Secretary William Ankner.
““He directed that signs not go up,” Lambert said of Ankner …”
That might be illegal. Most federally funded road projects have legal requirements for signage regarding the funding source. Pretty common requirement for any US highway uograde.
The Federal DOT et al should look into this and if Louisiana is out of line, they should be informed that their funding can be and will be withheld until they come into compliance.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:24 pmAnother no-show Republican governor refusing to do their job duties? I’m shocked. Shocked and appalled…
September 25th, 2009 at 1:25 pm9.
Man. That’s just wrong. No need to drag ethnicity into this…Jindal would be just as much of a hilarious failure if he were white and anglo
September 25th, 2009 at 1:27 pmThe lack of morality shown by Jindal and Republicans in general disgraces America. Everything is opposite in the Republican reality. Moral majority really meant immoral minority.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:27 pmThen there’s the part about “State projects financed with federal stimulus dollars …”. It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Louisiana and several other states ‘mingled’ federal stimulus funds with state budgeted funds just to make accountability to the national government difficult where not impossible.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pmJindal is no more than a political weasel, who first tried to deny federal funds for his citizens, then took the funds and full credit for them himself! Now he won’t even let signs appear along the roadways indicating the federal funds paid for the work.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:30 pm(I don’t expect anything from Palin – can’t get much lower than her. And Rick Perry wants to secede anyway, so to hell with him.)
I don’t believe I have seen a repugniscum in the past two years who has been someone I would have any respect for — I have seen demagogues, racists, liars, propagandists, hacks, and obstructionists of progress — I haven’t seen any rspectable repug politicians.
#18
Maybe, but he was picked from the GOP crowd specifically because of his minority street cred to show that Republicans are diverse.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:32 pmOh, and obviously because he is malleable and easily swayed by conservative dictates, too.
22.
Totally. Ditto for Steele. Still, we’re classier than that…yah? Our side has many minority politicians because they’re damn good at what they do, not because they’re minorities.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm#22 said:
…he was picked from the GOP crowd specifically because of his minority street cred to show that Republicans are diverse..
Right. That’s what repugs do — people are valuable to them only to the extent that they can be used. Jindal is like a puppy, happy to eat scraps from the party’s dinner table because he thinks they like him and it will benefit him politically. He is too dense to see the truth, and couple that with his putting his own constituents at further economic risk makes him a lousy candidate, a lousy governor and a lousy person.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pmJindal 2012
September 25th, 2009 at 1:42 pm@ 18. EnnuiDivine says: 9. Man. That’s just wrong. No need to drag ethnicity into this…Jindal would be just as much of a hilarious failure if he were white and anglo. September 25th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I dunno, EnnueD. I think that Bobby J is actually trying his damnedest to emulate what his standing should be, castewise, in the USA, which is to say an Anglo-Brahmin Hypocrite. As such, and being in politics, he needs to show everyone that he’s really High Church Republican Weasel. Obviously, he can’t to ‘white’ without falling into the Michael Jackson Hole o’ Doom and Despair trap (endless rounds of bleach and cosmetic surgery), but he could, under the circumstances, make a nice Weasel Jambalaya. And continue to not give credit for stimulus money where it is due.
That should be a fairly transparent ploy though. Most of the people who bother to vote or at least view politics in Lousiana probably have the info about Jindal’s shuck and jive at hand.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:44 pmPolitically Superior says:
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Jindal 2012
September 25th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Yeah……………..For Exorcism Practitioner of the Year
September 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm#23
And that’s because the Republican platform is not in line with minority needs. Like gay republicans, minority republicans definitely have a separate agenda going on.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:46 pm28.
Pretty much. Just ask Jim Kolbe or Steve Gunderson (the two “openly” gay GOP congressmen. Gunderson chose not to run after opposing DOMA, Kolbe backed DOMA, was outed, and lost GOP support until he retired in ‘06.
Of course, then you have JC Watts and Michael Williams. Minority Republicans so heinously conservative they put the majority to shame.
September 25th, 2009 at 1:51 pmLike I said, I know that now. :p
September 25th, 2009 at 2:03 pmLouisiana has always been known as a lazy, backwards, poorly educated State. The people there are still trying to recover from the Civil War.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:08 pmPolitically Superior says:
Jindal 2012
Oh please, oh please, oh please…
September 25th, 2009 at 2:16 pmI love it when the wingnuts post something like “Jindal 2012″ because it shows just how desperate they are for a leader. They got nobody to even make a serious threat for President.
The Republican Party is finished politically for at least a generation, if they even survive that long.
September 25th, 2009 at 2:23 pmSo who’s gonna play Jindal on Saturday Night Live this season? Oh wait…he’s already his own character!!
September 25th, 2009 at 3:08 pmHave you heard Biden speak during the past 35 years? Skipping that hot air was smart.
September 25th, 2009 at 7:52 pmPolitically Superior says:
Jindal 2012
Please, yes. Go for it, GOP.
.
kwsventures says:
Have you heard Biden speak during the past 35 years?
Yes. He says a lot of important things worth listening to. Unfortunately, you’ve only heard the brief portions that were pre-selected for you.
September 25th, 2009 at 9:50 pmGuam and American Samoa are in a time zone warp, its tomorrow in Guam already, maybe they got the day wrong. Puerto Rico I have no excuse for.
September 26th, 2009 at 1:58 amAmericans can do anything, except apparently show up for important meetings.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:14 amBobby “Skippy” Jindal. I like it. Has a nice ring to it, Skippy does, and it’s a perfect descriptor. Skips meetings, skips the truth, neglects to inform the citizens of Louisiana that he’s a flaming arsewipe.
Oh, sorry, cancel that last. He’s been demonstrating his pyrrhic bumwipey-ness all over the media, hasn’t he? Hope it wasn’t hunting or fishing season in La; if it was, most ever’body missed the display of stupidity and mendacity.
September 27th, 2009 at 1:52 pm