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Posted on 10/14/2003 12:49:33 PM PDT by Ebenezer
BATON ROUGE - In endorsing fellow Democrat Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette in Louisiana's gubernatorial race, U.S. Sen. John Breaux cut all ties with her opponent, Republican Bobby Jindal of Baton Rouge, who assisted Breaux in drafting Medicare reform.
Jindal's ads talk about how he worked with Breaux and President George W. Bush on health care issues to show he can work with members of both parties. The front-runner in the Oct. 4 gubernatorial primary was executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, heading the staff and preparing policy for members of the commission co-chaired by Breaux.
"Bobby Jindal was a staffer who worked for us. He did what others told him to do," Breaux said Friday when asked why he thought Jindal wasn't experienced enough to be governor when he thought he was good enough to lead a national commission. He described Jindal as "a good person" and said "if I was governor, I'd probably offer him a job on my staff."
In response, Jindal's campaign released a letter Breaux wrote to the chairman of the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors in 1999. In it, he describes Jindal as "a highly skilled and eminently qualified individual possessing outstanding credentials and qualifications."
The letter says Jindal "was responsible for directing commission members as they worked to strengthen and improve Medicare." In the letter, Breaux also says Jindal "revitalized Louisiana's Medicaid program by lowering costs and rescuing the program from a $400 million deficit."
Breaux cautioned voters not to support Jindal just because Gov. Mike Foster supports him. He said the position needs to be earned.
"The office of governor is not going to be appointed, it's not going to be anointed and it's not going to be handed down from one person to the next," Breaux said, referring to Foster's strong support of Jindal and the fact that the governor asked Jindal to run.
But he did not mention Foster's or Jindal's name.
Breaux said the election should not be decided according to "who has the most books and proposals," referring to how Jindal has spelled out his plans in publications.
Breaux was joined in endorsing Blanco by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Chris John, who said he will have his own endorsement announcements in his home district in Acadiana.
Democratic members of Congress "are going to work 24-7 to make sure Kathleen Blanco is elected," Landrieu said. She said she and others will use their political contacts to get out the vote.
Jindal has been endorsed by Congressmen Richard Baker of Baton Rouge, David Vitter of Metairie and Jim McCrery of Shreveport. And U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin of Chackbay said he will endorse Jindal this week.
Anti-Jindal attack blasted by both sides
GOP candidate Bobby Jindal says he was more upset about what could be political party interference in the gubernatorial runoff than what's been considered by some to be a racial slur.
The Louisiana Democratic Party, however, blasted College Democrats of America President Ashley Bell, an LSU law school student, for making insensitive remarks about Jindal.
The comments in an e-mail inviting other college Democrats to New Orleans to campaign for Kathleen Blanco were "offensive, unacceptable and do not in any way reflect the views or sentiments of the Louisiana Democratic Party or Democrats in Louisiana," party Chairman Mike Skinner said in a statement.
Bell's invitation describes Jindal as "Republicans' token attempt to mend bridges long burnt with the Arab-American community."
The College Republican National Committee fired back that Jindal is a Baton Rouge native of Indian descent and accused the young Democrat of "poor geography and racial attacks."
Skinner, describing Bell as "a college student who made a serious mistake," said the Democratic Party "strives to be the party of all the people. Comments that seek to divide us along ethnic lines, instead of focusing on the real issues of this campaign, are repugnant to the ideals of this party."
Jindal's campaign said there's no need for outside interference and he wants Washington, D.C., officials to stay out of the race. He said he welcomes President George W. Bush's support but won't invite him to campaign for him.
"With all due respect to the folks in Washington, Louisiana is more than capable of deciding who the next governor will be and will make that decision based upon the issues critical to the state," Jindal spokesman Trey Williams said.
Key election dates
Wednesday: last day to register to vote in the Nov. 15 election.
Nov. 3-8: absentee voting in person for the Nov. 15: election.
Nov. 15: general election.
Subtle as it is, this is still mud-slinging.
Not so subtle. Louisiana politics are as dirty as they come.
How can that be said with a straight face after the Xlintons, 2000 election, Kalifornia recall, etc.? What kind of peyote is this guy on, anyway? Obviously one that creates a heckuva neat alternate reality.
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