Jindal talks biotech, biography to tough audience: high school students

NOLA ^ | 10/21/03 | ADAM NOSSITER - AP

[yonif]

BATON ROUGE, La.(AP) -- Some students fidgeted, others stared into space, and some even paid attention as Bobby Jindal brought his high-intensity campaign for governor to a tough audience Tuesday: a high school biology class.

Jindal's campaign billed the stop at McKinley High School here as a teaching session in "Teach for America Week," devoted to highlighting the national service program that brings top college graduates to teach in inner-city and rural schools.

[William McKinley]

My school has delapidated desks? The school district must have been in the hands of Democrats for the past few decades.

[Mannaggia l'America]

"Some students fidgeted, others stared into space, and some even paid attention as Bobby Jindal brought his high-intensity campaign for governor to a tough audience Tuesday: a high school biology class."

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Jindal is boring.

"The program has been heavily cut under the administration of President Bush -- it recently failed to get an approximately $14 million federal grant -- but Bush, Jindal's former employer, wasn't on the agenda Tuesday."

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Jindal is a hypocrite.

"Indeed, though Jindal quickly proclaimed his support for Teach for America, he didn't mention Bush, as he often does to older audiences, during the 45 minutes he spent with the students in Karen Sweeney's 10th grade biology class."

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Young people hate Bush.

"Nor did the college biology major do much teaching. He didn't address a subject of controversy related to the classroom that has touched his own campaign -- his support for "creationism," the doctrine that calls into question evolution."

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Jindal is a right-wing nut.

"Despite his interest in biotechnology, Jindal is against stem cell research, regarded by some scientists as one of its most promising areas, though opposed by others because it involves using cells from human embryos. President Bush is against this type of research, and the federal government has moved to restrict funding for it. "

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Jindal is a right-wing nut hypocrite.

"He restlessly moved up and down the students' dilapidated desks and chairs like a talk-show host, urging them to stay in school and to "take chances.""

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Bush tax cuts took away money from the schools, so they can't buy new desks.

"They perked up when he talked about his own biography, including the story of how he wound up marrying the high school crush who had turned him down for a date, and how a college professor who had given him a bad grade eventually became a "good friend.""

AP "Just the facts" Reporter: Young people are just interested in sex.