It might be that Jindal wants to be in good terms with the legislators, but does it have to take practically a bribe to accomplish that? There’s nothing principled (and a lot counterproductive) about that.
My take on it is that, by his not vetoing the bill, the Governor may be allowing the legislators who supported the raise to bury themselves come re-election while he himself will not be adversely affected, or at least that is the gamble he is making. But then, the buck stops at the Governor’s desk, and Jindal’s refusal to veto may cost him politically after all, especially if he contemplates national office someday. What about cutting on government waste as an honored tenet of the conservatism he claims to embrace?
I agree. No compromise. He may think it will cost him now; but in the end, it always costs more.