Click on the image to watch the video of his latest press conference as Gov. Jindal explains what he is doing to contain the damage:

Here is the Emergency.Louisiana.gov page with extensive updates and resources on the state’s emergency response to the crisis, dating back to April 22.

Via NECN:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) said the state will not waiting for federal approval to begin building sand barriers to protect the coastline from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Oil has pushed at least 12 miles into Louisiana’s marshes, with two major pelican rookeries awash in crude.

Gov. Jindal was critical of the amount of boom his state received to ward off the oil seeping toward the coastline. But his major gripe comes at the expense of the Army Corps of Engineers, who have yet to give the go-ahead for the building of sand booms to protect the Louisiana wetlands. He used photographic evidence of oil breaking through hard booms, soft booms and another layer of protection, before being finally being corralled by a sand boom built by the National Guard.

“It is so much better for us. We don’t want oil on one inch of Louisiana’s coastline, but we’d much rather fight this oil off of a hard coast, off of an island, off of an island, off of a sandy beach on our coastal islands, rather than having to fight it inside in these wetlands,” Gov. Jindal said, making the case for sand booms.

The governor said he has been forced to protect Louisiana without the approval of the Army Corps of Engineers, which is weighing the ecological impact of the construction of more sand booms.

“We are not waiting for them. We are going to build it,” Jindal said.

At least one federal official is taking some responsibility:

The oil mass continues moving west, and as the toxic sludge begins to make landfall in Terrebonne, Capt. Edwin Stanton, who heads up the Coast Guard’s response, is taking blame.

“The governor is right. It’s too slow, and if it’s anybody’s fault, it’s mine, for not pushing (BP) hard enough perhaps,” Stanton said.“We did have a problem with getting boom down here to begin with, but there seems to be boom that is in the staging areas that needs to be put out.”

Then, in an exchange with a reporter, he went further.

Stanton: “It’s my job to direct this response in Louisiana.”

Reporter: “Why didn’t you do it?”

Stanton: “Well, the why — is that really important?”

Reporter: “Yes sir, we live here.”

Stanton: “Well, I guess I’m just slow and dumb.”

It’s a start.

***

More: Jindal is scheduled to speak with President Obama in a conference call later today.

Put the boot on their necks, Gov. Jindal.

***

Obama has sent the Justice Department to look at the oil spill. Inquiring minds want to know: Are they going there to uncover things…or cover things up?

After that, I’ll be at CPAC tomorrow afternoon. PJTV’s “Washington Tea Party” panel, part of the Conservatism 2.0 conference, begins at around 2pm Eastern-ish.

Then I’ll be rushing home to make it back in time for my daughter’s horse-riding lesson.

Priorities!

***

I’ll post tons more Tea Party photos tomorrow from Seattle, Santa Monica, Tampa, Sacto, Houston, St. Louis (1,000+ turnout!), Asheville, and more. But gotta put this one up right now — our friend and photoshopper extraordinaire Tennyson Hayes will love seeing his Schumer-as-Antoinette image (first published here) supersized. Took this one at the DC Tea Party:

Investor’s Business Daily, which covered the first round of anti-porkulus protests in Seattle and Overland Park KS last week, has a good follow-up on the Tea Parties today and notes that several more protests are planned for April 15 and July 4. Stay tuned here.

***

Open thread food for thought: Left-wing blogs are knee-deep in Bobby Jindal Derangement Syndrome.

Can you believe this?

More here.

***

One more item: Toby Harnden of the UK Daily Telegraph lists the “top 10 anti-Obama conservatives.”

***

And one more thought: Folks have asked me to respond to other bloggers trashing the Tea Party movement. I can’t say it better than commenter Wendy Herman of Texas said it here (comment number 11):

When we get our act together, you’ll grace us with your presence? I don’t think so.

I was at the Houston Tea Party today. I drove 4 hours each way to attend. It was truly encouraging to see the 500 people that showed up. There was no big named speaker—there was no big budget—there wasn’t even a band, but there was plenty of enthusiasm for this truly grassroots movement and the opportunity to express our displeasure with the current administration and congressional leaders. We talked, exchanged business cards and plotted out future events. For you to poo-poo the hard work of the three extraordinary people (Felicia, Chealsea & Josh) that busted their backside to pull this gathering off in 6 days is repulsive.

Your elitism and snobbish attitude is not welcome at our party, sir. Let me assure you that when we do have money and are better organized, we will have no need for the likes of you.

Helen Thomas has been gabbing with a film crew this morning, according to Washington Times White House correspondent Christina Bellantoni.

Bellantoni just posted this on Twitter:

“Bobby Jindal was ‘pitiful,’ Helen Thomas tells film crew, right before making a ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ crack.”

No word on whether she also channeled Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton and made any 7/11 and gas station cracks.

The cable news talking heads panned Bobby Jindal’s response to Obama tonight.

There were some apparent audio and technical problems. He could have been more specific in his attacks on the porkulus bill, the bailouts, and the coming omnibus spending bill/mortgage entitlement expansion. (Full speech here).

But then, of course, the critics would have accused him of being too wonky.

Can’t win in these situations. The follow-up to an elaborately staged joint session of Congress speech is always going to look diminished. I thought his delivery was fine. And it’s always better to have lowered expectations, anyway. Otherwise, you end up with…the inconquerable hype of the Obamessiah.

Jindal’s strongest moments came at the end of his remarks:

In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear — because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust — and rightly so.

Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share — the principles you elected us to fight for — the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.

A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said ‘we may not be able to reverse.’ Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don’t let anyone tell you that we cannot recover — or that America’s best days are behind her.

This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery, overcame the Great Depression, prevailed in two World Wars, won the struggle for civil rights, defeated the Soviet menace, and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man — and the American spirit will triumph again.

We can have confidence in our future — because, amid today’s challenges, we also count many blessings: We have the most innovative citizens –the most abundant resources — the most resilient economy — the most powerful military — and the freest political system in the history of the world.

My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my Dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.

Thank you for listening. God bless you. And God bless America.”

I’ll take Bobby Jindal’s genuine faith in American entrepreneurship over Barack Obama’s fear-mongering-turned-faux Reaganism any day.

His actions and his actual record — reforming his state’s decrepit health care system, fixing higher ed, serving in Congress, tackling entitlement reform, managing natural emergencies, etc. — remain mightily impressive.

***

MSNBC couldn’t stand the sight of Jindal before he had a chance to open his mouth. Before he began his remarks, someone on a hot mic muttered “Oh, God.”

RCP has the video.

I just wanted to give you a quick update (from my cell phone, in fact) before I catch a couple of winks.

We lost power in my area at about noon, and we’ll be lucky to get it back in the next 24 to 48 hours. Winds were strong enough to uproot a massive oak tree behind our armory (which is about 60 miles NW of New Orleans… not exactly a coastal parish). Soldiers and families are safe, but at least two of my troops suffered catastrophic tree damage to their homes while they were on duty. My house got a little banged up as well, but my husband assures me that it can be easily repaired, thank God.

There are National Guard soldiers and airmen all over the state helping to get things ready so that people can get back home and assess any damages, which we all hope are minimal. We are also beyond grateful that New Orleans seems to have come out of this in much better shape than anticipated.

Thanks to you and all of your wonderful commenters for the prayers and well wishes. I would only ask that you not forget us just yet, as the clean-up is just beginning.

With deepest respect and warmest regards,
CantCureStupid

P.S. Michael Moore and Don Fowler can truly kiss my a$$.

Har. Gov. Bobby Jindal has posted the following message on his site:

Message from the Governor Today, we stand together as the impact of Hurricane Gustav continues to be felt throughout our state. We are thankful that most residents heeded the warning to evacuate before the storm. Local, state, and federal officials are working closely together and are fully prepared to deal with the critical issues that face our state in the coming days and weeks.

We have been through trying times before, and now we will endure them once again. We are a resilient state, and always have been. My prayers go out to the families of those affected by Gustav. We will work together to recover from this latest storm, and show the world once again what makes Louisiana great. Thank you for all the support that has already been shown by the rest of the nation and the world, and ask for your continued support as we work to recover from Hurricane Gustav. Louisiana is home to some of the most unique places and people in the world, and there is nothing that a storm can do to take that away.

Pay close attention to how GOP Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is working ’round the clock to prepare his state for Hurricane Gustav. As the nutroots wish ill on conservatives and pray to God for our demise, Gov. Jindal is on the ball, working feverishly to ensure the safety and comfort of his residents. No Blanco-like whining or finger-pointing. Action, not talk. I pointed to his 4am coastline evacuation order this morning. He held a press conference with DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff this afternoon, after he visited Lakefront Airport earlier today to thank the National Guard for their support in evacuating medical patients out of South Louisiana. He also signed a memorandum of understanding between Louisiana and Missouri and Tennessee for the use of their National Guard forces assisting evacuation and response operations; coordinated special needs shelters with several other states; and worked with seven states and the feds to stage evacation support, utility workers, and search and rescue teams.

This is how to be prepared:

· The state has 700 buses contracted – these are all within a 500-mile radius.

· These 700 buses will accommodate 35,000 people.

· These buses will be supplemented by an air and rail evacuation plan, which is led by FEMA.

· The state has up to 10,000 spaces for Critical Special Needs evacuees – these are individuals that have no transportation of their own. These shelters are state run.

· Additionally, the American Red Cross, in conjunction with local parishes, have spaces available for up to 68,000 evacuees in parish locations throughout the state.

· The state has 564,000 MREs pre-positioned in Louisiana.

· The state already has 525,000 liters of water pre-positioned in Louisiana.

· The state is ready to provide food and water to 350,000 responders and folks who remain in the state because they cannot evacuate

· FEMA has contracts in place for additional supplies, and they are currently working to load up these supplies and move them to Louisiana.

More:

BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal met with the unified command of the emergency operation center at GOSHEP to receive an update on the state’s preparedness efforts surrounding the possible impact of Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana.

The Governor’s briefing from the National Weather Service reported that the center of the storm was broken up and has re-strengthened as it is approaching Jamaica. Currently, it is projected to be in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, and move toward the Louisiana coast on Tuesday morning.

Governor Jindal said, “At this point, projections show that we could see tropical storm force winds along our coast as early as late Sunday night. This could potentially affect anywhere from New Orleans to Lake Charles, depending on the direction of the storm. Plaquemines and Iberia Parishes have already declared an emergency in their parishes, and other parishes are expected to declare emergencies today and tomorrow.”

The Governor added that 150 of the 700 buses on contract for an evacuation are arriving in the state today, and the state has requested federal help to assist in standing up the newly constructed shelter in Alexandria. Governor Jindal also ordered the Louisiana National Guard to be ready to deploy more than 1,500 guardsmen to New Orleans as early as tomorrow to assist in securing the city as citizens begin to evacuate their homes, should an evacuation be triggered.

Additionally, the Guard has requested possible aircraft assistance from Oklahoma (1), Colorado (4), Illinois (8), Nebraska (5), Pennsylvania (1), Ohio (1), Maryland (1), and Kentucky (5). The Louisiana Guard already has satellite equipment positioned in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, and Orleans Parishes to assist in first responder communications on the ground. Additional satellite equipment will be positioned in Southeast and Central Louisiana today.

The US Army Corps of Engineers was a part of the emergency operation center briefing today, and they reported that they are working to monitor levees and canals in coastal Louisiana. The Corps will ride out the storm in Louisiana and will then fly with the Coast Guard to assess levee conditions after the storm passes.

The Governor also announced today that the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is beginning to get twice-daily updates from nursing homes and hospitals to ensure they are on track to evacuate patients in need of assistance. DHH is executing their contracts today for ambulance assistance, and they will be receiving 150 additional, requested ambulances from FEMA to assist in the evacuation of patients from nursing homes and hospitals. DHH will have mandatory evacuations of hospitals and nursing homes if the storm reaches a Category 3.

The Governor added that the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is stopping their road construction projects today, in preparation for a possible evacuation. Due to the updated projections of the storm, the Governor updated the timeline of possible state events to include the beginning of phased parish evacuations as early as Saturday.

Also on Saturday, critical needs and medical needs shelters are set to open, including the PMAC at LSU. Pet shelters would also open on Saturday and some hospital and nursing home patients would begin to be evacuated. On Sunday, contra-flow could be activated to assist in evacuation efforts. The state has requested four urban search and rescue teams from the federal government, along with a command center, and their arrival is expected this weekend. This is only a possible timeline of events to prepare citizens, and will be updated as the storm continues to move.

DSS UPDATE on Shelter Locations: People who are evacuating on their own and who do not have an alternative shelter should stop at shelter-information points along the evacuation route to get the most up-to-date information about which shelters are open.

The shelter-information points (also listed on the Louisiana evacuation guides) are located at:
· Tourist Welcome Center, U.S. 65 & 84, 1401 Carter St., Vidalia.
· Tourist Welcome Center, 836 I-20 West, Tallulah.
· Paragon Casino, 711 Paragon Place, Marksville
· Sammy’s Truck Stop, I-49, Exit 53, 3601 La. 115 West, Bunkie.
· Med Express Office, 7525 U.S. 71, Alexandria.
· LSU-Shreveport, P.E. Gym, One University Place, Shreveport.
· Pickering High School, 180 Lebleu Road, Leesville.
· Mowad Civic Center, Fifth Avenue and 10th Street, one block off U.S. 165, Oakdale.

DSS also will assist with the registration of New Orleans area evacuees who require city and/or state assistance in evacuation at the Union Pacific Terminal in New Orleans.

DHH UPDATE on Special Medical Needs Shelters: Five locations are preparing to open as Special Medical Needs Shelters, located in Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Monroe, Bossier, and Hammond. Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport is being prepared for Critical Transportation Needs populations and for pets, should this population be asked to evacuate.

Agriculture and Forestry UPDATE on pet evacuations: A pet evacuation center for residents with critical transportation needs will be open in Shreveport in accordance with the timeline set by the local parish OEP officials. It is only for evacuees with critical transportation needs, and those residents are instructed to coordinate with their local OEP offices to arrange transportation for themselves and their pets to the shelter. Pets under 15 pounds that are carried in a pet carrier will be allowed to travel with their owners on the bus transports (soft-sided carriers are preferred). Larger pets will be placed in size-appropriate pet carriers and bussed separately from their owners to the pet/owner shelter. Other shelters for self-evacuators for pets and owners will open as storm and evacuation conditions dictate. Pets must have proper identification – preferably something permanent like a microchip or tattoo. Dogs and cats need to have proof of annual rabies and other vaccinations. It’s also very important to have collars, leashes, harnesses and kennels for confining animals when necessary. Muzzles may be appropriate for animals that are apprehensive in unfamiliar settings. Pet owners should bring at least a three-day supply of food, water and medications for their animals.

First, please read this e-mail from michellemalkin.com reader/commenter CantCureStupid, who is a member of the Louisiana Army National Guard. She asks for your thoughts and prayers as the people of his state ready for the storm:

Hi Michelle.

God Bless America and God Bless Louisiana!!!

New Orleans is under mandatory evacuation orders this morning. Here’s a disaster preparedness round-up from Glenn Reynolds. And Weather Nerd and hurricane blogger Brendan Loy is tracking the latest developments.

Per Gov. Bobby Jindal’s order at 4am this morning: “As directed by Governor Jindal, Louisiana State Police will initiate contraflow at 4:00 AM Sunday morning. For the first time in history, the entire Louisiana coastal population will be evacuated due to the impending threat of Hurricane Gustav.”

We know who won’t be praying for their success and safety: tolerant, peaceful liberals wishing the worst on Republicans in Gustav’s path and laughing about the possibility of grave destruction.

Exhibit A: Michael Moore (via Allah).

Exhibit B: Former DNC chair Don Fowler (via redstate diarist Absentee, who caught Fowler and Democrat Rep. John Spratt’s candid, malicious comments on a plane from Denver to Charlotte. Transcript via Ed Morrissey.

The hurricane’s going to hit New Orleans about the time they start. [Chuckle] The timing is — at least it appears now that it’ll be there Monday. That just demonstrates that God’s on our side. [Laughter] … Everything’s cool.

God is not on your side, gloating sleazeballs.

Our Louisiana Army National Guard’s screen name says it all: Can’t Cure Stupid.

***

How to help with Gustav preparation and recovery efforts.

I want to see him running at the top of the ticket in 2012.

As I’ve said many times, he is the future of the GOP.

There is one Republican I’m absolutely thrilled about, though: Bobby Jindal.

He’s taking office today as Louisiana governor. It’s a historic moment–and a proud moment:

The inauguration was set to begin at 10 a.m. with music from the West Monroe High School marching band. Pascal Calogero, chief justice of the state Supreme Court, was to swear in the 36-year-old Jindal at noon. He’ll be Louisiana’s first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction…

…Jindal, a Republican, succeeds Democrat Kathleen Blanco, who chose not to run for re-election to a second term after harsh criticism of her response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Oxford-educated son of Indian immigrants, Jindal leaves a U.S. House seat to become governor. He won the gubernatorial post outright in the October primary, getting 54 percent of the vote in a field of a dozen candidates — reversing his loss to Blanco four years earlier.

The boyish-looking Jindal will be the youngest U.S. governor in office, but he’s used to being among the youngest faces in the room at many of his previous posts.

Just 32 during his first gubernatorial run, Jindal by then already had served as Louisiana’s health care secretary, president of one of its university systems and an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Bush. Republican former Gov. Mike Foster tapped Jindal to be the state’s health secretary in 1996, when Jindal was only 24.

You can watch the ceremony live here.

The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette welcomes Jindal:

Today, Bobby Jindal becomes governor of Louisiana. He will face major challenges in his new position, particularly as he strives for adoption of his No. 1 goal – rewriting the state’s ethics code. Determined to make Louisiana ethics the “gold standard” for the nation, he will call a special session to deal only with ethics reform. If he fails, he will continue calling special sessions until the reform package is adopted.

We believe he can win the ethics reform battle and meet all his other challenges, which include hurricane recovery measures, health-care improvements, economic reform, improvements in education, successfully combating crime, increasing safety for Louisiana citizens and analyzing and monitoring state spending.

Jindal has proved himself in the arena of government service. We first took notice of him in 1996, when he was appointed secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. That put him in charge of 12,000 employees and a $4 billion budget – in his first government job. He inherited a $400 million budget deficit and, in a relatively short period of time, turned it into a $220 million budget surplus.
In 1998, he was appointed executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the future of Medicare.

He returned to state government in 1999, accepting the post of president of the University of Louisiana system.

In 2001, he was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That made him the top policy adviser to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

His experience has undoubtedly prepared him to deal with Louisiana’s many health-care problems. Serving as president of the University of Louisiana system prepared him to deal with education issues.

…Jindal brings to the governor’s office broad experience, proven ability and a remarkable intellect. He has a record of success in every government position he has held. We expect that record to remain intact during his tenure as governor.

He’s the real deal.

There are few things that drive the Left crazier than minority conservatives. We’re race traitors, parrots, puppets, hypocrites, House Niggas, Aunt Tomasinas, whores, and sellouts.

Liberals only love American Dream stories when minority politicians turn out like Barack Obama.

American success stories like Bobby Jindal, however, are their worst nightmare. It’s a slap in the face of leftist identity politics for a minority conservative to succeed in politics on a platform of faith, self-reliance, free market advocacy, and individual responsibility. And to succeed in the South? Intolerable!

Asian Week stooge Emil Guillermo penned a resentful screed today launching a tired, effete attack on Jindal as a “Man of No Color.” He cannot stand that Jindal rejects 1960s-era tribal ideology:

The politics of color is changing in America. For people of color, the best path to success may be to become a “person of no color.”

I caution people in evaluating the apparent success of Bobby Jindal.

Jindal, the first Indian American in U.S. history to be elected governor last Saturday — in Louisiana of all places — is what I call a “man without color.”Normally, you’d describe a person “without color” as white, but even white is a color. Jindal’s a guy who seems to aspire to being totally colorless (that’s not to say bloodless, though we are talking about a professional politician here).

In the past, this sort of character might have been labeled a chameleon, but even that’s not quite Jindal.

He doesn’t change skin tone. His skin is still as dark and constant given his immigrant Hindu parents from Punjab.

But the changes are they’re on the inside, which makes the constancy of his skin tone a tool of deception.

When you see a person of color, you expect someone with similar values, views, beliefs — someone in touch with the emerging new majority. With Jindal, you get someone who very deliberately and proudly downplays his race in order to seek his own individual path. That kind of independence under certain circumstances may be commendable. But only if you happen to agree with his ideas that range from free-market health care, intelligent design instead of evolution, anti-choice and a fenced-in America.

When did Newt Gingrich die and reincarnate?

Dinosaurs like Emil Guillermo can barely hide their contempt for assimilation.

When Jindal won, even the New York Times saw it fitting to remark how the first words from his mouth weren’t about his historic ethnic victory. It was about LSU’s defeat of Auburn earlier that day. It’s an old trick, a la “We’re all part of the same team. Just us honky-tonk footballers here!”

Horrors! Jindal’s talking about football instead of wallowing in anti-imperialistic self-pity!

This is classic crab-in-the-bucket sydrome, where the collectivist minority crabs try their mightiest to yank any other crab who dares to climb out of the ideological pail. Diversity, as always, is skin-deep in their world. Unable to maintain an intellectual stranglehold on minority conservatives, self-satisfied liberal racism cannot help but rears its ugly head:

The fact is color still matters in politics.

Maybe not to the new governor of Louisiana, whose real name, by the way, is Piyush Jindal.

He adopted the name Bobby because he liked The Brady Bunch. Now he’s created a unique modern character in Asian American political history: “Uncle Bob.”

Who are the real racists? Who are the enemies of progress?

When liberal bigots have nothing left but to sneer about your given ethnic name, their game is over. The bucket has been toppled.

Quote:

Jindal, a 36-year-old Republican, will be the nation’s youngest governor. He had 53 percent with 625,036 votes with about 92 percent of the vote tallied. It was more than enough to win Saturday’s election outright and avoid a Nov. 17 runoff.

“My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana,” he said to cheers and applause at his victory party.

Update 2 (See-Dub): Congratulations, Rep. Jindal!

Update (MM): My favorite quote from Bobby Jindal as he heads toward a win today…

“People want to make everything about race. The only colors that matter here are red, white and blue,” Jindal said.

Here’s a flashback to my column on Jindal and the NYTimes’ skin-color obsession and here’s a reminder of the smear campaigns the Left has waged against him over religion.

He’s an extraordinary, young, dynamic, whip-smart, staunchly conservative Republican.

***
I bet it just killed them to write this about the LA governor’s race:

Analysts predict Mr. Jindal, 36, could get more than 50 percent of the vote in the open primary, thus avoiding a November runoff and becoming the nation’s first Indian-American governor. If he fails to win a majority, he would face the next-highest vote getter in the runoff.

Louisiana Democrats are demoralized, caught between the perception of post-hurricane incompetence surrounding their standard bearer, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who is not running for re-election, and corruption allegations against senior elected officials like William J. Jefferson, the congressman from New Orleans.

So, despite the Times’ best efforts to shift all the blame onto President Bush for the botched Katrina response, they have to admit that the political consequences on the ground are landing right where they ought to…on the dithering, indecisive governor Blanco, on Mayor Nagin, and the Democratic machine that assisted their failure.

I bet they don’t like this part either:

He is a born-again Roman Catholic who has suggested that teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution may not be out of place in public schools, favors a ban on abortion and opposes hate-crimes laws. Conservative views aside, the slightly built congressman is anything but a backslapping good ol’ boy.

Blasphemy! How could someone who is both a Rhodes Scholar and from a racial minority believe that stuff? Those are The Wrong Ideas, and in the New York Intelligentsia’s reckoning, Rep. Jindal might as well be wearing overalls, chugging moonshine, and a plucking a four-string banjo as he wipes the stains from his lunch of pan-fried squirrel from his cheek with a Confederate flag bandana and contemplates assaulting suburban canoeists.

Speaking of which, if Rep. Jindal wins, it will undermine the very stereotypes the Times trades in:

The congressman, tossing souvenir cups from a fire truck in a town parade, was met with shouts of “Hey Bobby!” from the rural whites lining the route.

Hmm…maybe everything in the whole world…isn’t about race after all?

Oops, more blasphemy. Sorry.

It’s not just Republicans who are now objecting to the low blow. Via the Jindal for Governor campaign, here are independent and Democrat officials in Louisiana who have gone on record opposing the attack:

I met Bobby Jindal two years ago, and what impressed me the most above everything else was how sincere and openly he talked about his Christian faith. Louisiana needs more public servants that are willing to stand up and be unashamed of their faith in Jesus Christ. I am a Democrat, and I don’t know about other parts of this state, but in Caldwell parish, we put a lot more stock in a man’s character and values, than in an R or D by their name. Bobby Jindal has been unashamed to share his personal testimony with me, and in my opinion anyone who attacks Bobby’s Christian testimony should sleep with a heavy conscience.

Steve May (D)
Caldwell Parish Sheriff

I am proud to be a Democrat, but I am disgusted by the Louisiana Democratic Party operatives’ recent attacks on Bobby Jindal’s Christian faith. Bobby has been one of the strongest defenders of family values and he has personally shared with me his commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s more important to me than any party label, and I am proud to stand with him.

Ben Nevers (D)
State Senator

I am supporting Bobby Jindal because he is a man of honesty and integrity; a Christian man who is sincerely concerned about all people from all walks of life. Bobby will bring a new vision to Louisiana, removing the negative image of the past and present regarding corrupt elected officials. With Bobby Jindal as our Governor, a positive light will shine on Louisiana as other states look on.

Wayne Jones (D)
St. John the Baptist Sheriff

I’ve visited and talked with Bobby Jindal on multiple occasions, and the petty party politics that the Democratic party is trying to use to criticize Bobby Jindal’s personal decision to share his Christian faith is one of the lowest form of dirty political tricks I have ever seen. I’m not a Republican OR a Democrat. I am an Independent, but I’m a Christian and Louisianian first, and countless others in Northwest Louisiana share those same priorities. Its time our state expect more from its leaders, and we finally have a chance to change how the rest of the world looks at Louisiana if we elect Bobby as our next Governor. I hope the Democratic Party operatives who are attacking Bobby on his Christian beliefs pay a heavy price with the voters of this great state.

Chip Dickie (I)
Mayor of Oil City

“This is not the Democratic Party that I agreed to join years ago. Anyone that believes it’s a good idea to attack a man who is willing to share his Christian beliefs, is dead wrong. At a time when our state needs to come together, dirty campaign operatives are trying to divide us among religious lines. This attempt is despicable and I urge the Party’s elected leaders to join me in denouncing this ad immediately.”

Randy “Country” Seal (D)
Washington Parish Assessor
President of the Louisiana Assessors Association

“As a Democratic Mayor in South Louisiana, I am calling on my colleagues and friends across this great state to demand that the Democratic Party in Baton Rouge cease and desist the attack ads on Bobby Jindal’s Christian faith. I have heard Bobby Jindal give his personal testimony, and the idea of any person or organization stooping to this level has insulted the religions of all Louisianians. This is not an attack just on Bobby’s Christian beliefs, but on ALL religious beliefs. I have seen dirty politics in the past, but this is a new low.”

Raymond Harris (D)
Mayor of Franklin

“I have had the privilege of hearing Bobby’s Christian testimony first hand in my own parish, which makes these attacks by the Democratic Party’s paid operatives inexcusable. As a Christian, I am personally offended by these tactics and the people of Louisiana should not accept this behavior. For the Democratic Party to alter Bobby’s Christian writings is a desperate attempt for political gain, and is a new low in Louisiana politics.”

Mike Grimmer (D)
Livingston Parish President

As a registered Democrat, I have not always followed party lines in voting. This gubernatorial election will also see me crossing the line and voting for Bobby Jindal for Governor. To be honest, I am ashamed of the Democratic party after the ads, attempting to smear Bobby’s Christian faith, strong moral values, and character hit the air this week. I urge everyone to stop this king of low-down and shameful politicking by casting your vote for the most qualified and honest candidate in this campaign – Bobby Jindal.

Jack Hammons (D)
Mayor of Winnsboro

A lawyer for the Jindal campaign has asked that the ads be pulled:

A Louisiana Democratic Party ad accusing Republican candidate for governor Bobby Jindal of calling Protestants “scandalous, depraved, selfish and heretical” has prompted a firestorm of criticism and calls Tuesday from the GOP to take the ad off the air.

Political watchers questioned whether the ad went too far and whether it accurately reflects Jindal’s writings on Catholicism. Republicans and the head of a national Catholic organization called the ad a smear campaign.

Democrats say the 30-second TV spot — running in heavily Protestant central and north Louisiana — simply explains Jindal’s beliefs with his own words, using portions of Jindal’s religious writings through the 1990s, before he was an elected official.

A lawyer for the Jindal campaign sent a letter to nine television stations airing the ad, requesting that they stop showing it and calling it defamatory.

State Democratic Party officials said they won’t end the TV ad, and neither of the major Democratic candidates, state Sen. Walter Boasso and Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, called for the ad to be removed from the air.

But a former communications strategist for Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who isn’t running for re-election in the Oct. 20 primary, called the ad an outrageous attack that distracts from more important topics in the governor’s race, like hurricane recovery, health care and education.

Why’d she go? Seems clear the writing was on the wall:

In a poll of 600 likely voters taken Jan. 12-14 by Southern Media and Opinion Research, Blanco had a job approval rating of 50 percent approval rating. But in a head-to-head hypothetical race with Republican U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, 59 percent chose the Metairie congressman and only 35 percent selected Blanco. Democrats have said that Blanco would likely lose to Jindal and have encouraged [former US Senator John] Breaux to run.

Keep an eye on this race.

Don’t expect the New York Times editorial board or like-minded media elites to give Jindal a fair shake. The Left treats minority conservatives with apathy at best, and vicious bigotry at worst.

So, check out Bobby’s story for yourself here. It’s absolutely inspiring!