The more I watch the goings on at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, the more it looks like the U.S. Capitol in D.C.
It is preview of what a Bobby Jindal presidency would look like. Despite what Jindal thinks and a few pundits say, thankfully, there will never be a Jindal presidency.
Pre-Jindal, there was very little evidence of partisanship in the lege body. There were philosophical divides on issues rather than DC-style partisanship.
Jindal has moved the lege process from a discussion of issues to whether one is for or against Bobby.
Because of Jindal’s consistent inconsistency, it is impossible for leges to deal with him based on issues.
This session Jindal supported a billion dollar tax on businesses, but opposed a two cent tax on cell phones.
Jindal supported a $1.05 tax increase on cigarettes, but opposed much smaller ones.
Jindal has opposed the use of one-time money to fund recurring expenditures and now he supports the same.
I could go on, but it suffices to say that when it comes to fiscal issues Jindal has been solidly on both sides of every one.
Just like in D.C., thanks to Jindal, there are divisions among the Republicans in the House. It’s not based on any philosophy, it is based on whoever prefers to curl up in Jindal’s lap.
Jindal has ordered the LA GOP leadership to publicly attack the fiscally-conservative Republicans in the House. The attacks are not based on issues because, when it comes to the issues, the party leadership is as schizophrenic as Jindal.
The LA GOP leadership blindly take its orders not from its membership (they can’t even get a quorum for their meetings) but from Jindal. The Republican Party is not even consistent on tax increases, a bedrock of Republicanism. Rather, the party leaders base their support on who sponsors the tax increase.
Because of the lack of a consistent political philosophy either by Jindal or the party, the party’s attacks take the form of character assassination based on half-truths, innuendos and outright lies.
Thanks to Jindal and his DC-like tactics there is even a division between House and Senate Republicans.
Wednesday morning there was a meeting of the Republican Delegation so that the Senate could convince their House colleagues to just go along and get along.
In closing, it’s time for the all the leges to get back to focusing on the issues before them and let the governor do whatever the governor will do.
Most Americans, regardless of political philosophy, are sick of watching the partisanship bickering and internecine wars in D.C. Soon most Louisianans are going to get fed-up with the same thing in B.R.
It’s time for the LA GOP leadership go back to whatever it is they do.
It’s not as though Louisiana doesn’t have enough serious problems to deal with. We haven’t had a constitutionally-balanced budget since Jindal became governor.
Unlike Congress, the lege doesn’t have 12 months to get its job done, the lege has only five weeks left in the current session and they haven’t even started on the tough issues.
If the leges fail to get their job done this session, and it looks like they won’t, the blame should be placed squarely on Jindal and the leadership of the LA GOP.
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