So, Sen. John McCain and Gov. Bobby Jindal were scheduled to meet in Baton Rouge yesterday. Was this perhaps to discuss the possibility of Jindal becoming the presidential candidate’s running mate?
If so and Jindal was put into the race and became vice president, what would that mean for Louisiana? It would mean that Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu would become governor.
That would not be at all bad, with no reflection on Jindal. Mitch is a positive figure in state politics. He is very outgoing and persuasive. He is energetic and could exercise the leadership needed to turn good theory into reality. In other words, he could be a very effective governor.
This would give one the impression that Louisiana is in good hands. Jindal now and Landrieu as his back-up.In addition, Jindal, as vice president, could help pave the way to better treatment for his state from the feds.
Jindal, who had good plans at the beginning of his administration, slacked a bit in leadership by not drawing the line on what he would tolerate in legislative action. And as a result the legislature went its own way.
But Jindal redeemed himself by vetoing what he did not approve. And the legislature somewhat redeemed itself by calling off an automatic special session to consider overriding the governor’s vetoes.
We’re sure Landrieu is waiting in the wings for whichever way he can become governor, either automatically by Jindal’s election as vice president or in a race for the position on his own.
At this point, however, it does not seem that McCain would be likely to choose Jindal as his running mate. After all, Louisiana is almost a sure win for him in the election. And chances are he could choose an acceptable running-mate from another state who would count in helping him win its electoral votes in addition to Louisiana’s.
But things are looking good for Louisiana with two promising leaders at the helm who could help lead the state into a bright future. It’s a good situation.
Pelosi is on target
U. S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was right on target when she said in New Orleans Tuesday that some of the royalties from Louisiana’s offshore oil revenue should not be used for levee improvements. That revenue has been reserved to help rebuild the coast and that is where it should go.
The most effective protection we can have from future hurricanes is a solid coastline which could be considered a horizontal levee. And if we don’t provide that soon, all the verticle levees in the world around subdivisions and cities will not save us in the future.
Pelosi was disagreeing with Governor Jindal who suggested as a last resort that some of those new offshore royalties which he helped secure for the state while serving in the House be used to pay part of the state’s share of $1.8 billion in future federal levee improvements, which is expected to be paid within three years. She pledged to seek another way to reduce the heavy levee burden for the state.
Goodbye, Dolly!
When we heard Dolly was stirring things up in the Carribean and fixin’ to head toward the Gulf of Mexico where she would become a hurricane, we though of the refrain from that popular musical, “Hello Dolly, well hello Dolly. We’re so glad to see you back where you belong.”
Let us make it perfectly clear here and now, hurricanes do not belong in the Gulf or anywhere else near populated areas. We’re glad to say goodbye Dolly as it heads to the Texas-Mexico coast though we have sympathy for others in her path.
Dolly probably won’t be the last tropical development to flirt with us this year and we hope to wave goodbye to others from afar as they head into the cool waters of the north Atlantic where they belong. Meanwhile, be prepared in case one of them does get to say “Hello.”
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