Bobby Jindal
Governor of Louisiana
In one of the most unintentionally hilarious interviews I've ever heard, Bobby Jindal responds to Terry Moran's question about Mitt Romney's extensive offshore accounts on "This Week." The Alfred E. Newman look alike, as Jack Jodell so accurately pegs him, literally "filiblusters" his way through the entire interview while performing an amazingly acrobatic two step..
From Crooks and Liars:
MORAN: You know, Governor O'Malley, you raised something I want to raise with Governor Jindal, and that is something the Democrats are going to talk a lot about. Voters still aren't really sure of who Mitt Romney is, and this week, there were two major articles, Vanity Fair, Associated Press, taking a look at his fortune. And as you pointed out, he had a secret company in Bermuda. Not a lot of Americans have that, 12 offshore tax haven funds in the Cayman Islands and that Swiss bank account.
Let me go to Governor Jindal. Is it fair for voters to consider, Governor, what Mitt Romney does with his money outside the United States?
JINDAL: Terry, a couple -- I'll definitely answer that question. A couple things that I just want to again correct...
MORAN: No, no, no...
JINDAL: If you heard my friend, Governor O'Malley -- I will get to that question, but, look, Governor O'Malley, he's talked about President Bush several times now. That election was eight years ago. This election, this is a choice between President Obama and his failed policies and Governor Romney. This past week, David Axelrod tried to run against President Nixon. This is not about the past. This is about the future. Secondly, this...
(CROSSTALK)
JINDAL: ... Governor O'Malley is angry at Congress. He needs to be angry at the American people. They elected this Congress to stop some of these Obama policies. And this Congress, by the way...
MORAN: OK, what about his -- what about his...
(CROSSTALK)
JINDAL: ... policies about more domestic energy production. They passed policies...
MORAN: Got it. Got it.
JINDAL: ... to say regulations that cost our economy over $100 million...
MORAN: What -- what about...
JINDAL: ... should come in front of them.
MORAN: OK, filibuster.
JINDAL: They passed policies to rein in the NLRB. In terms of Governor Romney's financial success...
MORAN: Yes.
JINDAL: Look, I'm happy he's a successful businessman. We've got a president today who's never run a business, never run anything including a lemonade stand before he was president of the United States.
O'MALLEY: Governor, what about the Swiss bank accounts?
JINDAL: We can't afford four more years of on-the-job training. Look, the bottom line is, I'm thrilled that Mitt Romney has been successful in the private sector. I want somebody who's got that private-sector experience...
MORAN: But what about his money out of the country?
(CROSSTALK)
MORAN: Is it OK -- is it OK for voters to consider the amount of money that he's put out of the country in tax havens offshore, in secret Bermuda companies? Does that make sense for voters to consider?
JINDAL: Look, I think -- I think voters will consider all of the distractions thrown out by the Obama campaign. But at the end of the day, this election is about two fundamental choices. It's about President Obama, who wants to continue to spend money we don't have. They incurred now $1 trillion-plus deficit every year he's been president, after he promised we'd cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. He hasn't done that. Promised unemployment would be below 8 percent, hadn't done that, promised he'd reform the entitlement programs, hasn't done that.Geepers Creepers.
As Chris Matthews has mentioned with annoyance several times after guests on his show did what Jindal did, Republican pols and surrogates are trained and prepped before going on TV shows to dominate the "discussion" or interview. They're told to get their talking points out, stress them and repeat them. whatever it takes. They're told that no matter what question they're asked, turn the response to what they want to get said at every opportunity. And if opportunities are few and brief, talk over and through the host or other guests if need be. Don't be polite, don't hang back. Take the fullest possible advantage of being in front of a national audience.
ReplyDeleteIn this way Republicans and their operatives get free air time to push their agenda and candidates, and to bash the opposition, often with a lot of lies, distortions and innuendo. This has been going on for years.
Keith Olbermann threatened to, and at least a couple of times, did, cut interviews and discussions short when Republicans were doing their pushy routine. After one of those incidents, he also explained their game plan, and said guests were asked not to do that beforehand, and that he wouldn't tolerate them doing it. I cheered.
BTW, I get the impression CNN welcomes Republicans to go for it with their pushy routine. In election years, CNN also has a habit of carrying Republican presidential candidate or incumbent speeches and appearance live, in toto. You might get a five-second sound bite of the Democratic opponent, sandwiched between two long commercial breaks, later in the day. That was routine in 2000 and, especially, in 2004 when Bush was dropping into military bases twice a week to make a speech with neatly dressed, smiling GI's standing behind him and flags waving in the background.
TYVM S.W. Anderson, I am copying your response for future use. EXCELLENT!
DeleteI tend to agree with you, S.W. They are a pushy, arrogant, uncooth and ill-mannered lot. When commentators don't even have the spine to confront their guests with facts that dispute whatever b.s. the blowhards put forth, I don't see any of them having the courage/integrity to end the interview then and there. This new breed of Republicans are thugs, and as such, should not be catered to but treated in a manner all other thugs are treated.
DeleteJINDAL: Look, I think -- I think voters will consider all of the distractions thrown out by the Obama campaign.
ReplyDeleteI want to puke. Yeah the economy is still lackluster but if this crap pays off for he republicans this country deserves what it will get with Romney as president.
Except that it hurts all of us. Sometimes the ignorant need to be protected from themselves.
DeleteExcellent post, as usual. Perfectly captured. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThis is what they refer to as "staying on message". Just keep robotically repeating the talking points no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI think what Republicans do goes beyond just staying on message, Infidel. It lapses into a form of manipulation and bullying.
DeleteWell, I think that no matter what it's called - propaganda, manipulation, staying on message - it all amounts to the same thing and can have the same results, as dire as they will be.
DeleteLeslie,
ReplyDeleteHow a guy with such a perpetually stupid expression on his face ever got elected in the first place is way beyond me!
None of them look as if they have enough brains to run a bird backwards, but this guy's face is a total blank.
DeleteJindal's not alone.
ReplyDelete