BATON ROUGE (AP) – Bobby Jindal faces a looming potential dilemma that could put his gubernatorial campaign plans on a collision course with his job as a U.S. congressman – and he wasn’t talking Tuesday about which role will take precedence, if he’s forced to choose. The final gubernatorial debate of the primary campaign is taking place Thursday, the same day that the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on an effort to override President Bush’s veto of a bill to expand the popular children’s health insurance program.
Jindal, R-Kenner, has been under fire from opponents for both his skipping of candidate forums and his skipping of the most recent congressional vote on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Jindal, who voted against a previous version of the bill, now says he supports the program and plans to vote to override Bush’s veto.
But what happens if the debate and the vote happen at the same time? Jindal wasn’t saying Tuesday which he would choose.
“We’re still waiting to see if we can do both. That’s obviously our preference,” he said at a campaign stop in Baton Rouge.
Jindal said he should have a clearer view of the congressional schedule on Wednesday, and he said he’s got plane tickets reserved to head to Washington on Thursday. But if the two events run at the same time? Again, Jindal refused to make a public choice yet.
“We’d like to do both,” he said.
Republican candidate for governor Bobby Jindal picked up endorsements from three of the state’s largest newspapers, representing central and north Louisiana.
The Times of Shreveport applauded Jindal’s confidence, energy, youth and second-generation immigration roots in backing him for Saturday’s primary election. The newspaper also endorsed Jindal in 2003, in his failed bid for governor against Democrat Kathleen Blanco.
“Now, four years later, as a more seasoned politician and no doubt a wiser man, Jindal is the candidate we trust most to take the wheel of recovery and steer the entire state toward a brighter horizon,” the Times’ editorial said.
The News-Star of Monroe said Jindal, a congressman from Kenner, has campaigned in every corner of the state, learning about the needs of each specific region. The newspaper applauded his stance on ethics reform and his conservatism.
