Jindal's Volcano Monitoring Criticism Comes Back To Bite Him Again

Gov. Bobby Jindal's much-maligned critique of stimulus money being put on volcano monitoring has once again placed him in an awkward spot.

On Monday, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-LA, announced that half-a-million dollars in economic recovery funds would be sent to Louisiana for the purposes of upgrading flood-monitoring technology. The cash, which will also help the state improve streamgages and facility maintenance, comes from the same $140 million in Interior Department appropriations that Jindal once criticized.

During his response to President Obama's address before Congress, the Republican Governor ridiculed the use of $140 million in stimulus cash for "something called volcano monitoring." It was a nod to fiscal conservatism. But when Alaska's Mt. Redoubt erupted in late March, and officials on the ground noted that volcano monitoring helped prevent further catastrophe, Jindal stayed largely silent.

Now the issue of stimulus cash going to disaster preparedness is being brought directly to his home state and, once again, Jindal's office isn't talking. The BayouBuzz website could not get the governor's office to say whether or not it he would "accept the monitoring system."

It seems like an extremely difficult political move for the governor to turn down money for flood monitoring in a state whose coastline is under such great risk. Requests for comment from the Huffington Post also went unreturned.

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Comments

[Wrenigade]

Who..?? WHO..??!! In their right minds seriously thinks this guy has the standing or the gravitas to challenge Obama..?? I doubt he can even carry his own state in a general election!

[jimmyjones22]

rofl sticks!

[csouv]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

[Querent]

It's not unusual for Republicans to shoot themselves in the foot. But Jindal did it with an automatic weapon.

[azriel]

hey salkoc, I agree with you 100%...In fact except for the Tom daschell incident I think pres Obama is batting like 1000% so far. Everything that they throw at him or say he cant do...he dosent flip out or loose his shirt. He just goes about his business as cool as a cuccumber and governs, in the process he proves them wrong on almost all accounts. I think that Obama is always like 3 to 4 steps ahead of the game and everybody else-friend or foe. Just think of all the nonsense they throw at him daily: non-citizen, too weak, teleprompter, socialist, appeaser- in- chief, too inexperienced, doing too much, not doing enough, should speak out about pirates, tax and spend liberal...The man lets it roll off his back and comes out on top. Someone else said it best "always bet on Barack!"

[Dystopic]

I'm sure ma & pa jindal just wanted a nice doctor or engineer in the family.

[maxfax]

Of course he's not talking, he's seldom in his home state in the first place.

[Larsen Rogers]

If the Cons would spend more time monitoring themselves they would have endless fodder for things to make fun of, instead of making up lies about the Liberals.

[TremoluxMan]

"Hi, neighbor. I'm Gov. Bobby 'Mr. Rogers' Jindal. Some of my neighbors have said some bad things about me and volcano monitors. Now they're talking about hurricane monitoring. If we cut taxes, we can have enough money to make our own hurricane monitor. All we need to do is hang a flat rock from a rope about six feet off the ground and watch it. When it swings, it's windy. When it's wet, it's raining. If it's wet and stands straight out, that might be a hurricane. If it's underwater after that, it's probably the storm surge. If that happens, call me, I'll be in Des Moines visiting my uncle."

[RobinSeattle]

Post of the day.

[Querent]

Good one, TremoluxMan. LOL!

[applescruff]

Wow. The Repubs are becoming more ridicules by the day. They don't have candidates anymore, they have cartoon characters complete with unbelievable goofiness and silly habits

[jazzblues]

I always thought that he was a smart, analytical, calculating guy...he's turning out to be such an i-diot! Seriously, the guy's fallen into a mor-on trap

[RobinSeattle]

GOP to New Orleans: we will bury you.

That's what this amounts to.

[salkoc]

it just keeps getting funnier by the day .....the gop is like toxic waste . whatever they say or touch just comes back to burn them. they have been on the wrong side of every single debate against president obama . they blamed him for the stock market at 6500 ...then market rallies to 8000.....they dont like stimulus ...then they ask for it......they say europe will never change ......europe cuts rates and endorses most of his monetary policies......they say the russians will never give an inch ....they give a yard .....the chinese are going to replace our currency ....they buy another 35 billion in treasuries.
this is becoming too funny .
heck he even picked the ncaa champs.......after being ridiculed by coach k .....by the way coach , recruit better nc owns you lately.

[MadJeffersonian]

It's hard to talk with your foot in your mouth.

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

Jindal will of course take the money. And he'll refuse to answer any questions comparing it to volcano monitoring. He knows it's hypocritical, but he doesn't care. Politicians like him depend on voters who believe that every other politician just loads up on pork while their guy brings home the bacon.