Gov. Bobby Jindal's volcano remark has some fuming

[Fleshdancer]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/25/jindal.volcanoes/

"Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington," Jindal said.

But Marianne Guffanti, a volcano researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey, said, "We don't throw the money down the crater of the volcano and watch it burn up."

The USGS, which received the money Jindal criticized, is monitoring several active volcanoes across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii. One of those is Mount St. Helens, about 70 miles north of Vancouver, Washington, and neighboring Portland, Oregon.

The volcano killed 57 people when it erupted in 1980 and sputters back into action periodically, most recently in late 2004 and early 2005, when it sent plumes of steam and ash thousands of feet into the air.

USGS researchers are also keeping a close eye on Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano, about 100 miles from Anchorage, which is predicted to go off again within a few months. Its last eruption, in 1989, disrupted air traffic and forced down a commercial jet that sucked ash into its engines.


..........

Hmm...I wonder what Palin has to say about monitoring Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano. I'm going to file this under "fun things to ask during the 2012 Primaries!"

[booley]

1. not surprising he said that

He's an ideologue Republican.

Ideologue Republicans take it on faith that the public sphere can't do anything.

So naturally he would be unaware of the good it does.

[d_r]

2. hurricane monitoring

If it had been hurricane monitoring he would have been all for it. The comment showed what a regional thinker he is - he doesn't have a national perspective.

[Fleshdancer]

4. excellent observation

Welcome to DU by the way! :hi:

[KamaAina]

5. Don't be so sure

when he was in Congress, he somehow managed to miss a lot of the key votes on Katrina relief. :eyes:

[pacalo]

3. UNDERSTANDABLY!

Sorry about the all-caps, but there's no other way to express it. As a Louisianan, I'm embarrassed beyond words that this man has been placed in a position of representing me.

He doesn't speak for me.

[Fleshdancer]

6. I feel you're pain. I'm a Texan.

I know the national reaction to Jindal's speech last night was dismal, but has your local news channels/papers discussed it at all? I'm curious as to what the local reaction is.

[pacalo]

12. Thanks, Fleshdancer.

I don't watch the local news because I like to get my news here, but in answer to your question, I looked at some of the N.O. news sites online:

From WWL-tv (You might be interested in the comments following the article):

Some political pundits say the Governor's speech is contradicting. And while the Governor gains national visibility, his own words may ultimately cause him harm.

"On one hand he says we need to work together and then he says I'm not changing my mind, even though people are in critical need," said Dr. Silas Lee, a political analyst. "Reality is that Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the nation, and by denying those in critical need I believe this will haunt the Governor, especially as he approaches re-election."

Louisiana Democrats are already criticizing Governor Jindal's response.

"He is spouting the same old tired failed policies of the previous administration that got us into the debt and recession we are in today. That is not going to work," said Senator Mary Landrieu.

From WDSU-tv:

La. Democrats Outraged At Jindal's Response To Stimulus --
Democratic Leaders Demand Governor To Take Stimulus Money

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana's Democratic leaders expressed their outrage on Wednesday over Gov. Bobby Jindal's response to the economic stimulus.

The leaders took to the steps of the state Capitol on Wednesday to demand that the governor take the stimulus money offered to Louisiana.

"He is spending his time promoting himself on national talk shows and disparaging the president's economic recovery plan," Rep. Patricia Smith said.

The leaders said they can't believe the governor would turn down $100 million in federal money.

"Why would we tell Washington that we don't want a reinvestment of those tax dollars that we sent, just a small piece of it back," Rep. Karen Carter Peterson said.

"It doesn't make any sense for us to turn this money down," Rep. Sam Jones said. "It doesn't make any sense for us to not accept what we are going to pay for anyway."

[SalmonChantedEvening]

7. He's just a Virgin Tosser is all.

:smoke:

[Fleshdancer]

9. ROFLMAO!

:rofl:

I'm stealing that line by the way

[SalmonChantedEvening]

10. And I'm stealing this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5136198&mesg_id=5136209

:wow:

[ladywnch]

8. we don't need volcano monitoring!!!!

Jindal will just 'lay hands' on it and pray it back to dormancy. Hey if he could perform a full blown exorcism as a college student he can certainly use his powers to squelch a volcanic eruption!
This is why we need to elect him in 2012!!!

[llmart]

11. She can probably monitor it......

from her kitchen window.