Morning Fix: Jindal Rises Again





Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is planning to re-emerge on the national stage this week. AP Photo/Kita Wright



Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) will wade into the national debate over health care this week by penning op-eds in Politico and the Wall Street Journal and appearing on a series of cable chat shows today and tomorrow.

"Governor Jindal has seen enough," said Curt Anderson, a consultant for Jindal. "As a health-care policy expert, he strongly believes that the House Democrat[ic] plan would be a disaster for the long-term health of the American people, and the long-term health of the economy."

That Jindal is adding his voice to the chorus of Republican critics of Democrats' approach to President Obama's chief policy priority -- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele will offer his own critique today at the National Press Club -- is evidence that the youthful governor sees a role for himself in the national policy debate despite a rocky introduction to the country earlier this year.

Jindal, who is widely regarded as one of the rising stars within the Republican party, was chosen to deliver the party's response to Obama's February address to Congress. His performance was, to be charitable, weak and turned him -- briefly -- into fodder for the late night talk shows due to his resemblance to one Kenneth the Page.

Allies of Jindal insist his disappearance from the national stage from February until, well, now, had everything to do with his engagement in the legislative session and nothing at all to do with his lackluster performance.

They note that Jindal spent much of his 20s and early 30s working on the issue of health care -- he was named the head of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals at age 24 (!) -- and is a natural spokesman for the party nationally on the issue.

Regardless of the reason(s) for Jindal's re-emergence, it is certain to re-ignite chatter about his presidential prospects in 2012.

We see such a run as far-fetched.

First, Jindal's debut on the national stage was shaky (at best) and even his strongest allies admit he may need more seasoning. Second, it is logistically impossible for Jindal to campaign for a second term in Louisiana while cultivating the network of supporters he would need to compete in places like Iowa and New Hampshire. And, at 38 years old, there is little reason for Jindal to rush a presidential run; in 2020, he still won't even be fifty years old.

How Jindal is received in his planned health care push won't ultimately change his presidential calculus -- we strongly believe he will run but no sooner than 2016 -- but it will impact how he is perceived within the Republican Party establishment and the media for the foreseeable future.

If Jindal comes across as knowledgeable and non-partisan, the poor speech he gave back in February will be a distant memory. If he struggles, however, that speech will serve as a frame for the coverage.

Allan Crow, a Democratic media consultant who does considerable work in Louisiana, said that while Jindal may have been knocked down, he is far from out.

"Though his national star may not be as bright right now as other Republicans such as [Alaska Gov.] Sarah Palin, there is still room for a Republican star to emerge," said Crow. "So, while Bobby Jindal may not viewed now as the superstar some wanted him to be back in January, he is still someone to watch."

Monday's Fix Picks: The vote on the newest member of the Fix Political Hall of Fame is coming. Stay tuned.

1. Matt Bai on the "shuffle president."

2. A policy agenda at a fork in the road.

3. Dan Balz on Haley Barbour.

4. Walker Cronkite: Anchorman.

5. Mark Sanford on the future.

McCain Stays Active on Fundraising Front: Proving that he has no plans to step quietly into the background of the Senate following his 2008 presidential defeat, John McCain collected $524,000 through his Country First leadership PAC in the first six months of 2009, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. While McCain's take was well short of the $1.6 million raised by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney during that time, McCain's PAC total is still significant given that he is running for reelection in 2010 -- meaning that is where most of his fundraising energy is going and will go -- and that he is coming off a presidential bid in which all of his major donors almost certainly exhausted themselves physically (and financially). Several stalwarts from the campaign are on the PAC payroll including deputy manager Christian Ferry and regional manager Craig Goldman as well as fundraisers Carla Eudy and Becki Donatelli. Country First doled out a significant amount over the first six months of the year to a variety of candidates including longtime McCain allies like Sen. John Thune (S.D.), Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the Senate in Florida, former Sen. Mike DeWine, a candidate for attorney general in Ohio, and South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster who is running for governor. McCain also donated to the Republican nominees for governor in Virginia and New Jersey -- the lone statewide races on the ballot this November. The most interesting contribution from Country First? A $2,300 donation to former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential debt retirement committee.

Ensign In Trouble, Sez New Poll: Republican Sen. John Ensign's acknowledgment of an affair with a close friend's wife has badly hurt his standing with voters in Nevada, according to a new independent survey conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Thirty-one percent of those polled saw Ensign in a favorable light (down from 53 percent in May) while 38 percent saw him unfavorably (up 20 percent from May). While Nevada voters still don't believe Ensign should resign (34 percent say yes/54 percent say no), it is a virtual toss up over whether the Republican senator should seek reelection in 2012. The most amazing numbers in the poll? Six in ten Nevada voters believe Ensign having an affair with his best friend's girl is very serious while only 49 percent said Ensign's parents paying his mistress $96,000 was very serious. Seriously?

Ox/Watson (Almost) Do It: Whenever sports and politics intersect, the Fix smiles. So, we had a big grin on our face over the weekend when 59-year old golfer Tom Watson -- with Philadelphia-based Democratic media consultant Neil Oxman caddying -- nearly delivered on one of the greatest story lines in the history of major championship golf. Oxman and Watson met more than three decades ago -- Oxman was caddying to help pay for Duquesne Law School, Watson was a first year pro -- and since 2003 Oxman has been Watson's bagman more or less full time. Although Watson and Oxman came up short in a four-hole playoff to Stewart "Kitchen" Cink, the duo made the Open weekend -- without Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson -- watchable.

Lis Smith to Corzine: Lis Smith, who served as press secretary to former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe's unsuccessful bid for the Virginia governorship, has moved up the east coast to serve in the same role for Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) campaign in New Jersey. Smith is an itinerant campaign worker; she spent the 2006 cycle working for Sen. Claire McCaskill (Mo.) and then worked for Democrat Dan Seals against Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk last November.

Say What?: "My goal is not to stop the president." -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on his strategy for health care reform during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."