Gov. Jindal seeks to change his and the GOP’s reputation

The Daily Star, Hammond, La.: Bobby Jindal, a rising star in the Republican Party thanks to his subtitle of governor, attracted national attention recently by saying the GOP should “stop being the stupid party.” Republicans should stop tolerating “offensive, bizarre comments” and “dumbed-down conservatism,” he said, and the GOP must lose its reputation as being the party of the rich.

As for changing reputations, here in Louisiana we know about Jindal’s success with that.

When Gov. Mike Foster’s whiz kid protege leaped upward through government and eventually became governor, we had high hopes that his great intelligence would make Louisiana a better place. The first thing he did was vow to change the state’s historic reputation for corruption. He mandated ethics and transparency in government — excluding himself and his team.

He stopped a tax hike on cigarettes because of a promise he had made to a former aide of Ronald Reagan. He has shifted more financial burdens on the middle and working class while creating tax policies that favor the wealthiest in the state.

Now he’s telling his party to stop being stupid and change its reputation.

The reputation Jindal has most successfully changed is his own.