by Frank James
After Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's speech Tuesday night, the Republican response to President Barack Obama's address to Congress, it was obvious that reporters and bloggers would be checking out Jindal's Sheriff Harry Lee story.
It was the tale of how, as a congressman in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he metaphorically locked arms with the Louisiana county sheriff against an idiotic government bureaucrat impeding storm-victim rescues.
And sure enough, bloggers and reporters took up the challenge and pretty much blew up the story.
TPM Muckraker sums it up in this excerpt:
Looks like the game is up.Remember that story Bobby Jindal told in his big speech Tuesday night -- about how during Katrina, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a local sheriff who was battling government red tape to try to rescue stranded victims?
Turns out it wasn't actually, you know, true.
In the last few days, first Daily Kos, and then TPMmuckraker, raised serious questions about the story, based in part on the fact that no news reports we could find place Jindal in the affected area at the specific time at issue.
Jindal had described being in the office of Sheriff Harry Lee "during Katrina," and hearing him yelling into the phone at a government bureaucrat who was refusing to let him send volunteer boats out to rescue stranded storm victims, because they didn't have the necessary permits. Jindal said he told Lee, "that's ridiculous," prompting Lee to tell the bureaucrat that the rescue effort would go ahead and he or she could arrest both Lee and Jindal.
But now, a Jindal spokeswoman has admitted to Politico that in reality, Jindal overheard Lee talking about the episode to someone else by phone "days later." The spokeswoman said she thought Lee, who died in 2007, was being interviewed about the incident at the time.This is no minor difference. Jindal's presence in Lee's office during the crisis itself was a key element of the story's intended appeal, putting him at the center of the action during the maelstrom. Just as important, Jindal implied that his support for the sheriff helped ensure the rescue went ahead. But it turns out Jindal wasn't there at the key moment, and played no role in making the rescue happen.
It makes you wonder what Jindal and his handlers were thinking. Anecdotes in major speeches are always checked out, especially by the opposition.
The speech was supposed to be Jindal's coming-out party on the national stage. Now it may be largely remembered for how he bent the truth. Not quite the impression he wanted to leave with a national audience.
Comments
A lying Republican? - no wonder he is a front runner for 2012
Posted by: gus | February 27, 2009 5:29 PM
Someone doubted this? Anyone who talks like a Disney narrator has to be talking fiction.
Posted by: bill r. | February 27, 2009 5:32 PM
So Kenneth (the page) Jindal, the New Face of the Republican party, is just another typical Republican liar?
I'm SHOCKED I tell you, SHOCKED!.....not.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH9KHZp-u-I
.
Posted by: Republican stupidity, it hurts the brain! | February 27, 2009 5:38 PM
Uh oh, another Hillary in Bosnia story. Bobby is really the Slumdog Millionaire.
Posted by: rupert | February 27, 2009 5:50 PM
Oops. Not only was Jindal's big debut on the national stage a failure in terms of style and substance, much of it was just a big fat exaggeration. Of course, Jindal can't be bothered to clarify this himself; he's apparently still on vacation (hiding). Better luck in 2028!
Posted by: Hey Joe | February 27, 2009 6:15 PM
You're either dishonest, or uninformed.
-----
There is a video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wO5S5LGT1s of Sheriff Lee's endorsement of Jindal for governor. Transcript of (0:45 - 1:22) from that video:
"Let me tell you something, the reason these sheriffs here, I can tell you first hand that when Hurricane Katrina - the day after - Bobby was in my office saying "What do you need?" And it wasn't, it wasn't phone calls. He was in my office. And he said "I need some help getting to St. Bernard." Well, you couldn't get to St. Bernard Parish, you couldn't get to Blackmun Parish.
I know how involved he was, and the reason these sheriffs and all these people here, he was hands on. And that the reason that - cause I got him everywhere he had to go in my helicopter and he was there all the time. When the thing was over, he got equipment for us and I said "Bobby, where did this new equipment come from? I want to thank somebody." He said "I took care of it, don't worry about it."
Having said that, and I'm so glad that Bobby is not considering switching parties like some, some [inaudible]. And as the last yellow dog
Democrat in Louisiana, I want you to know I am whole-heartedly supporting Bobby Jindal."
-----
If you were just uninformed, you ought to update your post with an admission and apology based on this video evidence. If you're just dishonest, I guess you can just carry on ignoring reality.
Posted by: YouTube evidence | February 27, 2009 6:24 PM
And I can see sheriff Lee's office from my house!!!! Does Rush Loudmouth really think we the people are that stupid? I hope John "boner" is paying attention because if he doesn't rid the right of this type of ignorance we are about to become a One party system of governance!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: anOPINIONATEDsob | February 27, 2009 6:45 PM
I hate to burst your bubble, but I remember hearing this story after Katrina, I think it was told by Harry Lee on WWL radio. I also seem to remember Jindal flying into LaPlace soon after Katrina. (It was as close as you could get to NOLA at the time.) What does it matter anyway? It is not going to change the suffering the people of LA endured after Katrina. The Republicans tried to say Aaron Broussard was lying on Meet the Press. The Democrats are saying Jindal lied in his speech, It seems like petty political one upsmanship to me. Look Jindal's speech stunk. Don't try to change what the people endured at the hapless hands of the feds. It was a nightmare that lasted years.
Posted by: doctorj | February 27, 2009 7:14 PM
stick, fork, done
Posted by: Tom J | February 27, 2009 7:15 PM
Hmmm, more pro-Obama stories and more negative republican stories from
The Obama Tribune.
The stories are manufactured for effect.
Posted by: The Obama Tribune | February 27, 2009 7:15 PM
Mr Jindal is being falsely accused of being a liar. It appeared to me and to those I watched his speech that Bobby like Sarah Palin is a mediocre intellect is too superficial to understand very much so they, like Bush, live in a fantasy world and rely on their force of personality to make up for these deficiencies. The people are responsible to keep incompetents out of power. These times should focus our attention on what is important. It is results and not political theory that we need.
Posted by: Ron M | February 27, 2009 7:16 PM
Shocking! A Republican assuming Americans can't read or research to get to the truth. Jindal - keep front running - you'll ensure an 8-year Obama term.
Posted by: too right | February 27, 2009 8:01 PM
What were they thinking? That people understood the storm didn't stop the second it passed over the state. Lee endorsed Jindal for governor based on the fact that Jindal visited his office the day after and used his Congressional power to help in recovery efforts.
Amazing how much leeway Obama is given on his remarks compared to the leeway given to Republicans.
Posted by: Benson | February 27, 2009 8:04 PM
He also lied about a rail line between Disney in Orlando and Los Vegas.
Clearly not now and probably never will be ready for prime time.
Posted by: ornery | February 27, 2009 8:21 PM
The part of Jindal's speech that got left on the cutting room floor:
"So then I saw my old friend Mickey Mouse "Bobby, why is government messing everying up these days? I hear they are going to tax my cheese, and make Donald Duck wear pants".
I said, "Mickey, were gonna have to take back our government so it can be truthful again."
Posted by: Republicans are King of teh Stupid | February 27, 2009 9:19 PM
How does a Jindal/Joe the Plumber ticket sound gang?!
Posted by: C.Morris✈ | February 27, 2009 9:32 PM
Piyush Jindal Lied? Heck, he just established his street cred as a Republican.
If "much of [Piyush's] big debut on the national stage ... was just big fat exaggeration," you have to remember that right now he's only seen as the up-and-coming future of the Republicanistical party - a jerk in progress, so to speak.
With a little fine-tuning, he can become a full-blown pathological Republican liar. He certainly seems to be showing a natural talent for it.
Posted by: Ned Flanders | February 27, 2009 9:34 PM
Of course, Jindal can't be bothered to clarify this himself; he's apparently still on vacation (hiding). Better luck in 2028!
Posted by: Hey Joe | February 27, 2009 6:15 PM
The best part is...where do you think he is vacationing???? anyone???? That's right...Disneyland. He must have taken the mythical magnetic train he says is in the stimulus....but isn't.
Posted by: bill r. | February 27, 2009 10:05 PM
The Tribune couldn't be bothered with its own investigation into this because it's more important to salivate over Michelle Obama's arms.
Posted by: beth | February 27, 2009 11:58 PM
Maybe he's touring a volcano.
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | February 28, 2009 12:10 AM
LOL to all the posts and how true to the matter they really are! Lets all thank god for finally coming over to our side! Yes you right wing republicans out there, God has spoken again and this time he chose us not you!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | February 28, 2009 12:45 AM
Recipe for becoming a Republican politician...or a Faux News pundit...same thing.
You will need:
2 cans of Hypocrisy
3 tbsp. Corruption
a clove of Criminality
1/3 cup Bribery
1 1/2 tsp. Republican incompetence
4 lbs. GOP elephant meat (sold in stores everywhere)
a dose of desperation
1/10 barrel of oil from Iraq
a pinch of Insanity
__________________________________________________
Instructions:
Combine the hypocrisy, corruption, and criminality in one large bowl. Mix them moderately for about 2-3 minutes until they are well blended, then slowly fold in the bribery and Republican incompetence. Take the GOP elephant meat and batter it until is tender enough to cook. Season it with the pinch of insanity and the dose of desperation. Grease a skillet with the oil from Iraq and set it over high heat. When it is hot enough, add the GOP elephant meat, and cook each side for about 2 minutes or until they appear lightly brown. When each side is done, turn down the heat and add the mixture of corruption and hypocrisy. Cover the skillet and allow to simmer for about 2 hours because GOP elephant meat is hard to cook. You can turn the heat off when the meat is tender enough or is falling off the bones.
Serve with a load of crap
Makes 3-4 servings.
Posted by: Rinse and Repeat | February 28, 2009 1:02 AM
R & R,
Funny stuff, but you forgot to mention the cooking aroma that's like the stench from the bottomless pit of conservative rage.
Posted by: C.Morris✈ | February 28, 2009 11:18 AM
Aside the truth behind the anecdote, just wondering, but a member of US House of Representatives and a County Sheriff both elected public servants and that both their salaries payed by public purse? How these two be used as an example as non-government citizenry?
Posted by: Alexis | February 28, 2009 2:18 PM
The Chicago Obun e is getting its "facts" from the DailyKook? This "news"paper is done, finished, history. The fact that Sheriff Lee endorsed Jindal and that he won because as a Congressman he actually got things accomplished and since being elected governor he actually is getting recovery and rebuilding moving. Louisiana actually is seeing job INCREASES. It's a shame the hit-and-run farces at the Chicago Obune have thrown journalism out the window and moved into the realm of lying propagandists.
Posted by: John D | February 28, 2009 2:19 PM
Not only is Jindal's shelf life on the national stage going to be short, since he is leaving his state out of extended unemployment benefits, his term as Governor will be limited, too. Couldn't happen to a nicer liar.
Posted by: athena | March 1, 2009 10:52 AM