Bobby Jindal twists the Phil Robertson knife; L.A. Times columnist calls GOP Louisiana gov. a 'jackass'

Jindal on Louisiana's polluted gulf coast

Jindal's statement, released Friday following A&E's revocation of the Duck Dynasty patriarch's suspension:

     I am glad to hear that the folks at A&E came to their senses and recognized that tolerance of religious views is more important than political correctness. Today (Friday) is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.
      The left is going to have to get accustomed to the fact that it does not have a monopoly on free speech and is not the only group who is permitted to voice its opinion in the public square. The left may control Hollywood, but they don't control the hearts and minds of a majority of Americans.

Here was L.A. Times columnist Michael Hiltzik's response:

     ...Most self-respecting political leaders would have run away from association with such views; that's the essence, after all, of the "leadership" part of the equation.
     ...In Jindal's seven-sentence statement, not a word of defense for gay people so crudely mocked by Robertson. Not a word to remind us that the life of black sharecroppers in Louisiana's Jim Crow era was not "godly" or "happy."
     In January of this year, Jindal lectured his fellow Republicans on the need to "stop being the stupid party." 
     Remember? 
     He talked about how the Republican brand had been damaged by its candidates' "offensive and bizarre comments." That was supposed to represent the launch of a new GOP outreach to communities that had been excluded by Republican doctrine, including the gay and minority communities.
     But that was 11 months ago. Now, according to Jindal, Republicans are supposed to embrace offensive and bizarre comments. 
     The party's transformation into a marginal and regional movement thus continues. Jindal has made himself the biggest jackass in the story, and his career as a national political figure the thing to be laughed at.