Gov. Jindal Responds to Idle National Guard Troops Issue

Topics: News

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and President Obama

(Credit: AP)

Following a CBS News Investigates report that Gulf coast governors haven't been fully utilizing the 17,500 National Guard troops authorized by the federal government to help them with the oil spill, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's office offered a tart response.

In a statement sent to ProPublica, Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin said that Louisiana would "call up more National Guard troops as the Adjutant General tells us he needs them."

He followed up with a harsh criticism of the federal government's response efforts.

"We spend more time fighting red tape and bureaucracy than we ever should have to if the federal government understood this oil spill as the war that it is."

Jindal's statement doesn't address the specific question of why Louisiana is using only 1,053 of the 6,000 National Guard troops available to the state. The governor said that he would "deploy every resource" available to win the war against the BP oil spill, and complained that Coast Guard and BP authorization were required for individual tasks, which apparently slowed down the deployment of National Guard troops. However, the governor's office told CBS News that he has not specifically asked for more National Guard troops.

Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government official in charge of the response to the BP oil spill, said, "There is nothing standing in the governor's way from utilizing more National Guard troops." The Coast Guard has typically approved requests to deploy National Guard troop in a day.

Watch Armen Keteyian's report, "The Spill Guard Deployment Holdup"

Watch CBS News Videos Online

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by thanksgreed June 27, 2010 4:23 PM EDT

I was beginning to be impressed by Jindal until I saw this childish response. Depressing to see our political leaders mimicking the divert the blame game.

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by ToolMangler1 June 27, 2010 5:57 PM EDT: He is learning "How to be a politician" not how to be a Governor.
I pegged him for all mouth and no action a long time ago.


by user000049586849302948602 June 27, 2010 8:51 AM EDT: Uh huh. What ever you say Jindal.

Meanwhile Theda Skocpol explains how congressional Republicans are intentionally holding up economic recovery for their political benefit:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/24/republicans_are_undercutting_national_economic_rec/?ref=fpblg

This kind of fits that mold, I'd say.; Reply to this comment


by Lon-Houston June 26, 2010 11:17 PM EDT: Anderson Cooper has Bobby Jindal on nearly every night on AC 360 and treats him like some kind of saint. And this isn't the first time Jindal's actions haven't matched his deeds.

He parroted the Republican party line about how terrible Obama's economic stimulus package was, and then he showed up at projects funded by the stimulus for photo ops where he could be seen handing out giant Publisher's Clearing House-sized checks he dishonestly wanted people to attribute to his own beneficence.

But you won't hear any of that from good ole Anderson, who ought to rename his dog and pony show "Republicans on Parade," since most of his guests are hard right Republicans who troop in before the cameras to attack the president for the oil blowout catastrophe that their anti-regulatory zeal made inevitable.; Reply to this comment


by harryintl June 26, 2010 8:10 PM EDT: In the lack of response to the oil spill, and also the leaking southern border, and we remember also the miserable performance after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Andrew in Florida, the federal government has unquestionably shown its unwillingness to promote the interests of the American people and the American nation. However, the present oil spill, without a doubt allowed to continue until the damage is done, is the most naked exposing yet of this ill will to the American nation.; Reply to this comment


by nellpost June 26, 2010 5:07 PM EDT: Great reporting, armend. And poor old slimey bobbyjindal, in my opinion.; Reply to this comment


by PhilipASC June 26, 2010 3:59 PM EDT: The way I see it, this whole thing about Jindal--no matter what else is said--is problematic because, as usual with more and more politicians these days (and especially, but not only, Republican ones) HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION HE WAS ASKED.

That's the bottom line. If he has a defense, why didn't he just say so? Why change the subject? Ergo, he either doesn't know himself why his underlings haven't sought more National Guard, or the reason is petty, embarassing or part of a plan to make the federal government look bad.

Take your pick--after all, since he didn't explain, that's all you can do, isn't it?; Reply to this comment


by hertzock June 26, 2010 3:09 PM EDT: Could this be the end of the Gulf Spill?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwDh_OIjjog

Brian Hertzock
Baton Rouge
Louisiana; Reply to this comment

by wmb1957 June 26, 2010 2:53 PM EDT

This sounds like typical federal government bureaucracy.

The comment from the Coast Guard that "every request to use the National Guard troops has been approved" does not contradict Jindal's statement that the "White House told him that individual tasks had to be authorized by the Coast Guard and BP"

That is the definition of red-tape, more bureaucrats between making a decision and getting the job done.

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by PhilipASC June 26, 2010 3:46 PM EDT: wmb1957, why bother read an article if you aren't going to bother comprehend it? What is it about the statement: "The Coast Guard has typically approved requests to deploy National Guard troop in a day" that you didn't understand? Or did you just not bother to read to the end of the article before sprouting off?


by todayisthetime June 26, 2010 2:25 PM EDT: Nothing has changed down south. They are use to making huge messes and blaming the mess on the slaves who didn't clean it up.; Reply to this comment


by SueZeeeQue June 26, 2010 10:38 AM EDT: Jindal is a terrible governor and a moron.

He's not well like by anyone in Louisiana.; Reply to this comment