Louisiana Truth fact-checking Jindal
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recent blaze of interviews with national media sparked the launch of a Baton Rouge-based organization to check his facts.
Louisiana Truth contacted Politico after Jindal told the national news organization that the Republican Party needs to court every voter.
Baton Rouge businessman Joe Traigle, one of Louisiana Truth’s organizers, said Friday that the group pointed out that Jindal refused to continue a state government ban on discriminating against gays and lesbians in the workplace.
A former state Revenue Department secretary, Traigle is a longtime activist for gay causes.
“We’d like to be a factor in fact-checking what he says on the national stage versus what he did in Louisiana,” Traigle said.
Through a spokeswoman, the governor refused to comment on the organization.
In the days ahead of being named chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Jindal went on a national media blitz after the Nov. 6 election.
He told Politico that the Republican Party is going to fight for every vote. He criticized Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on CNN. He talked about the federal health care law with The Huffington Post.
At the same time, the governor ignored requests from reporters in his home state for interviews, igniting speculation that he already is looking to the 2016 race for the White House.
Romney was caught on camera attributing President Barack Obama’s ability to attract minority and young voters on the president promising gifts to them.
The governor blasted the remarks to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, saying Republicans need to like voters if they have any hope of capturing their support.
Traigle said Louisiana Truth consists of 31 volunteers statewide, including some with media experience. He said the organization has no website or fund-raising plans.
“Volunteers are contributing their time and talent,” he said.
In 2008, Traigle clashed with Jindal over an executive order the governor refused to renew.
The order, signed by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, political affiliation or disabilities — all areas covered by anti-discrimination laws. The order added “sexual orientation” to the list.
Jindal said at the time that it was unnecessary to create additional special categories or special rights. State and federal laws already prohibit discrimination, he said.
Traigle said Friday that Jindal cannot push for Republicans to go after 100 percent of the nation’s vote when he refused to support Louisiana taxpayers because of their sexual orientations.
He said Jindal has the talent to resolve the state’s problems, but pursued his ambitions instead.
“Those of us in Louisiana, we bought a Trojan horse. We thought it was one thing, but it turned out to be something entirely different. That’s life and that’s politics,” Traigle said.