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Louisiana Private School Voucher Program Ruled Unconstitutional

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's private school voucher program was dealt a significant blow on Friday. Louisiana District Court Judge Tim Kelley ruled the state's "diversion of funds" set aside for public education is unconstitutional, reports the Times-Picayune.

"Today's ruling is wrong headed and a travesty for parents across Louisiana who want nothing more than for their children to have an equal opportunity at receiving a great education," [said Jindal] ... Louisiana Superintendent John White also issued a statement saying, "We strongly disagree with the ruling. We are optimistic this decision will be reversed on appeal."

The suit was brought by Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE), Louisiana School Boards Association and 43 local school boards. LFT Public Relations Director Les Landon told NOLA.com he felt very emotional after the ruling. "This is a win for all of the children of Louisiana -- and for the taxpayers," he said Friday afternoon after the ruling.

The voucher program also faces federal challenges, reports Reuters.

[Last] week, a federal judge in New Orleans ruled that the program had the potential to disrupt the region's court-ordered efforts to desegregate public schools. The judge issued a temporary injunction halting the use of vouchers in Tangipahoa Parish over concern that the program was siphoning off state dollars needed to implement the desegregation plan.

While that ruling just applied to the one parish, at least 30 other school districts in Louisiana are under desegregation orders; opponents of the voucher program have said they will bring similar federal court cases in those districts.

The approximately 5,000 students currently receiving vouchers will be able to "continue attending their private schools pending appeal", according to officials.

Note that Jindal says the vouchers will allow students to "receive a great education." Once upon a time our state governments were supposed to ensure that public schools had the resources to provide a "great" education. Interesting.

Republican National Convention Revises Schedule Due to Isaac

Tropical Storm Isaac has become stronger as it moves toward the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters expect it to be upgraded into a Category 2 hurricane before it makes landfall early Tuesday or Wednesday. The storm has battered Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Republican National Convention was supposed to start today in Tampa but its scheduled has been revised, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

The convention will officially gavel in at 2 p.m. Monday but will be in session for no more than 10 minutes, said Russ Schriefer, the GOP strategist who has been the chief Romney campaign spokesman for convention logistics. ... The proceedings will resume on Tuesday at 2 p.m. with Republicans taking their roll call vote in early evening to formally nominate Mr. Romney and his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, to the Republican ticket.

The Washington Post adds:

"Among those who cancelled or put a hold on their appearances at the convention were the governors of four states likely to be most heavily affected by the storm: Rick Scott of host-state Florida; Louisiana’s Bobby Jindall, Mississippi’s Phil Bryant and Alabama’s Robert Bentley."

Those four Republican governors have already declared state of emergencies prior to Isaac's landfall. Will they ask for "handouts"  from Washington?

Louisiana Declares Emergency as Massive Oil Slick Comes Ashore

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency as a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico begins to ooze ashore. The catastrophe threatens to "become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades."

Jindal requests funds to deploy up to 6,000 troops ...

The leaking pipeline from Deepwater Horizon explosion and sinking is spewing more than 210,000 gallons a day: "The leak from a blown-out well a mile underwater is five times bigger than first believed. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta late Thursday, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines. Thicker oil was about five miles offshore. Officials have said they would do everything to keep the Mississippi River open to traffic."

The environmental impact could "eclipse" the Exxon Valdez ....

"The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening to eclipse even the Exxon Valdez in scope. It imperils hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life. 'It is of grave concern," David Kennedy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The AP. 'I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling."

Shrimp economy devastated ....

"Shrimpers in Louisiana and Alabama file class-action lawsuits against BP and owners of the drilling platform. .... The [slick] menaced the environmentally sensitive coastline of four states. The blowout comes at a particularly bad time for the shrimp industry, coinciding with the very start of the season as shrimp stocks make their way from estuaries out to sea."

Air quality testing is ordered as a sickening "gag-inducing" smell heralds the spill's arrival: "New Orleans residents are understandably annoyed over their city being enveloped by the smell of fuel. Mandie Landry, an attorney who works in the city's Central Business District, told Yahoo! News that 'it smells like it'd smell if a bus was in front of you blowing out exhaust fumes right in your face.' Another local resident, Tulane University employee Laura Mogg, told us that she caught wind of the 'terrible' and 'gag-inducing' smell from her office building on the school's sprawling uptown campus."

Obama's decision to expand off-shore is questioned: "Senior White House adviser David Axelrod pledged that President Obama's plans to end a longstanding moratorium on offshore drilling would be put on hold until the cause of the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig is known. .... Members of Congress have called for Obama to abandon the off-shore drilling plans altogether, and press secretary Robert Gibbs conceded that new information about the cause of the current disaster could affect the president's thinking on the issue."

And another aerial view of the oil slick ....

Prostitution Complaint Filed Against Anti Gay, DC Madam Client Vitter

The faux family values of Sen. David Vitter are back in the news. A watchdog group has filed a complaint with Louisiana’s Office of Disciplinary counsel against the anti-gay Republican senator outed as a long-term client of prostitutes. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) wants Vitter's law license revoked, reports the Times Picayune.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said its request is related to Vitter’s recent request for a Justice Department investigation into ACORN, the community activist group with headquarters in New Orleans. Staffers in at least four ACORN offices around the country have been caught in a video sting giving advice to a couple pretending to be a prostitute and pimp looking for tax breaks and other assistance.

"Sen. Vitter’s zeal to see ACORN criminally investigated for offering advice in setting up a prostitution ring reminded me he has yet to be held accountable for his own role in a prostitution ring," said Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director. "While ACORN’s conduct is indefensible, so is Sen. Vitter’s and what is good for the goose is good for the gander."

Since being implicated in at least two prostitution scandals, the adulterous "family values" senator has sought to shore up his bona fides with conservative voters and co-sponsored the Marriage Protection Amendment. The other lead co-sponsor: Outed anti-gay and de-closeted, serial men's restroom cruiser Larry Craig. Read our column on Vitter and Craig in The Advocate.

In related news: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has refused to endorse Vitter's 2010 re-election bid ...

Vitter Subject of Complaint [NoLa]
Jindal Holds Off on Vitter [Politico]

Some Background ...
A Tale of Two Cities [Advocate]
Anti-Gay Vitter on DC Madam's Client List [R20]
Vitter Subpoenaed Regarding Prostitutes [R20]
Report: Anti-Gay Senator Patronized Brothel [R20]
Adulterers Craig, Vitter Co-Sponsor Marriage Amend. [R20]

Thanks @CrewCREW

News: Esquire, Andre Leon Talley, Obama, NH Marriage, JR Rolley

· The first PFLAG chapter in the country "dedicated specifically to the African-American LGBT community"  launches in Portland.

· Introducing JR Rolley.

· Will the New Hampshire same-sex marriage bill die in the state Senate? "New Hampshire's Senate Judiciary Committee holds a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday ahead of a full senate vote expected this month or early in May. Several senators in the Democrat-controlled legislature contacted by Reuters speculated the bill would face defeat, citing Democratic Governor John Lynch's opposition, or be tabled indefinitely so lawmakers can avoid taking a stance on the issue ahead of elections next year."

· Homophobia much? Esquire apologizes for the June cover story "How To Be a Man" which "recommended throwing around curse words to show your machismo. This included the phrase 'sh*t-sniffing faggot', which Esquire advised you use when talking to your neighbor."

· California Court of Appeal rules transgender woman living out of state may change her California birth certificate.

· Prada's futuristic high-top shoe

· Republican National Chairman Michael Steele launches an attack on President Obama "in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd."

· See André Leon Talley wear this and other fabulous robes in Valentino: The Last Emperor.

· Sales of menswear up slightly.

· Michelle Obama becomes the first First Lady to hire a full-time makeup artist. Ingrid Grimes-Miles travels with Mrs. O and is credited with making her eyebrows look less "angry."

· Hopefully he is better at writing books than giving speeches. The Daily Beast reports right-wing publishing house Regnery Publishing signs conservative, anti-gay Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal to a book deal. "The book will be about his life and policy ideas, but it won’t take up very much of his time—he’ll be co-authoring it with Peter Schweizer, who has written books about Bush family and President Reagan. There’s speculation that the book deal reveals Jindal’s interest in a 2012 Presidential run."

Jindal Rejects Nearly $100 Million in Recovery Funds that Would Benefit 25,000 Unemployed Louisianans

Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's anti-gay, social conservative governor and a rising star in the Republican Party, says  "F---k You!" to the thousands of unemployed in his state. Over the weekend, the governor announced he would reject nearly $100 million in unemployment insurance funding from the federal government—funding that would have benefited at least 25,000 unemployed Louisiana residents.

The federal aid was part of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the economic stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama the week before last. Jindal rationalized his decision by claiming "expanding unemployment benefits would result in tax increases for businesses." The bizarre decision was "explained" in a virtual press release.

The Governor said the state will not use a portion of the stimulus package that requires the state to change its law to expand unemployment insurance (UI) coverage to qualify for up to $32.8 million of the federal stimulus funding because it ultimately would result in a tax increase on Louisiana businesses.

On Meet the Press yesterday morning, Jindal blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the President, claiming the spending bill will not "work" for the "benefit" of the American people. Clearly the money targeting his state would have created "benefits" for at least 25,000 unemployed people, but, what are a few facts to right-wingers.

Jindal has been tapped to deliver the Republican Party response to President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress tomorrow. Democrats in Louisiana say Jindal's decision gives him conservative street cred as possible presidential contender in 2012. Jindal needs to choose "whether to represent the state of Louisiana or be the spokesman" for the national Republican Party, says Louisiana Lt. Gov., Mitch Landrieu(D).

Anti-Gay Jindal to Deliver GOP Response to Obama's Address

Just in case you needed it, here is more confirmation that Louisiana's anti-gay social conservative governor is one of the youngest rising stars in the Republican. Bobby Jindal has been chosen to deliver the Republican Party response to President Barack Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress on February 24.

House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio says Jindal embodies the GOP as the "party of better solutions."

Among the governor's more recent "better solutions": Dropping an executive order prohibiting employment discrimination against gay and lesbian state employees that was enacted by his Democratic predecessor. Those are the same tired and divisive "solutions" we suffered for eight years and were recently rejected for change.

Bobby Jindal in Iowa, Courting Anti-Gay Social Conservatives

The president-elect has yet to be inaugurated, but, it's never too early to start thinking about the next presidential campaign. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) traveled to Iowa over the weekend and increased speculation that he is considering a presidential bid in 2012.

Think Progress reports the highlight of Jindal’s weekend visit was delivering the "keynote address at a 'Celebrating the Family' banquet hosted by the Iowa Family Policy Center, a conservative Christian group that promotes issues important to social conservatives such as home-schooling and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage."

The conservative and anti-gay Louisiana governor expressed concern for the "coarsening" of our culture. "As governor, I can't censor anything or take away anyone's freedom of speech," Jindal said, adding, "There are things we can do as private citizens working together to strengthen our society."

Gay rights could soon take center stage in the Hawkeye State. The Iowa Supreme Court is expected to soon rule on a same sex marriage case that could bring marriage equality to the heartland. Oh and speaking of things to do to "strengthen society": In August the governor dropped an executive orderr prohibiting employment discrimination against gay and lesbian state employees that was put in place in by his Democratic predecessor.

Jindal in Iowa [Think Progress]
Jindal Puts Focus on Culture [DMR]

Some Background ....
Jindal Drops Anti-Gay Discrimination Order [R20]

64 Percent of Republicans Want Palin to Run for President in 2012

Via Think Progress: Despite losing in a landslide, the new poll by Rasmussen finds the Republican base overwhelmingly wants Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as their presidential nominee in 2012. 

When asked to choose among some of the GOP’s top names for their choice for the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, 64% say Palin. The next closest contenders are two former governors and unsuccessful challengers for the presidential nomination this year — Mike Huckabee of Arkansas with 12% support and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 11%.

Three other sitting governors–Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Charlie Crist of Florida and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota–all pull low single-digit support.

Some 69 percent of Republicans believed Palin was an asset to the losing ticket headed by John McCain. This despite exit polls that revealed 60 percent of voters said Palin was "not qualified to be president if necessary." Massive denial? Or firm conviction? Not sure which.

Louisiana Gov. Jindal Drops Anti-Gay Discrimination Order

So much for the politics of conservative compassion supposedly signfied by the recent election of Bobby Jindal as Louisiana's new governor. Jindal will drop an executive order prohibiting employment discrimination against gay and lesbian state employees that was put in place in 2004 by his Democratic predecessor.

The order expires on Friday. Jindal says it "shouldn't come as a surprise" he will not renew the discrimination protections. "The reason for allowing the order to lapse is that I don’t think it is necessary to create additional special categories or special rights," Jindal tells The New Orleans Advocate. The governor adds: "We are firmly and strongly committed to fair treatment of all of our people and certainly don’t condone discrimination in any form."

Former Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco enacted the order on Dec. 6, 2004. The order bars state agencies and contractors from various sorts of harassment and discrimination by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation or disabilities. Louisiana was the only state in the deep south to protect its LGBT state employees.

Jindal fought the order since its inception. When Blanco announced in 2005 she was preparing the order, Jindal, "then a member of Congress, joined with Sen. James David Cain and two Republican members of the Legislature to fight the measure." Meanwhile, the Louisiana legislature has rejected several proposals aimed at ensuring equal legal protections for gays and lesbians.

Bobby Jindal is widely rumored to be on the short list as a potential vice presidential running mate for John McCain. Jindal's rejection of employment discrimination rights for gay state employees comes only days after McCain said he could not choose a "pro-gay rights" running mate. Sounds like the message was received loud and clear.

Jindal to Let Gay Bias Order Die [NOA]
LA Gov Won'rt Renew Discrimination Order [Forbes]

More POLITICS
More JOHN McCAIN

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McCain Will Not Choose a "Pro-Gay Rights" Running Mate [R20]