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Jindal silent on
Vice-President ticket
WSN Bureau
 NEW
YORK: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, apparently short-listed for
the Republican Vice-President ticket, refused to spill the beans on
what transpired at the weekend retreat with presumptive Republican
nominee John McCain, saying there was no “explicit talk” on the
issue.
“There was never any explicit talk whatsoever about a shortlist,
about Vice-President, any of that,” said Mr. Jindal, the first
Indian-American Governor, after spending the weekend at an Arizona
ranch where other favourites, including the former Massachusetts
Governor, Mitt Romney and Florida Governor Charlie Crist had also
been invited. However, the Mr. Jindal said he had several one-on-one
moments with Mr. McCain.
Mr. Jindal has been touted as among the favourites to be Mr.
McCain’s running mate despite his repeated comments that he was
happy with his job. “John and Cindy were very gracious. Not only did
we have a chance to talk to him one on one, as well as in a group,
we had a chance to visit with the other Senators there, the other
business leaders,” said Mr. Jindal.
Journalists had camped outside Mr. McCain’s Sedona ranch to catch a
glimpse of the guests invited over to celebrate the Memorial Day
weekend amid speculation that it was actually an exercise to choose
Mr. McCain’s running mate.
Mr. Jindal said he talked with people on Louisiana’s recovery after
Hurricane Katrina wracked the state and he did not know if there
would be any further “social-type weekends.”
However, Mr. Jindal said he was planning to meet Mr. McCain again
when Mr. McCain stops in Louisiana in two weeks during the campaign
trail.
The Washington Times on Saturday endorsed Mr. Jindal as the best man
for the Republican ticket. Analysts have said Mr. Jindal could not
only provide “diversity” to the ticket, but could also offset the
age factor for 72-year-old McCain, who would be oldest first-term
President if elected.
Mr. Jindal converted to Roman Catholicism when he was a teenager.
He has a conservative platform, opposing abortion and stem cell
research, and advocated teaching of “intelligent design” in schools
as alternative theory of evolution.
28
May,
2008
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