In his first big national appearance as one of the "new faces" of the Republican Party, it seems Bobby Jindal decided he'd just make something up. Zachary Roth reported yesterday that a number of facts seemed to get in the way of Jindal's anecdote about the kindly Sheriff Harry Lee in New Orleans, trying the best to cut through the red tape during Katrina so he could rescue people. Jindal's spokesperson now admits the story was not true as Jindal told it:
But now, a Jindal spokeswoman has admitted to Politico that in reality, Jindal overheard Lee talking about the episode to someone else by phone "days later." The spokeswoman said she thought Lee, who died in 2007, was being interviewed about the incident at the time.
This is no minor difference. Jindal's presence in Lee's office during the crisis itself was a key element of the story's intended appeal, putting him at the center of the action during the maelstrom. Just as important, Jindal implied that his support for the sheriff helped ensure the rescue went ahead. But it turns out Jindal wasn't there at the key moment, and played no role in making the rescue happen.
Sheriff Lee wasn't exactly Andy Griffith either.
It's a good thing that the truth is coming to light now--by 2012, the story would probably involve sniper fire.
Speaking of which, we're going to get a whole lot of news analysis about how this incident proves that Bobby Jindal is full of ruthless ambition and bottomless insincerity, right?
-- A. Serwer
