For most Louisianans, it’s no secret: Gov. Bobby Jindal’s been “testing the waters” on a bid for the presidency for years now.
The non-partisan, non-profit Campaign Legal Center filed complaints last week with the Federal Election Commission against several presidential hopefuls, including Republicans Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Rick Santorum, as well as Democrat Martin O’Malley. The CLC's complaint centers on a rule limiting presidential contendors — both officially announced and those just "testing the waters" — from taking political donations in excess of $2,700 from individual donors.
Here’s a statement issued last week by the CLC’s Paul S. Ryan:
These 2016 presidential contenders must take the American people for fools — flying repeatedly to Iowa and New Hampshire to meet with party leaders and voters, hiring campaign staff, and raising millions of dollars from deep-pocketed mega donors, all the while denying that they are even ‘testing the waters’ of a presidential campaign.
Jindal’s not on that list, but here’s Gregory Roberts of The Advocate’s Washington Bureau in a weekend editorial:
Sound familiar? That description could easily be applied to Jindal, too. Almost simultaneously with the CLC announcement, news accounts reported that Jindal was assembling a staff in Iowa, home to the Feb. 1 caucuses that kick off the presidential nomination process.
Jindal has not formally declared his candidacy: He has said he will announce his decision after June 11, the end of the upcoming legislative session in Louisiana. His political adviser, Timmy Teepell, said in an email that Jindal is not even testing the waters, but simply ‘promoting free-market ideas and conservative values.’
And it appears the CLC also has Jindal’s number, telling The Advocate’s Robertson that “We are looking closely at it and very well may file a complaint against Mr. Jindal in the coming weeks.”
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