Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) reelection campaign just got the prostitution scandal bump.
A few months after Jindal publicly declined to endorse Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) for reelection last year, Vitter is being the bigger person and endorsing Jindal for another term as governor anyway.
Team Jindal told reporters in Louisiana the governor is “appreciative of the senator’s support.”
Vitter made sure people knew of his gesture Wednesday. In a pair of tweets, Vitter flagged news of his endorsement — including the headline in the New Orleans Time-Picayune which pointed out that Jindal did not back the Senator’s campaign last time around.
Jindal has a 55% approval rating heading into the fall elections, when he’ll ask the voters to give him a second term in office. Polls show Vitter is actually more popular that Jindal these days, which makes today’s endorsement extra sweet for Vitter. He showed up his many critics by cruising to reelection the first time voters got to pull the lever for him him following the 2007 revelation that he solicited sex through the D.C. Madam.
With the political climate the way it is — and Vitter seemingly bulletproof — at least one analyst in Louisiana is advising Jindal to publicly accept Vitter’s support in order to help shore up his Republican base.
That’s right: While other sex-scandal plagued politicians like ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) are called on to drop off the face of the earth following their scandals, in Louisiana a politician can apparently consider himself lucky if he can get the endorsement Vitter, one of America’s most famous Johns.
