Bobby Jindal and the Republicans: FAIL

Last night Barack Obama inspired hope and confidence in the American people in a time of  crisis while the GOP sat on their hands and did a collective audition for Mean Girls II.   Rising star Bobby Jindal proved himself the Steve Largent of our time.

Meanwhile, Republican governors who aren't busy running for President who are trying to provide for their states are realizing that when it comes to actual governance,  conservative ideology sucks:

Re: GOP: Bob, what do you make of the moves by some of the GOP governors lately, particularly Gov. Crist of Florida and Gov. Huntsman of Utah? Crist gave his public endorsement to the stimulus package, while Huntsman criticized Gov. Jindal for saying he wouldn't take some of the stimulus money. Also, the governor of Utah came out in favor of civil unions. What do Republicans like Crist and Huntsman hope to accomplish within the party?

Robert G. Kaiser: I am intrigued by the fact that we obviously have two Republican Parties now -- at least. One is the House Republican Party, a staunchly conservative outfit that has yet to digest its own fate or think through the implications of its serious defeats in 2006 and 2008. Some Senators line up with the hard-line House Republicans, but others don't -- hence the deal on the stimulus bill, made possible by three Republicans.

Then the governors, particularly the big-state governors like Crist and Arnold. They believe in government, and aren't ashamed to say so. They realize (as polls confirm) that voters now expect government to govern. They are, I think, nervous about their party's future if the House Republicans actually control the GOP.

Stay tuned. This is going to be an ongoing soap opera.