Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal said Monday he appreciates President Barack Obama’s efforts at bipartisanship but disagrees strongly with the administration’s approach to the economy.
Jindal, who was at the White House for a gathering of the National Governors Association, will deliver the Republican response Tuesday to Obama’s national address.
“We absolutely, Republicans or Democratic governors, we want our president to succeed,” Jindal told reporters in the White House driveway. “When we disagree with him, we will certainly offer alternative ideas and solutions.”
A rising star in his party and prospective 2012 presidential candidate, Jindal has been sharply critical of Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, predicting it will do more to harm than to help the economy.
The first-term governor, mindful of the president’s still-strong public approval ratings, made a point to repeatedly praise Obama’s willingness to hear dissenting views.
“I think that healthy dialogue is very good,” Jindal said.
The nationally televised rebuttal significantly raises Jindal’s profile at a time when Republicans are looking for strong new leaders to help rebuild the party after last year’s electoral trouncing.
Jindal, a Catholic and social conservative, has a compelling personal story a Rhodes scholar who is also the son of immigrants. In 2007, Jindal became the youngest governor in office at age 36 and the nation’s first governor of Indian descent.
He took a prominent role as a surrogate during last year’s presidential campaign and was widely reported as among Sen. John McCain’s list of contenders for the vice presidency.
