Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal lit into Republicans for their inability to fight for conservative principles and becoming a “surrender caucus” Monday.
During the Your Choice, Your Voice Teleforum with the Washington Examiner, Jindal called out congressional Republicans for a lack of fight against the Iran deal, Planned Parenthood and President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty from last year.
“This year, Mitch McConnell has already given up when it comes to defunding Planned Parenthood and stopping the bad Iran deal. You know, if the Republican Party can’t stand for innocent human life, what good is the Republican Party?” Jindal asked.
“When it comes to this Iran deal, I think that, you know, what happened, the Iranians conned President Obama, and he conned the Senate Republicans. They never should have passed this Corker bill,” Jindal said. “We’re now, instead of a 2/3 vote to approve the deal, it takes a 2/3 vote to reject the deal. Every Senate Republican except for Sen. [Tom] Cotton voted for that bad deal, including all these guys running for president like [Ted] Cruz, and [Marco] Rubio, and [Lindsey] Graham and [Rand] Paul.”
“Here’s the reason: I think we’ve got a surrender caucus,” said Jindal, who sits 12th in the Examiner‘s latest power rankings. “They go to D.C. They say they can’t. I think we need them to fight for us.”
The 2016 hopeful went on to argue that while Democrats are willing to “force socialism” upon Americans, Republicans refuse to fight because they don’t believe in conservative principles, he said.
“The Left is willing to force socialism down our throats. Why won’t Republicans fight just as hard for America and for freedom? I think that answer is too many of them don’t want to fight, don’t believe in our conservative beliefs,” Jindal continued. “At least the Democrats are fighting for what they believe in.”
Jindal, now in his second term as Louisiana governor, went on to blast President Obama for his assault on the Tenth Amendment, pointing to the EPA and their new rules over waterways.
“We have to understand that states are on the front lines and be willing to work with states and trust states. This president doesn’t do that,” Jindal said. “When asked directly, he made it very clear he doesn’t think — and I don’t know, maybe they don’t teach the 10th Amerndment at Harvard Law School. I’m not sure, maybe he missed that day.”
Throughout the remainder of the call, Jindal talked to voters about issues such as same-sex marriage, terrorism and immigration, all hot-button issues among conservatives.
Jindal blamed the inability to secure the border on Republicans with big business interests who support “open borders” and amnesty.
“There are a number of Republicans who don’t want to do this simply because there are big business interests that want open borders,” Jindal said. They want amnesty. They want common core. They want a bunch of stuff like that. They threaten the Republicans in D.C. — they tell them if you don’t support their agenda, that won’t support your campaign. It’s time to fire those folks.”
The comments come two days before Jindal is set to take part in the undercard debate Wednesday evening in Boulder, Colo. Jindal is 12th in the latest RealClearPolitics national average, with 0.4 percent backing. Things are a bit brighter in Iowa however, where he garners 2.8 percent support, putting him in eighth place in the Hawkeye State.
