Our Views: Jindal challenges Louisiana image

• Advocate Opinion page staff
• Published: May 2, 2008 - Page: 6B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Gov. Bobby Jindal represented Louisiana fairly well during his recent appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” showing the rest of the nation a bright, young leader who is the son of immigrants and has worked hard to achieve the American dream.

That’s a public relations plus for a state that’s losing too many of its young people. The young Jindal’s presence on national television helped put a more flattering face on a state that needs a more positive image.

The extent of Louisiana’s image problem was expressed by Leno, who gave Jindal a left-handed compliment by congratulating him for trying to change “one of the crookedest states.”

Leno told of meeting a previous Louisiana governor who “had two girls with him ... and he was the governor, and I was like, this is unbelievable; it’s crazy.”

Jindal took the bait, repeating the joke circulated after Hurricane Katrina that half the state was under water, the other half under indictment.

“Our message is that we want people to be entertained by our musicians, our actors, our culture, but not our politicians,” Jindal said.

While we agree with that sentiment, we would remind Leno that Louisiana does not have a monopoly on politicians’ shenanigans, as evidenced by the recent resignation of New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer after he was implicated in a prostitution operation.

We’ve vigorously argued against corruption in Louisiana, and while we acknowledge the state’s checkered past, we resent the implication that everyone here is dishonest.

Jindal’s prominence promises to give him more national forums in the future. We hope he uses them not only to advertise his reform agenda, but also to remind the nation that most of us are law-abiding folks.