Oh, and he delivered his third child when his wife awoke in the middle of the night in labor. Yeah, but can he juggle machetes?
In one of his toughest challenges as governor, Mr. Jindal vetoed a bill that would have doubled state legislators' pay. Mr. Jindal had long opposed the raise but also had promised to let the Legislature handle its own business. Caught between two vows, Mr. Jindal erred on the side of ethics, admitting that he had made a mistake in promising too much.
Too good to be true? Perhaps. If Mr. Jindal gets close to the White House, Americans will hear about his conversion to Catholicism. He was smitten in high school by a young lady who stole his heart and led him to the cross.
In college, he witnessed and wrote about an exorcism.
Though such talents might be needed in the nation's capital, Hindu converts to Catholicism who admit to belief in demons have some 'splainin' to do.
As for Mr. Romney, it seems clear that he would agree to serve as Mr. McCain's wingman.
He has stumped for Mr. McCain for several months after dropping his own candidacy for president.
Mr. Jindal has a tougher call. He's been governor only for six months and has the unique opportunity to create a new state from the ground up. Politically, the fallout would be significant, as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat and brother of U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, would take Mr. Jindal's place.
Staying put might allow him time to further burnish his executive credentials while honoring his contract with Louisiana voters. Mr. Jindal's r?sum? would suggest that he's always been a man in a hurry, but there's no rush for the nation's junior governor.
When you're Bobby Jindal, the night really is young.
Kathleen Parker's syndicated column appears regularly in The Sun. Her e-mail is kparker@kparker.com.
