Gov. Jindal, Pay Your own Way To Church - Pt. 2

Once again from the Advocate:

Gov. Bobby Jindal on Thursday defended his taxpayer-funded visits to churches and dismissed criticism from a national religious organization.

Jindal rejected suggestions by the Interfaith Alliance that he should reimburse the state and apologize for using a state helicopter to worship at Protestant churches in north Louisiana.

Interfaith Alliance, based in Washington, D.C., alleged that Jindal’s taxpayer-funded worship trips blurred the constitutional line separating church and state.

The governor said his trips are “absolutely appropriate.”

Aren't we all surprised that Jindal defends his actions? It seems that yesterday's article from the Advocate went viral in the regular media and on blogs on the internet, including mine. Rachel Maddow invited the president of Interfaith Alliance, the Rev. Welton Gaddy, to appear on her show. The video is here. (Thank you, Pseudopiskie.) Note that the Rev. Gaddy is from Monroe in the Gret Stet of Loosiana. He's a man after my own heart.

Back to the Advocate:

Between March 2 and July 20, Jindal traveled to churches, mostly in north Louisiana, on a state helicopter at a cost to the taxpayers of about $45,000, according to State Police records.

In May, June and July, there was rarely a Sunday when Jindal did not fly a taxpayer-funded helicopter to church services in a remote part of the state. Two aides usually accompanied him along with his security detail and pilots.

The Governor’s Office refuses to tell the media ahead of time about Jindal’s church visits.

The governor rarely pays attention to criticism outside his narrow circle of insider advisers, who rarely disagree with him.

Gov Jindal is a Roman Catholic. Does he never attend his own church on Sunday?