Louisiana's Indian-American governor, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has accused President Barack Obama of "waving the white flag of surrender" on the economy by focusing on a limited set of executive actions.
"I think there are things we can do instead of waving the white flag of surrender, instead of declaring this economy to be a minimum wage economy," he said emerging with a group of governors from a meeting Monday with Obama that stressed bipartisan cooperation.
I think our economy, I think America can do better," said Jindal, who is term-limited and is considering a White House run in 2016.
Slamming Obama for his executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 per hour, he said that's the wrong place for the White House to be focusing its energies.
"The Obama economy is now the minimum wage economy. I think we can do better than that, I think America can do better than that," Jindal said suggesting that the president rein in regulations and expand drilling on federal lands to boost economic growth.
Connecticut's Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy said Jindal's comments strayed from the civil discourse that dominated the weekend meeting of the National Governors' Association, according to Politico, a media site focusing on politics.
"There are differences here, and you just heard what I think ended up being the most partisan statement that we had all weekend," he said.
"I don't know what the heck was a reference to white flag when it comes to people making $404 a week. I mean, that's the most insane statement I've ever heard, quite frankly," Malloy was quoted as saying.
Jindal cut in with a response. If his earlier statements were the most partisan thing Malloy heard all weekend, "I want to make sure he hears a more partisan statement": that if Obama really wants to grow the economy, he should delay the Affordable Care Act mandates.
"We think we can grow the economy. We think we can do better than the minimum wage economy," he said, wrapping up his rebuttal.
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