The Jindal, McCain soap opera is becoming a melodramatic media story where nobody really knows where the facts end and the absurdity begins.  Worse, nobody really knows who is speaking the truth. 

So, as the world turns, some publications are saying Jindal is still running for Vice President and others construe Jindal’s Fox And Friends words as proof that “he’s not” 

Also, some say that John McCain was coming down to Louisiana to keep the Veep suspense going, meet with Jindal, do a photo op with a Gulf Rig but got thwarted by a Mississippi oil spill although the official McCain statement was he was cancelling due to bad weather.  Obviously, his trip pumping drilling as an energy policy would be bad timing when Louisiana’s main river is polluted by a nasty oil spill.

Meanwhile, we all can debate for eternity whether the timing of Governor Jindal’s remarks on Fox and Friends Wednesday morning had anything to do with McCain’s trip such as if it was a sincere adios to the Governor’s hopes for a Vice President campaign seat on the McCain bus or whether Jindal was trying to preempt McCain..

Here is a sample of why the Veep soap opera’s suds are stinging the public’s eyes:

“There are numerous reports Wednesday that Republican John McCain is close to picking a running mate. Some people seem to think Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is at the top of the list.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was also considered in the running, but took himself out of the race Wednesday after it was reported that McCain planned to personally fly to Louisiana to turn Jindal down.”

http://wcco.com/local/mccain.pawlenty.vice.2.778134.html

For those wondering, this publication is also from Minnesota, home of Pawlenty.  One can speculate about its comment indicating that Jindal was intentionally trying to get the jump on McCain before the Republican Presidential candidate allegedly would oust Jindal on his own Louisiana turf.

Then a blog on Reuters is alleging that Jindal’s “I won’t be Vice President dialogue” on Fox and Friends was not sincere.

But Jindal told Fox News on Wednesday he wasn’t interested in being vice president.

“Let me be clear: I have said in every private and public conversation, I’ve got the job that I want,” Jindal told Fox News. “And I’ll say again on air: I’m not going to be the vice presidential nominee.”

However, Fox cited Jindal insiders as saying that the governor would take the job if asked. 

http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/07/23/mccain-praises-pawlenty-jindal-as-vp-talk-sizzles/

Then, according to the Associated Press “A Jindal spokeswoman did not return a request for comment Wednesday about the continued speculation involving the governor as a potential McCain running mate.”

Which lack of communication and mystery is in part why there is always so much speculation involving Bobby Jindal.

So after scouring media reports, I can safely say that nobody really knows if Jindal is “in” or if he is “out” of the VP run.   If I were a betting man, I’d say that despite his statements on Fox where he appears to speculate that he would not be chosen, Governor Jindal is still “in” the running until John McCain himself makes the ultimate selection. 

I would even gamble that this soap opera won’t end at the Veepship.  Should the Republican presumptive nominee select someone other than the Louisiana Governor for VP, and should McCain win the election, expect more media talk over whether Jindal taking a cabinet position.   

Like it or not, the soap with the truth clean as mud.  Then, what would anyone expect.  After all, we’re talking politics.