Alaska volcano puts on show

Last month, right-wing Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal scoffed at the notion of funding volcano monitors. "Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington," the possible Republican presidential hopeless complained.

Well, he may have lost Alaska's electoral votes right there.

Jindal apparently didn't know that the country has several active volcanoes perilously close to large cities. Among them is Mount Redoubt, only 100 miles from Anchorage.

Since last night, Mount Redoubt has erupted at least 5 times, sending a plume of ashes 9 miles into the air.

Volcanoes can be spectacular. One pictures Mount Redoubt with its limbs glowing in the springtime sun and emitting beauty from its face.

But this beauty can be disastrous.

Many flights in and out of Anchorage International Airport have had to be canceled because of the eruptions. Locals have been warned of more eruptions.

Methinks this sort of knocks the wind out of the sails of Jindal's readiness to abandon vital government programs just to prove what a big conservative he is. Apparently, he forgot that he's supposed to represent the people, not the ideologically driven Republican party bosses.

(Source: http://www.kypost.com/news/national/story/Mount-Redoubt-erupts-five-times-more-expected/vQtV5s39t0O_t0TQWWy0qA.cspx)