(CNSNews.com) - While admitting that he changed his given Indian name to Bobby after his favorite character on "The Brady Bunch," Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal denied having any ambition to become Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) vice presidential pick at the National Press Conference on Friday.

"First of all, like anybody whose name has been put on such a list, it's certainly flattering," Jindal said. "I've said it before ... I'll say it again. I've got the job I want."

Jindal, a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax Rhodes Scholar, won a landslide victory to become governor of Louisiana in October 2007. An Indian-American, he is the first person of color to be elected governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction.

Jindal spoke on Friday about following through on his promise to root out "corruption" and "incompetence." He credited bipartisanship for those and other successes, including putting a stop to taxing businesses that wanted to set up shop in the state.

He also said that significant progress has been made toward the "rebirth" and "recovery" of post-hurricane Louisiana, including extensive disaster preparedness programs that hold the state and individuals responsible as first responders to a catastrophic event.

Jindal said while Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the state and its citizens, they also offered an opportunity to rebuild it to be better than it was before the storms, including creating an improved health care system and schools that produce a skilled labor force.

"The legacy I want to leave is the legacy of effective leadership so that my children don't have to leave the state to fulfill their dreams," Jindal said.

When asked what he and McCain spoke about when the presumptive GOP presidential candidate visited the state recently, Jindal said he appreciated McCain's promise to provide needed resources to aid in the ongoing recovery process and that the federal government's response to such a disaster would "never happen again."

When pressed by the moderator if he would "promise" not to leave the governor post to be McCain's running mate, Jindal revealed a bit of the personality that helped lead the 36-year-old to make history when he was elected by a landslide last year.

"I likened it earlier this week to telling the prettiest girl in high school 'I'm not going to the prom with you,' before she asked me," Jindal said.

Jindal, whose parents were immigrants from India, took 54 percent of the vote in Louisiana's unique election process in which all candidates of all parties run in a single October primary. If no candidate wins 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates face each other in a November runoff. Jindal's 54 percent win made a runoff unnecessary.

"I tell people this is a historic time (in Lousiana)," Jindal said. "The changes we are making are generational changes and I want to be a part of that."


Make media inquiries or request an interview about this article.



E-mail a comment or news tip to Penny Starr