Bobby Jindal (top) and David Vitter

Washington, July 18: This was to have been Bobby Jindal’s big week.

But the only Indian American member of the US Congress has found his high profile campaign kick-off for Louisiana governorship drowned in an escalating scandal in the state over sex and prostitutes.

Jindal and US Senator David Vitter have been together in the vanguard of America’s campaign against promiscuity and loose morals, arguing passionately for family values and moral rearmament.

But last week Vitter got caught in a growing scandal in the US over alleged liaison with prostitutes that tabloids and muck-rakers promise will eventually be bigger than Watergate or the frenzy over Monica Lewinsky.

Vitter, a rising star in America’s Republican politics, has been lately mentioned as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008 if former New York mayor Rudy Guiliani wins his party’s nomination for the White House.Vitter has also been the most vociferous supporter of Jindal’s new bid for governorship of Louisiana this year.

He had planned to be Jindal’s constant companion on the campaign trail to build conservative support for the Indian American in a state where Democrats have the edge. Unfortunately for the gubernatorial aspirant, on Monday Vitter ruined the launch of Jindal’s campaign by emerging from week-long seclusion, his wife by his side, to apologise for a “serious sin” in his past.

That day, Jindal offically kicked off his campaign for governor with a rally in Baton Rouge, the state capital, followed by six more well-publicised appearances throughout the day in six more locations.

To the great disappointment of Jindal’s supporters, however, with Vitter and his wife emerging from hiding, no one in Louisiana — or for that matter anywhere else in America — was interested in Jindal.

America’s TV networks covered Vitter live and followed up by punditry, political and gossipy, completelyignoring Jindal. The media chased Vitter, who answered no questions, of course, but made a contrite statement, followed bya nother by his wife, Wendy.

She has some problems of her own facing the media. Seven years ago, talking about Bill Clinton’s moral transgressions, Wendy implied that Hillary Clinton should have castrated her husband after the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

“I am a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he (David Vitter) does something like that, I am walking away with one thing, and it is not alimony, trust me,” Wendy said, referring to the woman who cutoff her husband’s genitals for infidelity.

Vitter was one of the first politicians with name recognition to endorse Jindal’s candidacy for Louisiana governorship. The two men have endorsed each other in every political campaign they have been in.

As early as February, Jindal issued this statement: “”Iwanted to share some great news with you. This morning, Senator David Vitter declared his support for our campaign for governor. David has been a strong leader for our state. It means a lot to have his support at this crucial time... I have been working closely with David in Washington.”

Last week, as Vitter was being dragged down by revelations of his own alleged extra-marital affairs, Jindal quietly took the statement down from his campaign website. And on Friday, he was forced to respond to the allegations surrounding his friend and political ally.

“While we are disappointed by Senator Vitter’s actions, Supriya (Mrs Jindal) and I continue to keep David and his family in our prayers. This is a matter for the senator to address, and it is our hope that this is not used by others for their own political gain.”

However, Jindal is only likely to be more distracted in the coming days and weeks as new allegations emerge about Vitter. One former prostitute in New Orleans has now told a local newspaper that Vitter was one of her clients. The woman told the newspaper that she had decided to admit to the relationship because Vitter was a hypocrite who talked of bringing moral authority to his office even as he was having paid sex with her.