Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal sues Obama over Common Core

BATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called the Common Core standards an attempt "to strip away states' rights," as he sued President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

The lawsuit was filed by a governor who once embraced the Common Core. Jindal accused the president of using the initiative to create national educational standards.

"The federal government has hijacked and destroyed the Common Core initiative," Jindal said in a statement. "Common Core is the latest effort by big government disciples to strip away state rights and put Washington, D.C. in control of everything."

Jindal is considered a possible Republican presidential contender in 2016. Critics say his opposition to the Common Core is linked to the animosity among conservatives to the standards.

The governor attempted to use an executive order to withdraw Louisiana from the Common Core but was stopped by a lawsuit filed by state education officials.

The Common Core standards set goals for each year of school between first grade and graduation. Much of the funding came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the standards were written at the state level.