Louisiana’s six congressmen are running for re-election this year, but the focus here and statewide has been on the heated
contest involving U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, and Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia. Three other candidates are also
running for the redrawn 3rd Congressional District seat, but only Ron Richard, the lone Democrat, has an outside chance of
winning or making a runoff.
Most of the nation has been focused on
the presidential campaign, but congressional races also deserve the
close attention
of voters. Congress will have as much to say about the future of
this country as its chief executive, and it’s time to turn
some attention to that arena.
Landry has conducted his campaign
pretty much as expected. Three years ago he was elected to the former
3rd District seat
after malicious attacks on the character and reputation of Hunt
Downer, a dedicated public servant. Downer is a former speaker
of the Louisiana House of Representatives, decorated military
veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, outstanding citizen
of his community and a leader who has served his state and country
well.
The tea party helped Landry carry out
his vicious assault on Downer, and it has once again come to Landry’s
rescue. When the
Legislature redrew congressional election lines in 2011, it forced
Boustany and Landry into the same district. The tea party
and others tried to give Landry an edge when it supported efforts
to put Calcasieu Parish in the congressional district based
in Shreveport.
Landry supporters knew Calcasieu was strong territory for Boustany. However, through the efforts of Boustany and united support
from political and civic leaders in Calcasieu and Lafayette parishes, both stayed in the 3rd District.
Now, Landry is working through Geaux
Free TPL, formerly called the Tea Party of Lafayette, and Freedom Works,
a Washington,
D.C., conservative organization devoted to helping the tea party
movement. Like their candidate, the organizations don’t hesitate
to twist facts.
Both accused Boustany of not signing a
no-tax pledge and said Landry, their candidate, was the only one
supported by the National
Right to Life Committee. The accusations were false, and Boustany
called their hand, noting that he had signed the pledge
and was backed by the anti-abortion group.
“Jeff Landry and his Washington cronies
Freedom Works have had plenty to say about me and my record for the
entirety of this
campaign,” Boustany said. “They have habitually lied about my
positions regarding the sanctity of life, repealing Obamacare,
support for Israel and tax policy, with little regard for the
truth.”
Joyce Linde, coordinator for Geaux Free TPL, said the mistakes were accidental, were being corrected and “nothing was done
intentionally.” However, considerable damage may have already been done.
Landry has never been shy about stretching the truth, and perhaps his most intentional effort to damage Boustany has been
to consistently call his opponent a liberal. Louisiana has only two liberals in its congressional delegation, and both are
Democrats — U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, both of New Orleans.
Boustany said, “Since his first speech announcing his campaign for re-election, Jeff Landry has continued to distort the facts
and lie about my record.”
Pearson Cross, chairman of the political science department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, told The Advocate
newspaper that Boustany is competent, serious, a hard worker, studies the issues and is well-liked in Washington.
Landry brags about having the support
of the majority of Republican executive committees in the district, but
the endorsement
he got from the Calcasieu Parish committee was a sham. It came out
of the blue, and numerous Republicans in the parish protested
the devious way it was planned and executed. Few candidates seek
seats on parish executive committees, and they have a hard
time filling vacancies. The tea party has always been more than
willing to fill the void.
The United States is facing a multitude of problems, and it needs capable leadership in Congress to find solutions. Nothing
of substance will get done until both parties are willing to make some compromises. Boustany has demonstrated he can make
tough decisions and take unpopular stands when the country’s best interests are at stake.
The two men disagree on whether
Congress should hold a lame-duck session after the Nov. 6 election.
Boustany thinks it’s important
in order to work on tax and defense cuts, a farm bill and veterans
clinics proposed for Lake Charles and Lafayette. Boustany
said language authorizing funding for those clinics is essential
in order to get the often-delayed projects up and running.
Boustany is a member of the powerful
House Ways and Means Committee that deals with tax and budget issues. He
is closely allied
with the strong House Republican leadership and is in line to
become a power broker in Congress. Southwest Louisiana has been
well-served by Boustany for eight years, and he is in a position
to bring about bigger returns in the future.
The choice in this congressional race
is clear. Voters can choose substance (Boustany) or show (Landry). The
attacks on Boustany
from Landry and other critics have had serious credibility
problems. The 3rd District and the country need Boustany back in
Congress.
Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than five decades. Contact him at 494-4025 or jbeam@americanpress.com