Where's the Beef, Dr. Boustany?

* Update: Charles Boustany has finally put up an issues page on his campaign web site. You may compare Peter and Charles Boustany on the issues now. A Further update on Don Cravins issues will be done if Junior ever decides to quit name his dart throwing and name calling and get to the issues.

I know it's early in this campaign, but previewing Dr. Boustany's House of Representative's site: http://boustany.house.gov/ which is being paid for by you, the taxpayer, he appears to be campaigning year round.

His actual campaign site at http://www.charlesboustany.com/site.php is also somewhat updated to indicate that he is actively campaigning. Not a criticism, but a reality, it's really something to see incumbents campaigning actively on your dime and mine. The taxpayer funded campaign site is a nice touch also. But alas, they all do it. I guess they consider the costs to be a drop in the bucket, like their congressional pension, like the $169,300 per year salary while they are actively campaigning. Non-incumbents need to go to work each day to feed their families, so of course, it is a bit more difficult to campaign as actively as the incumbent.

Oh, well. As I said, this is a reality that we must accept. Well, out of curiosity, I visited Dr. Boustany's campaign site to compare positions. I already know what he's done, and that's why I have decided to campaign to replace him ... but it would be interesting to know what he at least pretends to be his positions on major issues affecting you and I and our families.

So, what will you find at"Home : Dr. Charles Boustany Jr. : U.S. Congress"? There's an"About Charles" page, a"Join the Campaign", a"News Articles" page where you can read his version of the news, a "Contact Page" and even a "Photo Gallery" page, in case you wish to view photos of him and his wife or photos of him standing with various citizens. There's even a neat photo of the Doctor holding a baby. All this would be really great if running for US Representative were a beauty contest. Unfortunately this isn't a beauty contest, especially when you consider how ugly the constituents of the Seventh District have been treated of the last four years.

What I also found at Dr. Boustany's campaign site was a great amount of missing information. Doctor, Where's the Beef? No position statements, nothing about what he has done to help the Seventh District to relieve that pain (no pun intended) that he willfully participated in causing the wonderful people of Louisiana. No surprise there. There's nothing to brag about. And unremarkably, there are NO issues or positions statements. All I could glean from his site was the following from http://www.charlesboustany.com/site2.php.

Lots of seasoning there, but no meat. Not much in the way of rice or potatoes either.

Project Vote Smart has also never been able to get Dr. Boustany to respond to You, the Voters on issues. Doc, why are you avoiding the issues? What are you afraid of? Don't you believe voters should know your positions?

I would like to take this opportunity to challenge the good Doctor at this time: What are your positions?

• What are you going to do about the Judiciary run amuck? Have you ever read the Constitution? In particular, U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2? Feel free to follow the link, then tell us what you are going to do.
  
  
• Under which circumstances will you vote to raise taxes in the future? We already know your past. We know how the National Taxpayers Union gave you a C+ in 200, a 53% rating in 2006 and a 56% rating in 2005. We know that Freedom Works gave you a 58% rating in 2006 and a 65% rating in 2005. What about the future? Will you somewhere find the stomach to support taxpayers ... finally? Do you think you might even achieve a 70% or even better? We're listening.


• Will you ever vote for an unbalanced budget? Again?


• Will you ever vote to increase congressional pay? We all can feel really good that you can afford the over three dollars a gallon gas prices with the $4,100 pay increase you voted yourselves in this year.


• Do you or will you participate in the congressional pension plans?


• What about the continued attacks on American's freedoms like the Patriot Act, which you DID support. Remember? Will you do it again, or have you learned anything in four years?


• What about the U.N. or NAFTA or CAFTA? What about the North American Union? Nothing again?


• What will you do to secure our borders? Remember our borders? That's the line that separates us and Mexico and us and Canada. Nothing again?


• What will you do about illegal immigration? Nothing again?


• What about welfare for illegal immigrants? Nothing again?


• What about the size of the Federal government? Increase? Decrease? Tell us.


• What will you do to restore parental authority and get it out of the hands of politicians? Will you do anything or do nothing again?


• What about Federal Income Tax? Leave it the way it is?


• Under which circumstances would you support gun control?


• What about Roe v. Wade. What will you do in the future, given that you've not even tried to do anything in the last four years. Remember the Constitution? Remember when you swore in an oath to defend it? Did you know what you were swearing to defend?


• What about IRAQ? Will the lies and deceptions finally end? Remember your CNN interview? Yes, we know now how safe you felt walking with a full platoon around you, but, really?

OK Doctor, I'll cut you some slack, just answer two questions. For now. When, if ever, will you defend the Constitution? When, if ever, will you support protecting United States borders like you want to protect Iraq's borders. If you answer just these two questions, I will even link back to your answers. Here's your opportunity to answer your constituents with a little more dignity than that CNN interview.

We'll be waiting.

PS, Charlie: If you'd like to see my positions on the issues, feel free to go to my issues page. I'm not afraid to let everyone in the Seventh District know what I will do.

We're still waiting.