Sometimes you’re lucky enough to find a person on your voting ballot who has demonstrated leadership, courage, and integrity in their lives, but very seldom will you find someone who has displayed such positive personal traits both before and after entering political office.

Rep. Charles Boustany was a highly skilled and successful heart surgeon before he entered the rough and tumble world of politics after an arm injury made one of his skilled hands inoperative. When such a capable candidate is on the ballot it makes your time in the voting booth shorter, easier and more enjoyable.

That’s only one reason we can recommend, without reservation, Rep. Charles William Boustany, Jr. He has compiled two separate dossiers of working excellence-- one as a cardiovascular surgeon with more than 20 years of dependable experience, and the other as an admired, hardworking United States Congressman from Louisiana’s Seventh Congressional District.

Boustany, the 52-year-old Republican Incumbent from Lafayette, will have to ward off challenges from 36-year-old Don Cravins, Jr. of Opelousas and Peter Vidrine of Eunice. But neither challenger can match Boustany’s impressive record and experience representing those residing in the Seventh District, whether it’s helping constituents seeking emergency cardiovascular care in local hospitals or seeking justice in the hallowed Halls of Congress.

Rep. Boustany’s record is short on talk and long on results. His record speaks for itself, which includes: fighting for the needs of the farmers and ranchers in Southwest Louisiana; he is committed to our agricultural community and will continue to look for ways to strengthen it economically.

He has worked tirelessly towards preventing further coastal erosion. Over 15,000 acres of Louisiana are lost each year to coastal erosion. Louisiana has 30% of all the coastal marsh in the nation, but currently accounts for 90% of all coastal marsh losses. We have lost 1.22 million acres of coastal wetlands in the past 70 years, which is equivalent to the area of Delaware. He recently procured an $8.5 Million Grant to build four Coastal Restoration Barriers in Cameron and Vermilion Parishes to protect our economy, energy, and way of life.

He has enhanced education for our children. As a member of the Committee on Education and Labor, Boustany helped negotiate the final version of the Improving Head Start Act, helped fund dollars to improve the No Child Left Behind Program, and introduced the Charter School Program Enhancement Act--legislation to increase awareness of successful charter school practices and promote additional growth of these highly-successful schools..

He has enacted balanced and responsible energy legislation that is in the best interest of the 7th District. Realizing inflated gasoline prices are placing a financial burden on working families, Boustany is working to encourage cleaner renewable fuels, promote American energy production, improve conservation and efficiency and advance renewable fuel technologies. He opposed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats who chose to adjourn for a 5-week vacation in August while Americans were struggling with rising gas prices, opting to say in Washington to address this national security issue.

He supports affordable health care. As a physician who has cared for thousands of uninsured patients and families in Louisiana, Boustany believes Congress must do more to expand access to affordable health insurance coverage for Americans. He is staunchly pro-life.

Rep. Boustany is also against tax increases, supports small industries, and wants more money for senior citizens and brave American Veterans. A true Conservative with old-fashioned Louisiana values, he is committed to those things traditional Americans have always held near and dear to their hearts.

And in a day and age when it’s hard to distinguish between “political talkers” and “political doers,” the actual undisputed record proves that Incumbent Rep. Charles W. Boustany, Jr. is arguably the very best bet at the ballot box this November 4th. He will also provide more seniority in Congress which is seriously lacking for Louisiana.

For the above reasons we recommend Rep. Boustany without reservations.

Louisiana State Newspapers

Editorials represent the opinions of this newspaper, and not of any one individual.