INDReporter

Boustany targeted by teapsters

by Walter Pierce

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, might be looking at another challenge from the right, assuming he seeks re-election to a sixth term in Congress next year.

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, might be looking at another challenge from the right, assuming he seeks re-election to a sixth term in Congress next year.

Can you say Boustany V. Landry, Round 2?

The Tea Party Leadership Fund, a political action committee, is soliciting funds to back far-right candidates - let's call them patriots just for fun - in the districts of the 87 Republican House members who voted to reopen the federal government and raise the debt ceiling.

It's called the "Primaries for Traitors Fund," and its treasurer tells Buzzfeed Politics, "From our perspective, we see this as a signature vote. You can't be a conservative and vote to raise the debt ceiling," says Dan Backer. "I recognize there are some places where voters may actually think that was the right vote. And there may be places where you have an incumbent who wins with 90 percent of the vote every time and there's not a credible challenger. I recognize that, but we're certainly going to do our best."

Backer mentioned Boustany by name, along with a handful of other GOP reps including House Speaker John Boehner, as "traitors" who will be targeted presumably with the greatest resources.

"Our goal is to keep going one after another after another as our resources allow. To get our feet wet, we're starting out with a few, but nobody is going to get a pass," Backer adds.

A spokesman for Boustany's D.C. office tells The Ind he has no response to the fund or its aims.

Read the Buzzfeed story here.

This publication offered Boustany a tip of the cap for his vote on the shutdown. Read that here.