Boustany Traveling to Iraq with Ohio Congressman Implicated in Abramoff Scandal

The Daily Advertiser reported on Sunday that 7th District Congressman Charles Boustany is making a photo-op trip to Iraq later this month.

The story includes the fact that Boustany will be traveling in the company of fellow Republican and Jack Abramoff beneficiary Bob Ney of Ohio. It appears that this could be one of the last junkets Ney takes before what appears to be his near-certain indictment in the Abramoff corruption scandal. Ney and another of Boustany's patrons, indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay, are said to be targets in that aspect of the Abramoff scandal involving bribing members of Congress and members of their staffs.

About the only thing more pathetic than the company Boustany is keeping these days is the attempt by Boustany and his staff to tie this current trip to the members of Louisiana National Guard units who have served (and returned) from Iraq. Here's Boustany's whack at it:

Boustany wants to see how the Iraqi government is working, but mostly he wants to see where Louisiana troops served.

"The biggest step is to see the troops on the ground," Boustany said. "I owe it to the families of those who lost their lives and served, and to recognize their hard work."

Then, a staff member takes another stab at it:

"He wanted to be in one of the first groups, considering that the TOW (Platoon 23rd Marines) and the 256th (National Guard Infantry Brigade) have come back," Jones said. "He wants to go and experience what they experienced and see what they have seen and what they went through."

Does that mean Boustany will be going on patrol in inadequately armored vehicles, like those Marines and National Guardsmen?

Look for 'Boustany the Liberator' images culled from this trip to be appearing in the Congressman's re-election campaign ads next year.