Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who is considered the front-runner challenger to vulnerable Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) this November, has striking similarities to just ousted House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), according to senate-hopeful Col. Rob Maness.

In a statement today, Maness said that Cassidy, whom Maness has long tried to portray as a political insider that is out-of-touch with Louisianans, has two issues Cantor and he align side-by-side together: Immigration reform and budgetary policy.

“Congressman Cassidy and Congressman Cantor are two peas in a pod; unable or unwilling to hear the message that their constituents are sending them,” said Maness.  “Louisianans want more than rhetoric on amnesty and they are tired of politics as usual. I stand against rewarding illegal immigrants for breaking our laws, and I reject Washington’s go-along-to-get-along attitude.  We need real leadership from our next Senator, not politicians who are unwilling to challenge the status quo because of how they’ll be perceived on the Washington DC cocktail circuit.”

On immigration reform:

Maness said that Cassidy and Cantor have both earned disappointing C+ grades for their “underwhelming records on positive immigration policies,” citing the National Immigration Watchdog Group NumbersUSA.

“Worse still, they both earned D grades for failing to challenge the status quo during their respective tenures in Washington, D.C.” the news release points out.

Maness also said that Cassidy and Cantor have failed to sign the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Task Force pledge, which would demand that the current “dysfunctional immigration system be fixed.”

On budgetary policy:

And, Maness said Cassidy and Cantor have a thing or two in common when it comes to federal spending and spending cuts. Cassidy and Cantor voted for the Ryan-Murray Budget which granted taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants while slashing veterans’ benefits, according to Maness.

In contrast, Maness said that he has been a graded a “True Reformer” by NumbersUSA and said he would have opposed the Ryan-Murray budget. He also noted that he was one of the first candidates to sign the FAIR anti-amnesty pledge.