Opinion: Trashing Zeldin? Hardly, It's About Standing Up For America

If Republicans Won’t Stand for America, Democrats Will

By Elaine Turley

A Smithtown Matters reader requested in a Facebook post that other readers submitting letters to the editor “Stop trashing Zeldin all of the time … .”  Missing in this post is the understanding that we who believe our government or those who govern are a danger to our community and our country need to exercise our right to effect change.  Democracy is about debate, not insurrection, threats of violence, or actual violence against our Capitol.

It is extraordinarily unfortunate for the Republican Party if it is true that only Democrats are stepping up to object to Mr. Zeldin’s actions.  Mr. Zeldin supported and continues to support the lie that our American institutions failed in their duty to oversee, administer and conduct the recent election, notwithstanding his various oaths to uphold our Constitution and our rule of law.  He continues to align himself with the Trump movement, to the detriment of our country.  The movements and positions with which Mr. Zeldin aligns himself promote violence against our government and its citizens.  I never thought in my many years as an American citizen that I would fear my fellow citizens and many in government as I do today.

Fortunately, many Republican leaders are waking from their dangerous slumber and encouraging rational Republicans to fight the fringe elements in their party.  I urge Republicans in the first congressional district to ask their Congressman with which side is he aligned.

I’m with Republican Adam Kinzinger, who told Politico this week, “I was disappointed over the last few weeks to see what seemed like the Republican Party waking up and then kind of falling asleep again and saying, ‘Well, you know, what matters if we can win in two years and we don’t want to tick off the base, … .’  I am grateful that Mr. Kinzinger, at great personal cost, had the courage to begin a web page Country1st.com to speak to Conservative voters who understand the danger posed by the Trump movement.  As a moderate Democrat it is not a group I will join, but I certainly applaud the voice of reason.

In contrast, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who shortly after violent insurgents stormed our Capitol on January 6^th said while on the floor of the House, “The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. These facts require immediate action by President Trump.”  He added, “Some say the riots were caused by antifa. There is absolutely no evidence of that. Conservatives should be the first to say so.” And he couldn’t be clearer when he added, “Let’s be clear, Joe Biden will be sworn in as president of the United States in one week because he won the election.”  This was the same day Lee Zeldin voted in favor of this dangerous lie.

And now Mr. McCarthy is spending time in Mar-a-Lago with his and Mr. Zeldin’s puppet master, Donald Trump.  And Mr. McCarthy, as House Minority Leader, has failed to stand up and denounce the conspiracy theories and outrageous lies spoken by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has announced in the last couple days that she is soon visiting Mr. Trump at his Florida home.  Ms. Greene has been appointed by Republicans in the House to the Education and Labor Committee, something that would be unlikely without Mr. McCarthy’s support.

If Republicans wish for Democrats and other voters to stop bashing Mr. Zeldin, ask him to tell us publicly whether he denounces Ms. Greene’s appointment to the Education and Labor Committee, does he denounce her view that all previous presidents of the United States of both parties are part of the “deep state” working against Donald Trump, that school shootings have been staged by those who wish to ban guns and her support of those who have called for violence against our elected leaders.  And let’s ask Lee Zeldin to make a public statement that he supports the American institutions including our state legislatures, boards of election, state departments, state courts, federal courts, Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States, all of which have concluded that Joseph Biden was legitimately elected President of the United States of America.  Lee Zeldin’s failure to do so overshadows any accomplishments of his tenure.

If Republicans continue to abdicate their responsibility to hold their party and its elected officials responsible for their actions, then Democrats must continue to take such responsibility.

Elaine Turley is an attorney who lives in Smithtown with her husband and family.  She is the former chairperson of the Smithtown Democratic Committee.