The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is accusing an Iraq war veteran who is running for the U.S. House in New York of being a “coward,” prompting calls for an apology from the GOP.
In a post on its website, the campaign arm of the House Democrats is asking whether Republican Lee Zeldin is being cowardly about Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget.
“Over a month after his House Republicans passed Paul Ryan’s reckless budget, Congressional Candidate Lee Zeldin is still too scared to admit how he would vote for the plan, even though he wants Long Islanders to send him to Congress,” the DCCC said in a release. “Even though every member of Congress had no choice but to vote yes or no weeks ago, what’s taking him so long to decide? There’s only one answer: Zeldin is either woefully uninformed, willfully ignorant or a coward.”
Zeldin served in Iraq in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
A DCCC spokesman also tweeted out a graphic of Zeldin photoshopped onto the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.
Sent @leezeldin the same badge of courage today that the Wizard of Oz gave the Cowardly Lion http://t.co/rjNHDnidPc pic.twitter.com/C54UWGZaAn
— Marc Brumer (@MarcPBrumer) May 14, 2014
The DCCC’s chief rival, the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, is calling on the organization to apologize.
“Tim Bishop needs to immediately demand that his cronies at the DCCC apologize to Iraq War veteran and 82nd Airborne paratrooper Lee Zeldin for calling him a coward,” NRCC Spokesman Ian Prior said. “Not only does that classless insult show a complete lack of respect for combat veterans and the brethren of 82nd Airborne paratroopers, but it demonstrates an ignorance of the basic American history.”
Here is a screenshot from the DCCC website:
The Daily Caller has reached out to the DCCC for comment.
UPDATE: Asked about the “coward” remark, Marc Brumer of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee replied: “Why won’t Zeldin admit where he stands on the Ryan Budget?”