Letter to the Editor from Lee Zeldin

PATCHOGUE, NY (11/10/2008)(readMedia)-- Election Day 2008 has come and gone and the people have spoken. Barack Obama sold himself to the American people as the candidate of change and earned his position as our nation's next President. I am hopeful that his next four years are filled with tremendous success.

This election must serve as a wake up call for the Republican Party. Republicans lost elections locally and nationally, because the branding of the party has been tainted. The cause is certainly not lost... with the proper reality check we will have our new beginning. With our nation's economy in peril we need Republicans to act like Republicans again. We need to practice the fiscal conservatism that our leaders have lost sight of. It is time to rebuild the leadership and vision of the party.

Many of us fortunately still believe in the core Republican principles of limited government, less taxes, and individual economic freedoms. Now more than ever, we must rise up and lead.

During my campaign for U.S. Congress, the economy was issues #1, #2, and #3. I am concerned by the fundamentally flawed direction of Congress, which signs off on bailout package after bailout package as our nation sinks deeper into debt. We must immediately take the blank checks away from Congress and the President before we dig ourselves too deep of a hole.

Over the past several months I found myself criticizing the Democrats currently in control of Congress for their out of control spending and ethics problems, but not without criticizing the Republicans in control of Congress before them for their out of control spending and ethics problems. For several years, both parties have shown America that they just do not get it.

I want to trust my government, but I cannot because much of the leadership lacks any fiscal discipline and moral high ground. In order for Republicans to start winning more offices again locally and nationally, we must challenge the status quo and support fresh faces with new ideas. The leaders of tomorrow must be inspired not by anything Washington is doing today, but inspired by the core principles driving us to service in the first place.

It is time for our party to leave the past behind and begin our journey towards a better tomorrow.

-30-