WASHINGTON — Republicans want to give Long Island Rep. Tim Bishop a lesson in courage by cheekily sending him a copy of a book about the famed 82nd Airborne Division.
They’re not letting up on Bishop and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after Democrats called Bishop’s opponent, Iraq war vet Lee Zeldin, a “coward.”
Now, the National Republican Campaign Committee is sending Bishop and DCCC chairman Rep. Steve Israel a copy of the book “82nd Airborne” by Dominique Francois, which tells the history of the storied fighting force.
“This is the history of thousands of American soldiers trained and ready to parachute into extreme battlefield situations and to achieve their military objectives on the ground no matter the conditions,” according to the Midwest Book Review.
“Maybe by reading about the heroics of those like Lee Zeldin who served in the 82nd Airborne, Bishop will be able to muster up an ounce of courage and demand that Israel immediately apologize,” said Ian Prior of the Republican House campaign arm.
Democrats began the skirmish this week by mocking Zeldin for not saying how he’d vote on the House Republican GOP budget, saying he was too “scared” to say whether he would back its budget cuts.
To drive home the point, the DCCC pasted his image inside of a costume of the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.”
Zeldin, who faces a primary in June, is turning the hit to his advantage.
He appeared on Fox News Friday morning to keep blasting “shameful attacks” by his critics, and recounted the scene of jumping out of a Blackhawk helicopter with his parachute.
He told the Post Thursday said he didn’t like having his “character attacked,” and noted he went on numerous dangerous missions while serving as a JAG officer deployed to Iraq in 2006.
He declined to say whether he’d back the Ryan budget, saying, “I’m not going to play along with their games.”