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News from ZELDIN

Zeldin Challenges Bishop to August 6th Radio Debate July 25 3:14pm

Open Letter to Residents of New York’s 1st Congressional District July 21 9:58am

Zeldin Releases “Independence” Ad July 21 9:42am

Zeldin Reiterates Themes of Independence, 21st Century GOP July 18 10:08am

Statement by Congressional Candidate Lee Zeldin July 14 4:53pm

In The News - Lee Zeldin for Congress

Race goes on in the 1st - North Shore Sun July 17 7:00pm

By Anna Gustafson

July 18, 2008

Republican challenger Lee Zeldin calls his run for Congress against Democratic incumbent Tim Bishop a "David versus Goliath race," but it seems both candidates are going to have to stone quite a few big issues towering over local residents.

Just this week, chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke told senators what many North Shore residents have known for a while -- the economy "has skewed to the downside." Fuel prices continue to rise, nobody wants to think what it will cost to heat their homes this winter, and food prices seem to be going the way of oil -- up, up, up. More and more North Shore residents have been going to local soup kitchens because they just can't afford the new spikes in everything from milk to pizza.

Images reminiscent of the Great Depression hit newsstands this week, of people lining up around branches of IndyMac Bancorp -- a large lender seized by federal regulators last week -- in order to withdraw their money. There's Iraq and Afghanistan and the foreclosure crisis that has hit places like Ridge and Coram especially hard.

These issues don't appear to be going away any time soon, and they should still be on voters' minds come the November election. In running to represent New York's First Congressional District, both candidates are obviously trying to work this to their advantage. Mr. Zeldin, a 28-year-old Iraq War veteran from Shirley, is playing the card of the fresh-slate newcomer who can take on D.C. with idealism and still manage to work well with both parties.

"I don't hold back; I have a very independent spirit," Mr. Zeldin said. "If a Republican deserves to be called out for something, I'll be the first one to call them out on it. If a Democrat has a good idea, I'll be the first one to pat them on the back for it. I want to be a very transparent, open, bold Congressional representative that everyone identifies as a bulldog for the First Congressional District and not a party puppet."

On the other hand, Mr. Bishop, a 57-year-old three-time incumbent from Southampton, is playing the card of the more politically experienced legislator who hopes the bills he has sponsored, supported and will work for will persuade locals to once again vote for him.

"I'm trying to be as available and as effective as I can be," Mr. Bishop said. "If I do that, people of my district will continue to honor me with their vote."

The candidates are taking a different approach to campaigning, with Mr. Zeldin and his "team" knocking on 13,000 doors as of this week, airing a television ad on several different stations, including Fox News and the history channel, and calling for debates with Mr. Bishop to begin next month. Mr. Bishop, who said he plans to debate Mr. Zeldin but did not specify any dates, said he's "a firm believer that the best way I can present myself for re-election is to do my job," which includes crafting legislation, voting, and meeting with residents.

Later, Mr. Bishop plans to attend the meet-the-candidate nights that are hosted throughout the district by various groups, and he too will begin going door to door.

"I'll be in front of supermarkets and post offices, and I'll have an army of volunteers doing phone banking," Mr. Bishop said.

The two candidates are in very different financial situations to run their campaigns. Mr. Zeldin said he has about $100,000 cash on hand, whereas Mr. Bishop said he has about $940,000 cash on hand.

"We're going to be outspent, but we won't be outworked," Mr. Zeldin said. "The campaigning has been made up of walking door to door, phone banking, our Web site has gotten over a million hits, we're on social networking sights, and we send out mailings."

Though the two are from different sides of the aisle, they agree on issues such as Broadwater -- both opposed it -- both agree the economy and gas prices are the two biggest issues facing locals and the nation, and, though they might grimace at the idea, their opinions of Iraq aren't so terribly different.

"I'm not pro-war," said Mr. Zeldin, who served in Iraq from 2006 to 2007. "I want our troops to come home. I have many friends on third, fourth deployments. But the answer isn't immediate withdrawal."

Mr. Bishop does differ on Mr. Zeldin's claim that things are "getting better in Iraq," and though he has not called for an immediate withdrawal, he has issued a cry for a phased withdrawal of troops -- one of the reasons why he recently voted against the Iraq and Afghanistan supplemental funding bill. The bill ultimately passed both the House and the Senate, and included $62 million for an ammunition storage facility at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base.

"I voted against the funding for the war, as I believe that the only power the Congress has to impact foreign policy is the power of the purse," said Mr. Bishop, who has recently taken heat from Mr. Zeldin for his no vote. "My no vote is a vote to force the president to deal with Congress and the American public, who want an exit strategy. People do not want to see the open-ended commitment this president has endorsed."

Mr. Zeldin got himself into some hot water over this issue -- he had put out a June press release decrying what he said was the congressman's vote against a GI bill that included funding for troops' ammunition. Mr. Zeldin was incorrect; Mr. Bishop supported the GI bill but it did not include funding for ammunition; rather it included measures such as providing more funds for veterans' education.

Mr. Zeldin said he issued an apology to Mr. Bishop over the matter.

Though Mr. Zeldin has said he's "for drilling while my opponent is opposed to it," Mr. Bishop said he is not against drilling domestically for oil -- which both candidates said could help bring down the costs of fuel at the pump.

"The oil companies want to drill, fabulous," Mr. Bishop said. "They should look to the 68 million acres of land for which they own leases, but they're ignoring them. I'm not opposed to drilling or exploration, but I'd like the companies to utilize what they already have instead of reaching into pristine and environmentally sensitive land."

The congressman also cited several bills that should help with energy prices, including a bill that passed both the House and the Senate and had bipartisan support that suspends the fill of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- an emergency petroleum store maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy -- as long as the price of crude oil remains above $75 per barrel. Legislators said this will help to bring more oil to the marketplace, which should decrease gas prices.

Mr. Zeldin threw his support behind domestic drilling and said the U.S. should look into exploring 2,000 acres of land in the coastal plains of Alaska for oil.

"I'm not some crazy guy who doesn't care about the environment," he said. "I want them to drill responsibly ... We also have to look at alternative energies. We can't rely on oil forever. We need to look at things like wind power and [liquefied natural gas]."

As for the economy, Mr. Bishop said House Democrats are currently looking into a second stimulus package, a move Mr. Bernanke said could be a good idea when testifying before the Senate Tuesday.

"The first package was blunted by wages remaining constant, and energy and food prices increasing dramatically," Mr. Bishop said. "We're trying to work on the second stimulus package that would include an additional extension of unemployment benefits, a low-income heating program and might include helping states with Medicaid expenses."

Mr. Zeldin argued the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 should be extended in order to help people deal with current financial blows. He also called for a moratorium on all earmarks in order to curb taxes.

Websites play heavily in local campaigns - Press of Manorville and Moriches July 10 7:00pm

Press of Manorville and Moriches

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Common Ground Found at The Pumps - Southampton Press July 9 7:00pm

Southampton Press

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South Shore Press - Joan’s View June 24 7:00pm

South Shore Press

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In LI race for Congress, Zeldin hits TV first - Newsday June 15 7:00pm

Republican Congressional candidate Lee Zeldin has hit the cable TV channels in the past week with his first campaign spots, saying that he's the contender with “all the right stuff.”

The little-known Zeldin, 28, of Shirley, started with the TV ads June 9, touting himself as a “proud father, a native middle class Long Islander, a military prosecutror and an Iraqi war veteran.” The woman announcer also intones, “His independent traditional values and military discipline assure that he will stand up for you and your community.”

The $7,500 ad buy includes 126 spots over two weeks on four cable stations — the Fox, Military, History, and Lifestyle channels — or little more than two spots per channel per day. The buy also includes the same radio ad on WLNG-FM and WRIV-AM, said his campaign advisor Leonard Fries.

Zeldin, a lawyer, said, “People are telling us every time we want to do something 'It's too early, its too early.' But this is an integral piece of letting people know there is a race going on.”

While the initial buy was for two weeks, Zeldin’s Web site said the campaign only has enough money to keep the ad on the air for one week: “We need to get the word out and ideally must play the commercial every day through July 4th weekend.” The goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of the month.

Will Jenkins, a spokesman for Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-Southampton), said that campaign has not aired any spots and could not say when they will go on TV. However, Jenkins added, “Between their buy and the appeal on their Web site, we’re definitely seeing signs of desperation" from the Zeldin campaign.

http://blogs.trb.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/06/zeldin_hits_tv_first_with_ligh_1.html