To the editor:

Among many of her sycophantic actions, Elise Stefanik’s complete failure to support science and stand up against the current frivolous and catastrophic approaches of the Trump-Pence team to the COVID-19 epidemic is, frankly, chilling.

We are in a huge upsurge of cases, with record numbers over the last several days. This will soon be followed by corresponding and dramatic increases in hospitalizations and deaths. Nevertheless, we have no centralized governmental policy for dealing with this or preparing for the inevitably, medically dark winter. The administration’s ignorant, or callously political, insistence that the tide will shortly turn and continued support of crowds and absence of mask protection is now added onto by Pence’s regretful decision to continue campaigning despite the fact that two close associates have tested positive and he may be infected. (Positivity does not occur instantly with exposure.)

Elise Stefanik, who is not an idiot and surely understands the maliciousness of the administration’s approach, has shown her true colors, remaining sycophantic for the purpose of her own political ends. As a cardiologist with epidemiologic background, I find her actions medically and ethically reproachful and nauseating. It is time for her sullied political career to come to an end.

Jonathan Plehn

Keene