Letters

When television, wrestling and I were young, there was a wrestler whose ring name was Krusher Kowalski, aka “The Krusher.” Krusher Kowalski was loved, not only because he was successful but also because he was a good team player, with Tiny Mills, his tag team partner.

More recently, the term has resurfaced, not in the wrestling arena but in local politics, with the self-anointed “Crusher,” Bridget Fleming. The last time Bridget ran for Congress, The Southampton Press labeled her as a spoiler. Bridget’s sole success in the primary was to guarantee Trump’s choice, Lee Zeldin, an easy victory and fourth term.

When it comes to giving Bridget a catchy nickname, I think back to the British Invasion … no, not the Invasion of 1812, but the cultural invasion of the 1960s. One group, Herman’s Hermits, introduced Americans to an old British drinking song, “I’m Henry the Eighth, I am.” This song was not about King Henry the Eighth; it was about a bloke named Henry who married the widow next door — she had seven previous husbands, all named Henry.

So, in this spirit, I refer to Bridget as “Bridget the Third.”

This should help Bridget the Third remember that coming in third in a three-way race isn’t “crushing it.”

Stephen Ring

Hampton Bays