A new hero to many Americans today is a man whose name they may have trouble pronouncing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s bold stand against Russia’s invasion has shown many of us what courage in leaders looks like.
Meanwhile, one of our own leaders, top House Republican Kevin McCarthy, recently darted from TV cameras like a startled cat rather than publicly criticize a member of his caucus for speaking at a white nationalist gathering where a crowd of supposed Americans chanted its support for Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin.
For those keeping score at home, McCarthy’s refusal to call out this kind of evil for fear of offending the extremists in his party is the opposite of courage. It’s called cowardice — and it’s a defining characteristic of elected Republicans today.
