Donovan Slack

USA TODAY

The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Tuesday launched a tweet — now deleted — accusing Illinois Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth of "not standing up for veterans."

But Duckworth, who is running for Senate, is a combat veteran who lost both of her legs in an attack on her helicopter in Iraq.

The NRSC deleted the tweet within minutes, and spokeswoman Andrea Bozek lashed out at the media for reporting on its existence.

“It would be great if reporters would pay as much attention to a deleted tweet as they should to Tammy Duckworth being sued by VA whistle blowers for ignoring claims of mistreatment and corruption,” she said.

The Duckworth campaign called the tweet "vile" and responded with its own attack on Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. whom she is trying to unseat in November.

"Tasteless and dishonest, just like everything else to do with Mark Kirk’s flailing campaign," spokesman Matt McGrath said. "Tammy has made fighting for Veterans her life’s work, and will continue to do so in the Senate.”

The Illinois Senate contest is one of the more heated races in the country. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates it as one one of only five "tossups" nationwide.