Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is standing up for her friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Yesterday, Florida Republican Allen West took exception to some comments from Wasserman Schulz on the House floor about how he was forsaking South Florida’s seniors, and he sent an email calling her “vile, unprofessional, and despicable”  and “not a Lady,” among other things. (Ironically, West lives in her district.)

This afternoon, Gillibrand sent an email to supporters with the subject line: “nothing is more ladylike than fighting for your values.”

“The rant against Debbie was downright shocking,” wrote Gillibrand, calling West’s email “harsh, abusive rhetoric that was simply unacceptable.”

Democrats have been using the attention to attack Republicans about Medicare cuts, and Gillibrand’s email links to an online petition on her campaign site.

Earlier today, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel sent out his own email about the incident, a fundraising pitch for the DCCC, that said the “disgraceful e-mail outburst” was unsurprising, coming from West.

Here’s Gillibrand’s email:

Dear Friend,

It takes guts to stand up to the radical GOP agenda.

Republicans are trying to fix the financial crisis by slashing Medicare and Social Security, which will hurt millions of seniors and destroy our social safety net. My friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz stood firm against them.

What she got in return was a scathing attack on her character filled with harsh, abusive rhetoric that was simply unacceptable.

But Debbie and I, and all of our colleagues in Congress who care about protecting the middle class and seniors, will not be bullied by vitriolic rants. We will continue to stand up for the people we represent by protecting the essential programs they depend on.

Will you join me in supporting Debbie and telling the extreme wing of the GOP what a lady looks like?

Click here to stand with Debbie and tell the extremist Republicans that we won’t let them destroy Social Security and Medicare.

The rant against Debbie was downright shocking, especially when you consider she was protecting the interests of the people of Southern Florida, the people she’s steadfastly represented for so many years.

Is it wrong to put the elderly before Big Oil? American workers before multinational corporations? The uninsured before millionaires?

Of course not. But when you do you’d better be prepared for a monstrous tongue lashing from the GOP!

Join Debbie and me today and tell the Republicans in Congress that there’s nothing they can say or do to convince the American people that cutting essential safety net programs that help millions of people is a good idea.

Click here to add your voice and support our efforts to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and all the things we’ve come to depend on.

Sometimes, when you’re on the wrong side of an issue, you let your temper get the better of you. Maybe when our colleague cools down, he’ll be able to see that no good will come from “Cut, Cap and Balance.”

Sincerely,

Kirsten Gillibrand

P.S. Nothing is more ladylike than fighting for the issues that you care about.

Follow Reid Pillifant via RSS.