(Photo: YouTube)

Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney really wants you to associate incumbent Rep. Nan Hayworth with the Tea Party movement, at least if his television advertisements are any indication.

"Congresswoman Nan Hayworth's gone Tea Party on us, and it's not pretty: voting to end Medicare to pay for tax breaks for millionaires....like her," the narrator in Mr. Maloney's first commercial declared as constituents are shown sipping tea and gagging at the bitter taste. "For all her sugary promises at home, Congresswoman Hayworth abandoned us in Washington where she joined the Tea Party to defund Planned Parenthood."

And Mr. Maloney's latest ad managed to embrace the Tea Party messaging even more literally. Ms. Hayworth's photograph is displayed on a teacup, with "Rep. Hayworth TEA PARTY" written on the paper attached to the tea bag for anyone who might have missed the subtle visual. After each of Ms. Hayworth's conservative positions are announced, the cup cracks, ultimately shattering.

"Nan Hayworth works for Tea Party extremists, not Hudson Valley families," Mr. Maloney explains after the cup is reduced to shards.

The electoral battle between Ms. Hayworth and Mr. Maloney is considered among the most competitive congressional races in the state. For her part, Ms. Hayworth has worked to brand Mr. Maloney as a "carpetbagger" in her advertising.

Watch both of Mr. Maloney's ads below:

Dr. Richard Becker (Photo: Facebook)

"With every minute 'No Comment' Nan refuses to take a stand, she takes on responsibility for Jay's hateful and hurtful remarks," Mr. Becker said. "Refusing to take a stand now and fire Townsend would permanently mark Nan as unfit to hold public office and unworthy of the public's trust."

Mr. Becker describes the reference to throwing acid as "particularly sickening."

"Acid attacks on women have a disturbing and disgusting history--they're used almost exclusively to silence and punish women across the globe who've bravely spoken out on behalf of their human rights," he said.

He also claimed Mr. Townsend's comments were "likely illegal."

"Threats to physically harm elected officials for disagreeing with you are specifically banned by federal law for a very good reason; they're just never acceptable, and are particularly corrosive in a democracy," said Mr. Becker. "The fact that these comments are likely illegal only highlights how far out of bounds they were--and how absurd it is that Jay Townsend is, as of this moment, still Nan Hayworth's official spokesman."

Mr. Becker finished his statement about the "acid attack" comments with a reference to the 2011 shooting of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

"Words have power, words this symbolic especially so," Mr. Becker said. "Last January, the US Congress saw some of the ugly and real - even if unintended - consequences of calls for political violence. I would have hoped Nan Hayworth learned the same lessons from that tragedy that the rest of us did."

As of this writing, Mr. Townsend has not responded to a request for comment on this story.