Republican Senatorial Committee Tweets Tammy Duckworth Has 'Sad Record Of Not Standing Up For Our Veterans'

UPDATED: 3:48 p.m. 3/8/16

(CBS) -- The National Republican Senatorial Committee's official Twitter account has come under criticism after tweeting that Congresswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Duckworth "has a sad record of not standing up for our veterans."

Duckworth lost both of her legs in November 2004 while serving in Iraq when the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted and another tweet was posted without the reference.

A spokesperson for the NSRC responded in a statement saying, "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 whistleblowers for ignoring claims of mistreatment and corruption."

A spokesman for the Duckworth campaign said in a statement the tweet was, "Tasteless and dishonest, just like everything else to do with Mark Kirk's flailing campaign. Tammy has made fighting for Veterans her life's work, and will continue to do so in the Senate."

Duckworth is running against Andrea Zopp and State Senator Napoleon Harris for the Democratic nomination for Illinois' U.S. Senate seat, currently held by Republican Mark Kirk. The Illinois primary is March 15.