The National Republican Senatorial Committee stirred up criticism Tuesday afternoon over a now-deleted tweet about U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL,8).

The tweet called out Duckworth -- who is looking to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) -- for having "a sad record of not standing up for our veterans." 

Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, was wounded in the war and lost both legs when her Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2004.

The tweet spurred immediate backlash on social media, and NRSC swiftly deleted the message.

"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," an NRSC spokeswoman told Talking Points Memo in a statement after the tweet was erased.

Duckworth's campaign called the tweet as "offensive."

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

Duckworth is running against state Sen. Napoleon Harris (D-Chicago) and former Chicago Urban League CEO and ex-Chicago Public Schools board member Andrea Zopp in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate.