A powerful New York teachers union is being criticized for pushing the idea of a Republican “War on Women” in a manner that even some Democrats think goes too far.  

Outrage ensued after the political fundraising arm of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) union sent out campaign literature featuring an image of a battered woman and using it to imply that Republican candidates for the New York Senate would not protect the woman pictured from her abuser.

"MARK GRISANTI WON'T PROTECT HER FROM HER ABUSER," one version of the mailer declares.

The mailer is being circulated against Republican State Senate Candidates in three districts.

The intent of the mailer is to criticize New York State Republicans for their opposition of one of ten planks in a New York’s “Women’s Equality Act.”

While the three targeted Republicans support nine out of the ten planks in the bill, they are opposed to the tenth plank which deals with abortion access, not domestic violence. 

41st Senate District GOP candidate Sue Serino, who was the target of one of the ads, recently, got support from local Democrats who called on Serino’s Democratic opponent to condemn the ad.

“As a lifelong Democrat, I have never been more embarrassed to be a member of my party as I am this election season, “said Alyssa Kogan, former Vice-Chairwoman of the Dutchess County Democratic Committee. “It is one thing to bring voting records into question.  It is quite another to use your opponents gender as cause for criticism and slander. This weekend I received a mailer that was so vile in its intent that, as a woman, I felt I must speak up.”

Despite the bipartisan outrage the teacher union is standing by the ad.

"The graphic on the mailers may be disturbing, but what's even more disturbing is the Republican record on women's issues," said Carl Korn, a spokesman for NYSUT. "By blocking a vote on the full Women's Equality Act, the Republicans stopped an important program that would have protected victims of domestic violence. It's important that voters know that."

Hat Tip: The Mental Recession