A Republican congressional candidate has put up a website going after Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), calling her President Barack Obama's "attack dog" and depicting her in a studded dog collar.
Businessman Ozzie deFaria is running in the GOP primary in Florida's 20th Congressional District for the chance to take on Wasserman Schultz in November. He has launched a website devoted to mocking Wasserman Schultz, saying she is "Nancy Pelosi's East Coast Twin and Obama's biggest Attack Dog." At the top of the site is a photo of the congresswoman, manipulated to show her in a dog collar:
At the bottom of the site, set in a large font, is a quote by Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), saying that Wasserman Schultz is "the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the United States Congress."
The quote is from an email the congressman sent the DNC chair after she called into question his stance on Medicare during a House debate.
In his missive, West also told Wasserman Schultz that she was "not a Lady" and "shall not be afforded due respect from me!"
The website appears to have launched several months ago and had been noticed by conservative blogs but is just now getting pickup in local media.
DeFaria's Republican primary opponent Karen Harrington, condemned his depiction of Wasserman Schultz in a dog collar.
"This adds to Obama's narrative that there is a phony war on women. There is no place for this in the Republican party, and there's no place for this in politics. America deserves better," she told NBC 6 Miami.
When asked by NBC 6 whether his photo manipulation "crossed the line into poor taste," deFaria replied, "Well, I mean, what do you mean, when she's calling Tea Party racists, people that she doesn't know."
DeFaria has the endorsement of Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.), as well as Herman Cain, the former presidential candidate.
Wasserman Schultz's office did not return a request for comment.
UPDATE: 12:01 p.m. -- In a statement to The Huffington Post, Ozzie deFaria responded:
I'd consider taking down the picture when the mainstream media holds Debbie Wasserman Schultz accountable for calling Tea Party supporters "racists," saying Republicans want to go "back to Jim Crow laws," claiming Republicans are ‘callously indifferent to women’s health,’ and blaming the Tea Party for Representative Gabby Giffords' shooting. I, like most Americans, are sick and tired of the double standard the media uses to allow the left to use inflammatory and divisive language and criticizes conservatives for telling the truth. Everyone knows that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is Barack Obama’s biggest attack dog.