Arizona newspaper blasted for cartoon showing Dem Sinema shooting down GOP 'McSally' plane

The Arizona Republic news outlet was blasted on social media for running an illustration that shows U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) using a rocket launcher to shoot down a plane named after her U.S. Senate opponent, Republican Rep. Martha McSally.

What did it say?

The cartoon depicts Sinema, a former anti-war activist, giving the thumbs up sign as she holds a rocket launcher with the word “substance” written on it. The cartoon also shows a plane followed by a plume of black smoke with the words “shallow attacks.” The side of the plane is labeled “McSally.” The Republican was the first woman in U.S. history to fly a fighter jet in combat and also was the first to command a fighter squadron.

The title of the cartoon, “Reason Not Treason,” appears along the bottom.

"Arizona Republic editorial cartoonist Steve Benson on the McSally vs. Sinema #AZSEN race," Arizona Republic national politics editor Dan Nowicki wrote in a tweet accompanied by the image.

Various Twitter users said the cartoon was "tone deaf," in poor taste and an insult to veterans.

The cartoon apparently references a debate between Sinema and McSally earlier this week. Sinema was asked a question about some of her past comments, including one from a 2003 interview in which she reportedly said she doesn’t care if Americans go overseas and fight for the Taliban.

McSally asked Sinema if she was going to apologize to her and other veterans for saying it’s OK to commit treason.

Sinema avoided the question by attempting to shift the focus to what she called "ridiculous"attacks by McSally.

"It's treason and she also called us ‘crazy' here in Arizona," said McSally, referring to a 2011 speech in Texas in which Sinema said Arizonans were "crazy."

Sinema and McSally are in a tight race for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who is retiring.

Anything else?

The Reagan Battalion, which has posted a series of past videos and statements by Sinema on Twitter wrote: "Side note, in the emails we published yesterday, you learn that @kyrstensinema is very fond of Benson’s work and used it in her anti war protests."