Ed Markey would like to present himself as a genteel senior statesmen, whose 36-year career in Congress has been devoted to helping the people of Massachusetts, as well as saving the planet with legislation like the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade bill. 

A fundraising video recently released by conservative challenger Jeff Semon undermines this image with a collection of outrageous video clips of Markey's nasty hyperpartisan attacks on Republicans, which rate up right up there with Howard Dean's famous, "In contradistinction to the Republicans, Democrats don't believe kids ought to go to bed hungry at night."

A few gems from this obnoxious hack:

• "The Republican budget takes food out of the mouths of hungry children all across our country."
• I'm worried that Republicans will overturn the law of gravity. Republicans might excommunicate the finding that the earth revolves around the sun."
• "The GOP used to stand for Grand Old Party. Now it stands for Gut Old People...Greed Over Principle...Grandstand, Oppose and Pretend."
• "Republicans seem to be suffering from their own pre-existing condition-a heart of stone. If you kicked them in the heart, you would break your toe."

What makes this all the more ludicrous is that leftists like Markey accuse Republicans who politely defend their conservative principles of being extremists who refuse to work with Democrats. Is Markey unable to imagine that accusing your colleagues of hating children and old people might not be the best way to start a productive discussion?

Semon's assessment is accurate:

Our leadership can no longer engage in divisive, counterproductive tantrums and act like children--we have to behave like grown-ups and start governing responsibly. Ed Markey is incapable of doing this. 

Watch the video for the rest of Markey's mean-spirited accusations. More on Jeff Semon in my earlier AT article, or at Jeffin2012.com.