Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) doesn’t mince words.

Following several hours of floor speeches hammering the GOP, a handful of Democrats including Sens. Bob Menendez (N.J.), Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jack Reed (R.I.) and Jeff Merkley (Ore.) attacked Republicans in a press conference, repeatedly using the word “hostage” to characterize the status of middle-class tax cuts.

“Do you allow yourself to be held hostage and get something done for the sake of getting something done, when in fact it might be perverse in its ultimate results? It’s almost like the question of do you negotiate with terrorists,” Menendez said when asked whether he and other Democrats would accept a compromise with Republicans.

Mercy, Maude! Fetch the smelling salts and bring on the fainting couch; the GOP will now go into complete vapours mode at being compared to terrorists! How rude! How hateful! And where does he come off stealing our shtick?

The Sunday talk shows will have the conservative pundits shaking their jowls and wagging their fingers, saying there’s no use talking with people who are so hateful. Irony meters all over the country will void their warranties, and David Gregory will then nod and move on to Bristol Palin’s brave defense of her virtue after been teased by Keith Olbermann.

HT to Steve Benen.