The state Democratic Party is branching out, adding some of the more hotly contested congressional contests to the list of races in which it is getting involved to protect incumbents potentially in trouble.

After jumping in to slam Randy Altschuler in NY-1 last week on behalf of Democraticn Rep. Tim Bishop, state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs this morning slammed another GOP candidate, Michael Grimm, demanding that he apologize “to every man, woman and child who calls Brooklyn and Staten Island home” for comments he made to The Hill earlier this week.

Grimm said his Democratic target, Rep. Mike McMahon, would have been in physical danger had he voted “yes” on the health care reform bill – a move that cost the incumbent congressman the support of the labor-backed Working Families Party and SEIU/1199.

“Had he voted for the healthcare bill, Staten Island and Brooklyn, they would really have been marching like they were going for Frankenstein,” Grimm said.

Jacobs was outraged by this statement, saying:

“The law-abiding residents of Brooklyn and Staten Island don’t resort to violence over political disagreements, and for Michael Grimm to claim otherwise is tasteless, insulting, and perpetuates false stereotypes.”

“It should go without saying that residents in Staten Island and Brooklyn deserve better than to be characterized as violent thugs in the press, let alone by Grimm, who’s seeking to represent them in Congress. Grimm insulted the character of every man, woman, and child who calls Brooklyn or Staten Island home, and he owes each and every one of them an apology.”

As Maggie Haberman notes, Grimm, like Altschuler, has the Conservative Party nod and is widely viewed as the stronger of the two GOP candidates in the primary (the other is Mike Allegretti).

It’s kind of a backhanded compliment to Grimm to have risen to the level of getting slammed by the Democrats, who have to be at least a little concerned if they’re bothering to dip a toe in the NY-13 waters.

UPDATE: McMahon’s campaign spokeswoman Jen Nelson writes:

“Your take on the State Dems release is puzzling to me. They weighed in on Grimm’s comments NOT because we’re worried (we’re killing him in fundraising, petition signatures, etc.) – they weighed in because Grimm’s comments were offensive to the people of this district and elsewhere.”

“You’ve gotten all my releases detailing how we have raised $2 million, and set records for the amount of Democratic signatures and Independence Party signatures collected in NY-13. To suggest we’re even remotely in trouble is way off the mark. All evidence is to the contrary.”

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