diatribe - DYE-uh-TRIBE - a scathing written or verbal attack
Example: "The Republican senators continue a thinly disguised diatribe against Sonia Sotomayor as a possible judge on the Supreme Court."
As a starter: and as a former teacher in English, I hope to add to reader's vocabulary by presenting a word a day in simple terms that anyone can understand - from current use in publications, radio,TV, etc. Remember: use a new word three times in a day and it's yours forever!