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Senate Forecast
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Chris Stirewalt, Kirsten Kukowski and Melanie Roussell discuss the 2012 congressional elections
- Duration 10:19
- Date May 14, 2012
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That.
Is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who represented the commonwealth of Kentucky.
In the US senate and he would like to be the next.
Majority leader of the United States senate and all that's keeping him from that.
Are just flu or senate seats that if the Republicans can pick up.
In what is expected to be a rough and tumble election cycle could put them back in the majority for the first time since 2006.
This is our pleasure to welcome back now a year ago.
The -- he thought the prevailing wisdom in Washington -- the Republicans stood a very very good chance to retake the US senate after six years of democratic control but.
The situation -- -- more complicated as it always does when you see when in reality -- perception and you see who the actual candidates are in the actual -- now it's looking like the very open question and certainly people are talking about the possibility of 5050 senate with whomever the vice president is casting the deciding vote it's -- wild -- out there so we're gonna talk about.
How that's gonna work out for you -- Christian who cast he and Melanie herself.
Red team blue team -- they're both wearing Green and now we're gonna ask this where -- next time.
But so let's start with view red team.
And what do you think the likelihood right now.
Speaking pragmatically.
You were party retaking the senate.
I think we feel very good and I think we have that several.
We feel very good about several key races.
I think -- in Missouri I was senator -- school Bogota I'm sure thing that's isn't she is they wanted Perry is not the one of the most vulnerable incumbents.
-- -- -- -- -- First or part of and this is something I want to talk you about this.
2006 was so good for you guys Melanie because.
You had the Iraq War issue was at its absolute zenith.
People were very upset.
And a lot of Republicans who looked like people who under other circumstances might likely have been safe.
Were swept out so you have a lot of people holding.
Enemy territory if you you have a lot of blue senators in red states Jon Tester of Montana comes to mind.
Martinez is gonna vote against the president by thirty points or something and Jon Tester is gonna try to hold on out there.
And let's talk about Clement asked let's look first at Lucius.
This actually show view about who she is out there in Missouri.
Melanie.
-- -- is an Obama Democrat she has been with the president she was an early endorser of -- the president not so popular in Missouri now.
What are the chances out there.
Well I think we feel confident about these these several key races including Missouri I think.
This is gonna be a choice between the direction Democrats want to take this country and the different direction that Republicans want to take this country.
Republicans want to go back to the same failed economic policies of the past.
If you if you look at.
From from the top from Mitt Romney on down they all want you know.
And we have this issue with JPMorgan.
Last week.
And the Republican chairman on Meet the Press yesterday said that we should we should have less regulation.
Of the financial industry that we should not enforce Dodd-Frank even after JPMorgan admits they took too much risk in the derivatives market and Clement asked I don't think that you that's I -- ask what can win out there.
I think when voters look at the issues and look at who's gonna take this country forward and whose economic policy is gonna take that.
This country forward I think they'll vote Democrat.
Okay now it's not just -- on the blue team the Republicans have a couple of seeds that are proving more difficult.
Then.
While proving a little difficult one is that in Nevada.
Where you've got.
Joseph had great who's trying to hold that seat he was appointed -- -- and after the British sister had some good difficulties.
With a couple of things.
And he thinks he can hold up but the big one that everybody's watching -- of course Scott Brown of the Massachusetts now Scott Brown was the harbinger.
Things to come for the Republicans when he.
Snatched Ted Kennedy seat away for the red team.
That was definitely at fort telling of what we would see in November with this 63 C.
-- in the house for the Republicans.
Scott Brown's happy right now because Elizabeth Warren who's a Democrat who used to be the president's advisor on financial issues.
Is having a rough run these days having claimed some in American history or something whatever.
But Scott Brown still has got to be vulnerable are -- gonna have to spend money up there to save them.
Well I think it's going to be a close race there's no doubt about that but what I will say especially in with the senate race in Massachusetts is that.
Elizabeth -- right now is running around calling on transparency through -- issues that Melanie was just talking about on Wall Street.
I'm calling for transparency when in fact she won't release any of -- documents -- -- -- we have no idea why she was claiming native American background.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- If she wanted a big network and meet with other people who share her native America -- and I think we would ask that she she put forward the documents say.
Today she is your 69 and that I will say.
How we feel very get it out about -- especially a presidential year when that when this is really going to be.
About the top of the ticket and it's going to be you know President Obama and there's a obviously a huge housing crisis.
In Nevada and I think that Wayne knew when we get right down to anything we feel very good -- -- got -- yes absolutely I just want to touch on two things one and I think it's.
Wonderful that.
Kirsten -- talking about transparency in Massachusetts where Scott Brown has released six years of his tax returns we'd love to see governor Romney did.
Anything close to at.
He's he's -- one years.
So far and in -- just an estimate -- but he did file for an extension and maybe we will see those tax returns he'll be -- he has a huge amount of money he has a giant -- Money may be difficult under of that.
Totally understandable yes but we'd like to see more -- -- he gave 23 years to the John McCain campaign when he wanted to be vice president.
The American people deserve to have to see at least that or the twelve years that his father provided to the public when he ran for president in Nevada I agree.
The top of the ticket is important yeah Ronnie said we should let -- the housing crisis hit bottom.
He didn't believe we should how Oklahoma homeowners in states like Nevada that were hardest hit.
Look I I think voters will look at that and again in the senate race and at the top of the ticket they'll vote didn't.
Actors -- get -- that was probably tell him to go ahead -- the fact turns almost immediately here or there.
But Nevada is like.
Other states in the country in this where the top of the ticket does matter just as Melanie say matters so very much.
That's Nevada that's Ohio and that is.
Very certainly Virginia the Old Dominion where you have -- head to head battle between the guy who used to be there.
George Allen the former governor who got swept down in that 2006 democratic anti war -- by an anti war Democrat and marine hero dude.
Jim Webb who is not running for reelection.
Allen is back and he is facing Tim Kaine who was the mom moderate Democrat popular governor of this state.
Who then.
After leaving Richmond way to go work for the president as the head of the Democratic National Committee.
You've got -- bush Republican vs an Obama Democrat.
You've got that you have all of the contours in the national election played out in this all important swing state that -- Mitt Romney must win.
I want to ask you this.
This could -- -- guys Tim -- leading in this state.
Well I think right now we -- six months away from the election you just got into a general election campaign.
And there's no doubt that this race is going to be neck and neck term until November.
And again as we -- just talking about the top of the ticket is going to be key this is now going to be injured and by the national economy.
I was President Obama has done over the last three and a half years.
And I think that we feel very good I know from the RNC's perspective we're going to be putting a lot of time and resources into Virginia Tech and it's going to be ground zero on the panel.
President's visit here it does not win in Virginia it's dubbed the matter is he can he can win Ohio twice -- still be tough -- -- I think that we saw in last year's elections at the state senate and state house that come.
If Virginia's spread and it's going to continue to be watched watched Bob McDonnell it -- yeah.
If you watch about -- if he's taking any trips up to Boston.
Melanie the show for.
The one of the things that made tin -- so successful in Virginia.
Was being seen as this moderate a guy who had these Virginia values he had been the mayor of Richmond he pro life he had the he had a lot of things that he could say.
That differentiated him from a national democratic -- was more he knew that he was more moderate.
Having served though at the head of the DNC.
It's going to be hard for him to say that he did first from the president on too many things and the red team's gonna get -- saying.
I believe the phrase that is used -- Brooke.
We're -- before Barack Obama.
Well when you look at what's happened in Virginia.
In the state legislature for example the extreme and bill to require women to undergo ultrasound.
Governor McDonnell's.
Terrible approval ratings he's gone out.
He's gone governor McDonnell got going out on picked me tour to increase his ratings and you're Julia who critics felt better than last and I -- -- -- over fifty yeah.
And governor McDonnell's approval -- -- have certainly declined since this legislation okay.
Virginia that's a fact that's a -- by that and he is on a mission to increase those ratings because he wants to be vice president he's.
Ignoring the state ignoring his voters because he wants to be vice president.
But I think when the voters look at the economic record of this president and moving this country forward again like in every other state is gonna come down to the top of the ticket Mitt Romney would.
Turn back the clock yes on economic policy on women's health issues that are important to Virginians and we we have to O'Donnell -- for -- I'm sorry stipulated stipulated that she's wrong we appreciate this very nice civil.
In intellectual informative conversation that we had here the Internet is Gary Condit both -- you -- thank you for coming thank you yeah okay good that we're gonna.
