>>> the fight to control the senate could turn on what happens in missouri where republican nominee todd akin has defied party leaders and is staying in the race past that deadline to get out. joining me now, senator patty murray , chair of the campaign committee. thank you very much for joining us. all eyes are now on what your counterparts on the republican side are going to do. they have not yet committed to money but they have been saying that they are supporting todd akin , and we heard from roy blunt , senator in missouri , republican senator in missouri , endorsing him. what do you think is happening out there?
>> well, look, what todd akin said was so offensive that there were different kinds of rape using the term legitimate and saying that somehow women have defenses against rape so they won't get pregnant, so offensive to me and to women in missouri , women and men across this country, and so offensive the top republican officials up and down said, we can't support this man. what changed in two weeks that they now say that this is a position of their party, that they will support him? perhaps put money into the race, i find that extremely offensive and i think people in missouri and across the country will as well.
>> isn't it basically that this could be the race that turns the senate? i mean if you're sitting in their chair in their shoes, would you not take a hard look at this and decide, well, we've got to support them, haven't democrats supported candidates that didn't fit into the national democratic campaign strategy just because every race is so important?
>> well, let's me be really clear. just a few weeks ago, every one of the republicans said that what he said was so offensive and how he said it was so offensive that they could not support him. and they are going to have to answer to the question about why is it not offensive today? i think that is a legitimate question that is going to be asked, not just of the republicans who now are going to endorse him or put money in, but of every republican candidate who is running, who is being funded by the outside organizations as well, as what do you stand for.
>> why do dwyou think the race is reportedly as tight as it is, based on what we're hearing from the ground in missouri ? claire mccaskills a respected senator, she's had political problems back home but why should she be in a competitive race against someone who has said these outrageous things?
>> let me take you way back to a year and a half ago when i was asked to take on the chair of the democratic senate campaign committee and there wasn't one person really who thought that we had a chance of keeping the majority. a lot of things have changed since then. in missouri , todd akin 's comments. in our country, people looked at democrats and saw that we were fighting for things that claire mccaskill wants to fight for, the middle class , making sure people have an opportunity. claire is getting that message out. i believe she's going to win and i believe she'll be back here as united states senator to help us fight for values that we all have said this election is.
>> which races are you most concerned about? would bob kerrey in nebraska be top of the list?
>> i will tell you this, we have 23 seat up on the democratic side they have 10 seats up on the republican side . even that that climate with many red states , like nebraska, like missouri , like montana we have a clear shot of not only keeping majority but doing well because of what i said. people understand that what the tea party and the conservative republicans have put up as candidates is not what mainstream america wants. mainstream america wants to make sure their kids get an education, they have access to health care we don't revamp the entire social security system to meet inside restrains that paul ryan thinks works but doesn't work for america . this is real questions on voters' mines and that's changed the dynamic of the election and we're seeing great candidates on our side with that message who are going to win in november.
>> and in massachusetts , republican scott brown has apologized for what some of his aides did in appearing on this video where they were mocking elizabeth warren for her native- american heritage . that is apology sufficient and should this be an issue in this campaign?
>> certainly it's up to the people of massachusetts to determine that. they have watched this race, they have seen scott brown tell people to take a look at elizabeth warren to determine her heritage, which is frankly offensive to me, people in massachusetts will make that determination. but i will say this. again, we have a race where elizabeth warren is fighting for the values that american families care about, making sure we all have an opportunity that our kids all have access to education, that medicare and medicaid are there for our families within we need them and that's the difference in the election and i believe strongly that elizabeth will do well in massachusetts in november.
>> senator patty murray , thank you very much. thanks for being with us today.
>> well, look, what todd akin said was so offensive that there were different kinds of rape using the term legitimate and saying that somehow women have defenses against rape so they won't get pregnant, so offensive to me and to women in missouri , women and men across this country, and so offensive the top republican officials up and down said, we can't support this man. what changed in two weeks that they now say that this is a position of their party, that they will support him? perhaps put money into the race, i find that extremely offensive and i think people in missouri and across the country will as well.
>> isn't it basically that this could be the race that turns the senate? i mean if you're sitting in their chair in their shoes, would you not take a hard look at this and decide, well, we've got to support them, haven't democrats supported candidates that didn't fit into the national democratic campaign strategy just because every race is so important?
>> well, let's me be really clear. just a few weeks ago, every one of the republicans said that what he said was so offensive and how he said it was so offensive that they could not support him. and they are going to have to answer to the question about why is it not offensive today? i think that is a legitimate question that is going to be asked, not just of the republicans who now are going to endorse him or put money in, but of every republican candidate who is running, who is being funded by the outside organizations as well, as what do you stand for.
>> why do dwyou think the race is reportedly as tight as it is, based on what we're hearing from the ground in missouri ? claire mccaskills a respected senator, she's had political problems back home but why should she be in a competitive race against someone who has said these outrageous things?
>> let me take you way back to a year and a half ago when i was asked to take on the chair of the democratic senate campaign committee and there wasn't one person really who thought that we had a chance of keeping the majority. a lot of things have changed since then. in missouri , todd akin 's comments. in our country, people looked at democrats and saw that we were fighting for things that claire mccaskill wants to fight for, the middle class , making sure people have an opportunity. claire is getting that message out. i believe she's going to win and i believe she'll be back here as united states senator to help us fight for values that we all have said this election is.
>> which races are you most concerned about? would bob kerrey in nebraska be top of the list?
>> i will tell you this, we have 23 seat up on the democratic side they have 10 seats up on the republican side . even that that climate with many red states , like nebraska, like missouri , like montana we have a clear shot of not only keeping majority but doing well because of what i said. people understand that what the tea party and the conservative republicans have put up as candidates is not what mainstream america wants. mainstream america wants to make sure their kids get an education, they have access to health care we don't revamp the entire social security system to meet inside restrains that paul ryan thinks works but doesn't work for america . this is real questions on voters' mines and that's changed the dynamic of the election and we're seeing great candidates on our side with that message who are going to win in november.
>> and in massachusetts , republican scott brown has apologized for what some of his aides did in appearing on this video where they were mocking elizabeth warren for her native- american heritage . that is apology sufficient and should this be an issue in this campaign?
>> certainly it's up to the people of massachusetts to determine that. they have watched this race, they have seen scott brown tell people to take a look at elizabeth warren to determine her heritage, which is frankly offensive to me, people in massachusetts will make that determination. but i will say this. again, we have a race where elizabeth warren is fighting for the values that american families care about, making sure we all have an opportunity that our kids all have access to education, that medicare and medicaid are there for our families within we need them and that's the difference in the election and i believe strongly that elizabeth will do well in massachusetts in november.
>> senator patty murray , thank you very much. thanks for being with us today.