joining me now "politico" reporter alex isenstadt and peter fenn.both of you into "the war room". are democratic candidates feeling vulnerable or more worried about other part's of the participate's agenda. >> i think democrats are worried a little bit about some aspectover the participate's agenda. particularly in those areas that they need to win control of the house. democrats are a little bit concerned about gun control and the president's posture on that and how that is going to play with the republican voters that they need to win over in. >> michael: peter listening to alex and how we talk about here how would you advise democrats to take advantage of the current budget dynamics? is there a way out of it in terms of marketing? >> yeah, there sure as heck is. i agree with alex i have done a lot of work in the intermountain west, the south, and you have some issues there that can play. but this budget is so draconian, it makes alice in wonderland look like a straight-laced book. this business of cutting medicare and medicaid even further, of ge