host:, roddick, michael bennet and joe but -- colorado, michael bennet and buck. guest: michael bennet is an appointed senator. two things working against and -- the political environmental but against democrats. and the fact he was never elected in his own right. he has trailed in this race almost from day one. republicans did not get the candidate that they wanted but they are happy with ken buck, was the district attorney. their concern is the tea party candy came under fire. one of the things that is striking is the amount of money that has been spent by outside groups. host: who is putting it in? guest: just about everybody. both party committees. american crossroads, u.s. chamber. michael bennet has gotten some help from places -- i believe environmental groups have been out there.

michael bennet for u.s.nett w was appointed senator he has been running for election and running scared. if he had bucked his party and his president on just one major issue, in turn shown some colorado independence, it would have been much easier to endorse him. instead his 20-month career has been frustrating to watch, leading voters with a difficult choice. the bill is law because of bennet's one vote. that vote and his speech epitomized his short senate career. so much potential, yet not enough spine. >> listen, i did cast a vote for health care. i also said that i thought the process was horrible. the status quo before we passed health care was also horrible. and part of what we need to do is clean up the way washington does business. i completely agree with that. it's one of the things, vote of confidence in the american people and what's going on in this town. i also think that it's clear that the recovery package has grown the gdp somewhat and saved thousands and thousands of jobs in my home state. l

. >> colorado, michael bennet, to close to call? >> tossup, but michael bennet has a slight lead, a couple of points. >> to close to call. >> it is possible that voters will record as he is a good guy and deserves to be there. -- will recognize tt hes a gooduy and deserves t be there. >> what about barack obama's illinois senate seat? is that leading republican? >> yes. it is surprising that it is not more so, but that race is tightening up. we have to focus on turnout. >> washington state, patty murray is the incumbent. >> tossup. >> i was in chicago earlier this ek, and there are nasty advertisements. >> they are everywhere. i was on the colorado, new mexico, and arizona last week, and i learned that nancy pelosi is was possible not only for the deficit and unemployment, but also for the declining honeybee population, you name it. [laughter] connecticut, attorney general versus the wrestling ceo. >> that is leading in his direction. >> o oy in this year would even be close. she is kind of a ridiculous candidate. >> millions of her

michael bennet owes president obama for where he is right now. unfortunately, he's not representing california values in washington, d.c.. >> on the other hand senator bennet says you have flipped on some of your positions. , you called social security a horrible program. said the federal department of education isn't necessary. do you or don't you stand on those positions? >> what i've said in 18 months on the campaign trail with the camera on me everyday, is that it is a horrible policy to take the money out of the social security trust fun in the 60s and put worthless iou's in. the bill is going to come due some day and it has come due now. i put a policy on the table to deal with that, my opponent has not. my opponent sits on the committee for aging. he has missed 92% of the meetings of that committee and yet he won't talk about what needs to be done with social security. >> what about the department of education? >> i'm not opposed. i said i think education decisions are best made at the lovely levels. we need look at things to reduce the de

he's up against michael bennet, the democrat apointed to the seat. michael bennet was someone who would never run for office, did well in the primary and has grown into the role. buck is leading in colorado. they sometimes go through changes about whether it's more democrat or more republican. canada bu buck who had a lifetime working in law enforcement as and an attorney and district attorney, that kind of background is doing well. buck seems to be leading in all the polling we're looking at. >> big 2010 wrap there. thank you very much. >>> president obama is about to leave the white house. he's headed to maryland and then his hometown of chicago, where he will spend the evening campaigning for democrats. let's brick in nbc news washington bureau chief mark whitaker. let's talk about the things happening here. first i want to talk about the huge amount of money being spent particularly by the republican outside groups this year. >> it's true. it's been a factor in the politics for a while. we now have a group called american crossroads, raising a lo

chris, first to you what are you looking at in colorado with ken buck, michael bennet?ker the primary turned out a tea party guy in ken buck, though he is, i think, a little less of the tea party than a sharon angle or rand paul or christine o'donnell, still the backing of the conservative right in the primary. polling shows this race extremely, extremely, extremely close. michael bennet has struggled because he is both not all that well known bus he was not in politics before he was appoint to this office last year but he does have seine, senator before his name, not a good thing in an election like this some ways, getting the worst of both worlds. buck has been credible. we will see. >> there is a lot of similarity between the two races in that both cases, the testimonies are faced with this small government backlash against theç assertiv expansive agenda, pursued in washington, particularly among rural voters, they are going to have a lot of trouble in nevada and colorado among rural voters, especially in colorado, the thing that might save bennett, hopefully will s

with as our special senate debate continues, michael bennet with his challenger, ken buck. for by nbc-universal television >>> good morning. for the first time today this election season, the president and the first lady hit the campaign trail together, heading to ohio. with just 16 days until the election, is there anything the president can do to stop republicans from a major victory on november 2nd? joining me now,

michael bennet the democratic nominee spent $2 million.tside groups are spending over ten -- wlar we up to -- $16 million dumped into colorado. the two candidates running have spent a collectively $3 million. outside groups have spent $17 million. now, part of it is colorado is a fairly inexpensive state. you only have to buy one media market to get 80% of the state but it is a stunning figure. $10 million in republican outside groups. $6.7 most from the dncc. look how it's overpowering the actual candidates themselves. this is a case where outside groups have taken over messaging from the two candidates. it's a trend thanks to these new campaign finance laws you're going to see over and over again. show you an example of outside group advertising in this colorado senate race. >> he gambled with our teachers' retirements facing a $400 million shortfall. denver school superintendent michael bennet pushed the school board into a risky deal with wall street bankers. he should work for us, not wall street. american crossroads is responsible fo

the prime -- the president has not been invited back to colorado since he helped michael bennet win the primary. her numbers are high. we don't deliver votes in this country, which don't deliver groceries, we barely deliver mail. >> 67 percent approval rating, michelle obama. does putting her out there but that in jeopardy, nina? >> i don't think so. the only time she was controversial was early on in the campaign. she is an incredibly graceful saurrogate who can only help a candidate. i don't think she can elect a candidate anymore than any president can elect a candidate. but she can help. she can help raise money and give a warm, fuzzy feeling. >> how does it look to you, evan? >> obama's approval rating is not that bad compared to progress. but there is kind of a limit as to him now. there is -- lameness to him now. mostly he is just a bystander in all of this. >> a bystander, charles? >> in a country wracked with anxiety over the dead wrestler issue, it is good to see how responsive the political system is. as for michelle, she will not make an iota of difference in any of these ra

the president has not been, to my knowledge, invited back to colorado since he helped michael bennet win the primary. she can go where he cannot, and her numbers are hot. as far as delivering votes, we don't deliver votes in this country, we don't deliver groceries, we barely deliver mail. >> se67 percent approval rating, michelle obama. does putting her out there put in jeopardy, nina? >> i don't think so. she is an incredibly graceful circuit -- graceful sordid who can only help a candidate. she cannot elect a candidate and more than any president really likes the candidate, but she can help -- then the president elect the candidate, but she can help. >> how does a look to you, evan? >> obama's approval rating is not that bad compared to progress. -- compared to congress. but there is nothing positive he can do. mostly he is just a bystander at all of this. >> a bystander, charles. >> in a country wracked by anxiety over the dead wrestler issue, it is good to see -- as for michelle obama, she will not make an iota of difference in these races. her husband is toxic in most of these

the president has not been, to my knowledge, invited back to colorado since he helped michael bennet win the primary. she can go where he cannot, and her numbers are high. as far as delivering votes, we don't deliver votes in this country, we don't deliver groceries, we barely deliver mail. >> 68% approval rating, michelle obama. does putting her out there put that in jeopardy, nina? >> i don't think so. the only time she was controversial was early on in the campaign. she is an incredibly graceful surrogate, who can only help a candidate she cannot elect a candidate any more than any president really elects a candidate. but she can help, and she can certainly help raise money and give a warm, fuzzy feeling. >> how does it look to you, evan? >> obama's approval rating is not that bad compared to congress. he is sort of a lame-duck, even though he has only been there two years. there is nothing positive he can do. mostly he is just a bystander in all of this. >> a bystander, charles? >> in a country wracked with anxiety over the dead wrestler issue, it is good to see how response of o

and a new poll from "the denver post" shows michael bennet closing the gap on ken buck. they are deadlocked at 47-47. >>> mike huckabee is speaking out against what he calms the republican establishment. he's with chuck norris on the campaign trail. in a radio interview, huckabee blasted karl rove and others who have dismissed christine o'donne o'donnell. calling it an elitist, country club attitude. >> unfortunately, there's an elitism. it's almost, to be blunt, the country club attitude that we're not sure that there's certain people we really want as members of the club. and we're not going to vote them in. we don't mind them showing up to events. putting up fines and making phone calls. and going door-to-door, making those pesky, little trips that we don't like to do. but we really don't want them dining with us in the main dining room. >> karl rove insists republicans are not threatened by the tea party movement. calls the movement, quote, patriotic. >> rush limbaugh said you feel threatened by the tea party because you and the other establishment folks didn't have

reporter: last night former president bill clinton urged colorado democrats to stick with senator michael bennet. >> for goodness sakes, don't go back to what got us in trouble in the first place. >> reporter: but republican ken buck says he's exactly what colorado and the rest of the country needs. >> certainly fit the mold of a different kind of candidate for the u.s. senate. >> reporter: to win control of the senate, the gop needs to keep all 40 of their current seats and capture ten others now held by democrats. election day may be two weeks away, but early voting has begun in a handful of state. absentee ballots for mail-in voting will be available today in every state. betty, back to you. >> thank you. >>> in nevada tea party-backed candidate sharron angle has come under fire for remarks she made last friday to a group of hispanic students. she was defending an anti-illegal immigration ad which included a map of mexico and a picture of mexican farmers. >> what we want is a secure and sovereign nation. you know, i don't -- i don't know that all of you are latino. some of you look a little m

i'm michael bennet and i approve this message because i'm nobody's senator but yours. host: tracking from october 14 suggests that $3.3 million has been spent by independent outside groups, in that campaign against senator bennet is that all of your money, $3.3 million? guest: no, we have been active there, the senate committees have been active there. host: talk about the themes that we have heard in the campaign. guest: very interesting what plays off in the band -- in the -- the adnnett ad that we just play it originated with a "new york times" expos e. we are the group that comes into the fray to talk about that issue. it is not sthat michael bennett made a mistake and put the school board into a risky deal. the key issue is that he took money from the wall street firm that processed that transaction and ended up working out very poorly for denver taxpayers per that is the kind of thing that i think has gotten voters very upset about. the ad that you played for michael bennet, he says i'm not about politics as usual, i am not for sale -- people make mistakes, and ev

candidate ken buck as a colorado tea party or he's in a very close race for the senate seat held by michael bennet and over the weekend he took part in a debate on and he sees meet the press but his comments about don't ask don't tell and being gay while they have caused quite the uproar take a look. life style choices do you believe that being gay is a choice i do based on what based on what yeah well i believe that. i guess if you can you can choose who your partner is you know i think it's i mean that determined at birth i think that birth has an influence over like alcoholism and some other things but i think that basically you know you have a choice to put him. so being gay is like alcoholism and you have a choice i hate to burst your bubble can but psychological studies study after study in fact well they disagree with you. most of found the gay people are born that way and to declare that being gay is like alcoholism is not only insulting it's just degrading nearly everybody has condemned this comment including the human rights campaign now h.r. sees a d.c. based grassroots group that works

center michael -- senator michael bennet got that job when ken salazar left.e children. his opponent is a republican elected as the district attorney back in 2004, ken buck, and he has also been a prosecutor in the department of justice. he is 51 years old, is married, and has three children. with the backing of the tea party, a republican insider view was considered a shoe in for the party nomination. this is one of the most hotly contested senate races in the country and could tip the power in d.c. and gentlemen, i ask you, has anything about this race been what you have expected? mr. buck, i will start with you. >> it has been a hard-fought race. there has been a lot of money. i did not expect as much as we got, but this is a key race. i think the issues are pretty much what we expected the issues to be. we have talked about the jobs and the economy and spending, and these are the issues that i think are important to those in colorado, so i think that is important. >> all right, thank you. senator bennet? >> i have traveled about 30,000 miles around the sta

where michael bennet is trying to keep his seat attracts the most spending. in a dead heat with ken buck. democratic senator michael bennet is pulling out all the stops and loaning his campaign an extra $500,000. cleveland, don supports tea party candidates. caller: good morning. excuse me paired -- excuse me. what i would like to see happen if the republican party takes over, i would like to see them start to repeal -- excuse me, of course this would happen as soon as i get through what i would like to see is the abandonment -- abandoning of nafta and gatt treaties. that is what i would like and expect the government to work on because globalism and nationalism does not work together. we either have wrong orbit -- one or the other. the problem that i see is when those treaties were signed, we opened the door for free trade, and that is not necessarily fair trade. you open our markets, which every world wants to get into, you open those markets to goods that were manufactured by a population that was making pennies. a standard of living like americans, we can

david gregory moderates a debate between michael bennet and his republican challenger ken buck.ss", of course on nbc. >>> now to the nor'easter hitting the east coast now. the storm is unleashing heavy rain and winds up to 40 miles per hour in parts of the east coast. new york and new jersey experiencing bad weather with flooding in some areas. in parts of new england, snow is covering the ground. you're looking at the latest pictures for vermont and the weather channel's jim kcantore s live now. it's hard to complain. it's beautiful, even though it's rough weather. >> yeah, tamron. when you're soaked to the bone and it's about 33 degrees outside, you can find a little to complain about, darling. >> the site behind you is beautiful. i know, okay. i can say that. i'm dry inside. >> reporter: i know, i know. sorry about the the buzz kill right there. sorry about the buzz kill. >> thanks. >> reporter: i mine, i could almost reach out and touch the snow pictures. somebody brought me down a little bit from the mountains. i tried to hide it in the corner so it wouldn't melt too bad so

continues with a very tight race, the one in colorado where democratic iumbent senator michael b michael bennetight race with republican tea party backed challenger ken buck. it's all coming up this morning on "meet t press." >>> and from those very important topics to this one. in san diego anique competition going on this weekend, one that will make you hold your nose. >> it's the scooper bowl. pooper scoopers from all over the cotry travel to california to see who's the fastest scooper in the u.s. the eighth annual convention being put on. the top three winners each receive atrophy, cash prizes and bragging rights. >> you can pick it up with your hands? >> no worries. that stuff is fake apparently. >> speed is what interests me. efficiency, did you get all the grass and everything out. >> and we'll leave you with that thought on this sunday morni. thanks for watching today. >> please do wake up with us tomorrow morning. we begin bright and early at 4:30 in the morning. until then enjoy this beautiful sunday. because of one word, imagination and reality have merged. because of one word, a new

in colorado where michelle obama will be campaigning for michael bennet, dales cost the denver publicmillion dollars. these are the people she is -- ponding -- championing and embracing not only does it tell you the corruption and shadiness they embrace it tells you about the kind of lousy candidates the democrat party has been fielding. >> sean: those are all great points. i think there's something else tkaeper going on. bob woodward of all people -- said it is on the table the idea that hillary clinton, an obama -- hillary clinton ticket is being considered. white house is obviously denying this. on -- as soon as that came out, then mark penn, hillary clinton's pollster says this is going to be a referendum election on obama. everybody is predicting this is going to be a bloodbath for the democrats. obviously there's bad blood there and there seems to be political posturing from within. i wanted your take on that. >> sure hillary supporters have been far more open in the last couple of months about sniping and griping their displeasure with the current team. you have seen a lot of t

that declares a fertilized egg has the same rights as you and i have, his democratic opponent michael bennet came out swinging with this searing attack ad. >> as a doctor, i try to protect the health of women. that's what i do. that's why i'm very disturbed by ken buck. ken buck would ban common forms of birth control and ken buck wants to make abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest. but that should be a woman's decision, not a politician's. as far as i'm concerned ken buck is just too extreme for colorado. >> since originally supporting the birth control pills are murder legislation, ken buck has changed his position sort of. quoting "the denver post" during the primary he ken buck said he supported the measure. last weekend his campaign said he would vote against it because he doesn't believe in banning birth control. then on monday he said at a jewish voters' forum that he is not taking a position on the amendment at all. it's ken buck flip-flopping, falling over backwards, running from his record not sure what his new record should be. this is what it looks like when democrats

senator michael bennet was appointed to his seat in 2009 following the appointment of gen salazar as interior secretary. ken buck is the district attorney for a north central county. but the cook political report has rated this race a tossup. we'll show you this debate again and about 2.5 hours at 11:30 p.m. eastern on c-span. it will also be part of our debate coverage tomorrow beginning at 1:00 p.m. eastern as we look at some of the closest senate races in the country. before that, at 12:00 p.m., which review the candidates vying for the pennsylvania senate. also on our schedule, the last debate for candidates in wisconsin. then finally, three candidates participate in a florida senate debate from fort lauderdale. what's all these debates sunday beginning at 12:00 eastern here on c-span. >> voters had to people in less than two weeks. all the races on the c-span networks with debates every night right up to election day. archive debates on line at the c-span video library. upcoming coverage, political advertisements -- all the coverage right through election day. >> one of the grea

senator, you've got the republican ken buck, the most recent reuters poll has him at 48% against michael bennete paining for bennet. and buck compared homosexuality with alcoholism, saying that it's a choice. which one is going to come out on top here on election day? >> i have no idea. this is a pure toss-up race. in addition to pennsylvania, illinois, great race in nevada. those are about as close as we're getting to 50/50 contests. we're going to have to stay up very late on election night, i think. >> are you jealous i got to play with the toy instead of you? >> i am very jealous and i hope to be able to borrow one of those gadgets very, very soon. >> i'm sure that will be the case. mark, thank you. >>> big candidates are using the home stretch to bring their opponents' personal issues into the spotlight, arguing when it comes to the campaign, nothing is off limits. now, take a look at the candidates fighting to be fm's newest senator. charlie crist repeated his attacks last night on marco rube bow for using a party credit card for expenses. >> i've gone well beyond the point of disclosure.

a little bit of last night's debate with michael bennet never having to run an appointed senator and now facing the first campaign against a tea party campaign, ken buck. >> we promised she could have a dog after the election was over. she said what about that dog? what about that dog? we walked by all these dogs. and i said what if we don't get a dog? she looked at me and said i would run a negative ad against you. >> i don't know. it smacked a little bit of amy carter telling her dad she was worried about nuclear war. >> i think also ken buck in a later part of that debate got into it saying if i saw some of the ads run against me, i wouldn't vote for me either. it is one of the more negative races. if it wasn't for nevada we would say colorado is the nastiest senate race in the country but nothing will top nevada and harry reid and sharon angle and the way those two are fighting. that's what you got a sense of. colorado is one of those states where i would put wisconsin in there too, on one hand they don't mind some rough politics on the other hand they sometimes reject it so both

and i was going to add, same dynamic in colorado, another race, michael bennet against ken buck.w that he's up to the job. that he's not just about the tea party. he's not just about the right of theç right. he's about representing colorado. debates are very important crystallizing moments for voters. unlike you and i, they don't pay attention all the time. when they do pay attention, is this somebody i want to represent me? >> this is a real test for tea party candidates. both of whom have been criticized in some quarters. and these are two states that the republicans have to really pick off if they're going to take the senate. >> absolutely, andrea. and i don't want to get us too far ahead to the next 72, but thursday there's a debate in nevada. sharron angle, the state assemblywoman against harry reid. can a tea party candidate stand up on the same stage with a senator and show they are up to the task and they can represent not just a narrow slice of people, but the state. for sharron angle, that may be the single most important moment of her campaign. >> and that is going to

republican tea party candidate against sitting senator michael bennet.ow they talked about tax cuts. >> what i believe we should do is extend all of the bush tax cuts for one year in order for us to have a reasonable conversation out of the context of a political campaign. >> i don't know if they are extending the bush tax cuts or whether we are creating an obama tax increase. either way, i know that the families in colorado have got to figure out how to pay for any tax increase. >> so there you saw a democrat saying extend the bush tax cuts. that's in part because colorado is a state where certainly things are trending toward republicans. he's adjusting the view for the next year so he says. >> thank you very much. in south carolina the race to be senator involves a very green newcomer. alvin greene up against a longtime senator from south carolina, jim demint. greene we on last night on "the last word." turns out alvin greene just had one answer for lawrence. >> are you a witch? >> no. first, i want to remind everyone that demint started the recession.

david gregory moderates a debate between michael bennet and his republican challenger ken buck.hat's tomorrow on "meet the press" on nbc. >>> a new document with classified materials from wikileaks released tomorrow night. nbc news has learned that a pentagon task force is in the process of reviewing 400,000 cla classified documents related to that conflict. i want to bring in retired army colonel jack jacobs. jack, how does this interfere with the milliitary strategy an jeopardizing the security of troops abroad when we have those big document dumps taking place? >> it's bad news. it doesn't affect directly the individual soldier, airmen and marines either on the ground or in the air right away. their job is to protect each other, accomplish the mission on the ground and defend the united states. it doesn't have a direct impact on them, but it does have a big impact on how the higher levels of the military establishment in particular operate. if they think that whatever they're going to write, whatever they're going to say is going to be out on the net, it's going to severely r

tea party-backed ken buck teased michael bennet. >> i don't know who senator bennet is running the ads against, but i don't think i'd vote for that guy. >> reporter: the plot twist in west virginia is a democratic senate candidate shooting down some obama policies. >> i'll take dead aim at the cap and trade bill. because it's bad for west virginia. >> reporter: joe manchin told us he did not want president obama's help, but said bill clinton was there was as a friend. >> i never had anybody come stump for me. i don't do that. whether it be president obama, with all due respect, or anybody else. >> that was kelly o. reporting. democratic strategist karen finny and blogger for politicsdaily.com, matt lewis. i did give a little chuckle for that. bill clinton, he's just a buddy of mine, he just came on down. >> we just pal around. >> let's look at the big picture, if we can. "new york times" reports that both sides are jockying for position that there may be some races where the democrats are getting back into play. but money is a big issue here. it's kind of a chess game. where does that

first of all, colorado, a new poll finds democratic incumbent michael bennet locked in a dead heat with. in wisconsin, senator russ feingold has narrowed the gap but still in danger, trailing republican ron johnson, 49% to 47%. in kentucky's open seat, tea party favorite ran paul leaves dem conway by five points as they head into what is likely to be a contentious debate tonight. a tracking poll out today in pennsylvania finds republican pat toomey leading democrat joe sestak 47% to 42%. finally, there is some good news for democrats out of california. l.a. times poll on sunday showed senator barbara boxer eight points ahead of carly fiorina in that closely fought race. with me now, major garrett, congressional reporter for "national journal." great to see you, major. congratulations on the new "national journal" rolling out today. two big interview, one with barack obama and one with mitch mcconnell that you conducted. looking ahead to january, if mitch mcconnell is the republican leader, the majority leader, although that -- because of those tightly fought senate races may not be as l

. >> ifill: in colorado, incumbent senator michael bennet, appointed to the seat in 2009, is facing a tea party-backed challenge from republican nominee ken buck. unlike in illinois, president obama has mostly kept his distance here this fall, but other outsiders have played a major role. according to a "washington post" analysis, organizations affiliated with both parties have spent $25 million on the race so far. buck benefits from spending by republican-affiliated interest groups like american crossroads. >> bennet promised his reform would save costs and reduce the deficit. instead, we got tax increases, billions in medicare cuts and record deficits. >> ifill: bennet, meanwhile, is getting much of his help from the democratic senatorial campaign committee, which released this new ad today. >> i just can't vote for ken buck. >> he's just too out there. >> he wants to put social security in the stock market. >> ifill: such expensive advertising-- financed by as many as 27 separate interest groups-- has made colorado the nation's top target for outside money this year. for more, we'r

colorado senator michael bennet will square off the republican and tea party favorite, our senate debate, new jobless numbers, tight races across the nation, and another high-level obama administration departure. how will it impact the obama administration departure. how will it impact the i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to supplement the fuels that we use in our vehicles, and to do this at a large enough scale to someday help meet the world's energy demands. that while you may come from the same family... you know, son, you should take up something more strenuous. you have different needs and desires. - i'm reading a book. - what's a book? so we tailor plans for individuals, featuring a range of integrated solutions. - you at your usual restaurant? - son: maybe. see you tomorrow. - stairs? - elevator. to see how our

in colorado, a new poll out from "the denver post" you saw them debate last sunday, michael bennet and buck. it's a dead heat, 47% to 47%. chris daughter retiring in connecticut. an example of democrats coming home, state attorney general dick blumenthal against ceo republican linda mcmahon. he's up at 57% over 39%. a widening spread there. ? president obama's senate seat in illinois. that race between mark kirk and the democrat alexi january you'llas, a new poll, 43% for mark kirk, a slight edge over january giannoulias. and joe sestak has managed to surprise a lot of observers tighten this race against the republican former congressman, pat toomey. two new polls, one has says tack with an edge, 44, 44 and the left shows toomey with an edge, 48 to 46. to wisconsin, three-term democratic senator russ feingold in an unexpectedly tough race and ride in danny injure of losing his seat to ron johnson. here's the latest, johnson with the edge, 49% to 47%. and some recent polling in republican held seats, the contest in alaska. lisa murkowski is waging a write-in campaign against joe miller.

. >> ifill: in colorado, incumbent senator michael bennet, appointed to the seat in 2009, is facing a tea party-backed challenge from republican nominee ken buck. unlike in illinois, president obama has mostly kept his distance here this fall, but other outsiders have played a major role. according to a "washington post" analysis, organizations affiliated with both parties have spent $25 million on the race so far. buck benefits from spending by republican-affiliated interest groups like american crossroads. >> bennet promised his reform would save costs and reduce the deficit. instead, we got tax increases, billions in medicare cuts and record deficits. >> ifill: bennet, meanwhile, is getting much of his help from the democratic senatorial campaign committee, which released this new ad today. >> i just can't vote for ken buck. >> he's just tooreut there. >> he wants to put social security in the stock market. >> ifill: such expensive advertising-- financed by as many as 27 separate interest groups-- has made colorado the nation's top target for outside money this year. for more, we'r

ken buck pretty well positioned ahead of michael bennet in colorado.e is going to win in utah. rand paul is ahead out there in kentucky job. raese winning right now in west virginia. marco rubio is winning in florida. christine o'donnell is losing badly right now but that is a pretty good track record among the right wing there. >> a good chance to come to washington, the question, what do they want to do? do they want to get things done, solve the nation's problems or do they want to keep the republican party being a minority party and out of the white house? it is going to be up to mitch mcconnell, john boehner and the 2012 presidential candidates to say to that group and republicans at large, okay, did a good job, put down some markers, how do we grow the party, move them more towards the center without sacrificing our principles? it can be done but takes the leadership that no republican has -- >> here is the question, michael. if the purpose of the republican party, win seven of eight right wingers win, tea partiers, not all right winger, people o

this week, therepublican, ken buck, pulling ahead of michael bennet in two of the polls. it's a four-point race or tighter than that. president obama's former seat in illinois, still a close race, mark kirk a slight edge over alexi giannoulias. to nevada, no race more significant, symbolically, with majority leader harry reid in the fight of his political career against tea party candidate sharron angle who, in two polls, has that edge, four points over harry reid. the open seat in pennsylvania where democratic congressman joe sestak in a tight race against pat toomey, new poll showing it's toomey with the edge, a two-point lead turnout is so important here. washington state now, the democratic firewall. senator patti murray and republican dino rossi, showing murray up slightly, personally popular. the real enemy there is washington, who she's up against. three-term democratic senator russ feingold, slipping away from ron johnson. this is now a seven-point race in johnson's favor. recent polling in the much-talked about republican seat of florida. what a crazy week this w

ken buck pretty well positioned ahead of michael bennet in colorado.is going to win in utah. rand paul is ahead out there in kentucky job. raese winning right now in west virginia. marco rubio is winning in florida. christine o'donnell is losing badly right now but that is a pretty good track record among the right-wing there. >> a good chance to come to washington, the question what do they want to do? do they want to get things done, solve the nation's problems or do they want to keep the republican party being a minority party and out of the white house? it is going to be up to mitch mcconnell, john barn and the 2012 presidential canned at that times to say to that group and republicans at large, okay with did he a good job, put down some markers, how do we grow the party, move them more towards the center without sacrificing our principles? it can be done but takes the leadership that no republican has. >> here is the question, michael. if the purpose of the republican party, win seven of owes eight right-wingers win, tea partiers, not all right wi

in for the final stretch n colorado, republican ken buck squared off with democratic senator michael bennet in their final debate today. among other things shall the two disagreed a u.s. timetable to withdraw troops from afghanistan. recent polling shows the republican up by three points, which is within the margin of error. heading to florida sarah palin was stumping for marco rube yoechlt the former alaska governor folk chu custed not only on rubio's race but the democratic leaders in washington, d.c. >> what do you do with any employee who is not doing their job? that is right, you fire them. you fire pelosi, you retire reid and their whole band of merry followers and we get back to putting america on the right track. >> president obama is taking some time awful campaign trail today after a busy five-state swing, but he won't put his feet up for long, he is slated to visit five more states before election day. >>> on the heels of that let's bring in associate editor and columnist for the hill and joanne reed, editor of reed report.com and political columnist for the "miami herald." form